VPS stands for Virtual Private Server.

Wondering what a VPS is? Virtual private servers offer server resources shared over multiple virtual machines (VMs), providing the power and performance of a dedicated server but at a cheaper price point. This is made possible by server virtualisation, which breaks a physical server up into sections so that it can run as multiple separate virtual servers, each with its own OS and dedicated resources. Although you won’t have the same amount of power as you would get with an entire dedicated server to yourself, a VPS ensures you get an isolated server environment for better data security, performance and control – all at a fantastic price.

Because our VPS Hosting spreads resources over multiple VMs, this means that you don’t experience the same traffic and bandwidth limitations as you would with a shared hosting plan, where your resources are hosted in just one shared server environment. This means great reliability and super-fast speeds!

Yes of course. Whether you've outgrown your project, are experiencing traffic spikes or simply want insurance for future growth, you can easily scale to a higher VPS tier.

This can be done easily within your control panel. The only limitations to upgrading your VPS are that you must be upgrading to a server of a higher price with additional storage.

Server virtualisation is the technique used to split a physical server into separate VMs or virtual private servers. Server virtualisation can also mask server resources, making sure that users don’t have access to sensitive information – like how many processors there are, the different operating systems being used, or even the number of physical servers.

Server virtualisation is achieved by using a type of software called a hypervisor. The hypervisor sits between the server and the new virtual machines it creates, and it supports multiple VMs by virtually sharing their resources. Each virtual machine or VPS can then be allocated to customers.

With full root access, you have complete control over how you configure your virtual private servers and can use them for whatever you want. Commonly, virtual private server hosting (VPS hosting) includes uses such as for a web server or mail server. A VPS is also a good option for creating a testing or staging environment, or for creating a private gaming server to enjoy with your friends. Whether you need a server for business or pleasure, a VPS is a brilliant place to start thanks to its fantastic reliability, performance, security and scalability at a very reasonable cost.

Here at Fasthosts, our cheap VPS plans start at just £2 per month for the first 6 months. Low cost VPS hosting is ideal for smaller projects, such as hosting a personal blog, as they offer less storage space, RAM and other computing resources. However, if you want the best VPS for a fast-growing ecommerce website, you'll likely need a more powerful VPS to ensure minimal downtime. Our top VPS package is £74 per month after new customer discounts have ended, and you get an incredible 12vCPUs, 24GB RAM and 1500GB NVMe storage.

And if you ever outgrow your VPS hosting plan, you can easily upgrade to one of our Dedicated Servers or Bare Metal Servers to get an entire server – and all of its resources – to yourself.

Alternatively, if you're on a strict budget, you can choose one of our cheap web hosting plans.

Surely a free VPS is better than a cheap VPS? Sadly, this isn’t the case.

The problem with a free VPS is that these providers don’t offer the same performance, uptime and security guarantees. This means that your website or application will be more likely to experience downtime, poor loading speeds and potentially a higher risk of cyber attacks, all of which will contribute to a worse user experience for your customers. Plus, some free VPS providers will place adverts on websites hosted on their servers, which may make your site look unprofessional.

To maximise your chances of securing better search engine rankings, conversion rates and brand reputation, you need a reliable, trustworthy and high-quality VPS host – like Fasthosts! We offer a 99.99% uptime guarantee, lightning-fast speeds, full root access, scalable storage and much more with the best VPS hosting services, helping you host your project with ease.

Shared hosting hosts multiple websites on one server, sharing its resources. It's cost-effective, but offers limited control. VPS hosting allocates dedicated virtual servers with separate resources for each website, providing more control and scalability.

Each virtual server is fully isolated from other virtual machines in the same server environment, meaning no need to share resources with noisy neighbours! Plus, you get much better privacy and the ability to fully control your own server, such as by installing your preferred OS or customising server settings to exactly suit the requirements of your project.

A VPS is ideal for individuals and businesses seeking dedicated resources and control over their hosting environment. Whether you're a startup, small business, or enterprise, a Fasthosts VPS provides the power and flexibility needed to host websites, applications, or online services with tailored performance.

You should choose based on your specific needs and familiarity. Windows suits Microsoft technologies, while Linux offers stability, security, and cost-effectiveness with open-source support for a wider range of software (excluding Microsoft technologies). Therefore, if you or your organisation is more familiar with Microsoft products, a Windows VPS server is likely to be the best choice.

However, since there are Windows licensing costs to consider (which are included within your Windows VPS hosting plan price), a Linux VPS may be slightly more affordable. Plus, the built-in, beginner-friendly Windows GUI can have a slight impact on performance, so if you don’t need this GUI, you may prefer the more lightweight design of Linux.

Still undecided? There are plenty of pros and cons of VPS Windows and VPS Linux, so make sure you check out our complete guide to Linux VPS vs Windows VPS before making a decision.

If you're hosting a website on your VPS, you'll need to register a domain name to get started. This will incur a cost, however Fasthosts VPS customers get Plesk Web Host Edition for free – this provides comprehensive domain management capability, subscription management and account management. Looking for the best VPS domain hosting? You've come to the right place.

We offer a minimum 12 month contract period on our VPS product. You can opt to pay up front, however, for a bigger discount.

Fasthosts virtual servers can be provisioned and ready to go in minutes. NVMe storage provides a noticeable difference in speed. Larger servers may take a little longer to install.

You can choose between your favourite Linux operating systems (including the latest versions of AlmaLinux, Debian, Rocky Linux and Ubuntu), and Windows Server operating systems (Windows Server® 2019, Windows Server® 2022 and Windows Server® 2025).

Yes, after you're all set up, you'll have access to our central administration panel, or Cloud Panel. This will let you manage your server's settings and features.

With root access to your server included, you'll have total control over your systems, services and network.

With our Virtual Private Server hosting, you have total control to customise your server however you like. You can configure your VPS with whatever operating system, scripting language or database of your choosing.

Yes! Our VPS servers run on our cloud infrastructure, meaning they're not hosted on any one server. Instead, virtual server resources are split between multiple physical machines. Being in the cloud also means they're scalable to suit your needs.

Yes, virtual private servers (VPS) are designed to be user-friendly and intuitive. With a VPS, you have complete control over your hosting environment and can easily manage your server using our Cloud Panel.

You may want to consider upgrading to a VPS if your website or online application requires more resources than what shared hosting can provide, such as more memory, processing power, or storage. Additionally, if you require more control over your hosting environment, including the ability to install custom software, configure server settings, or access the server via SSH, then a VPS is the right choice for you.

Yes, our VPS Web hosting services are secure. We implement a range of security measures to protect your data and ensure that your server is not vulnerable to attacks. These measures include firewalls, intrusion detection, and 24/7 server monitoring. Get additional redundancy and security with our Cyber Protect add-on, which you can buy and install after purchase.

Yes, you can back up your VPS. We offer automated backup solutions to ensure that your data is always safe and secure. You can also create manual backups at any time using the control panel. Our Cyber Protect add-on can be used to set up multiple backups or schedule it and leave it to do its thing. And it's simple to buy and install after purchase!

When you've set up your server, you can install the free Web Host Edition of Plesk. To install, you'll need to generate a licence key, which you can get from our Cloud Panel.