9 min read Blog

What is a VPS and what can you do with it?

What is a VPS and what can you do with it?

Nowadays you need a VPS to do anything online, everything to do with connecting to a website, a game, or anything in between. A VPS comes with dedicated RAM, allocated CPU cores, storage space and full root & admin access. Find out what benefits a VPS can bring.

What is the Use of a VPS?

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a powerful, flexible tool that acts as your own private space on a shared physical server. It provides dedicated resources such as CPU, RAM, and storage, while giving you full control over the environment—just like a dedicated server, but at a more affordable cost. VPS hosting opens the door to a wide range of use cases, especially for tech-savvy users or businesses with specific needs.

Here are some of the most common and practical uses for a VPS:

1 - Hosting Websites

From basic personal blogs to large-scale business websites and e-commerce platforms, a VPS allows you to host your site with full control over the software stack. Tools like WordPress, Joomla, or frameworks such as Django, Laravel, or Ruby on Rails can be deployed easily. Unlike shared hosting, a VPS provides better performance, scalability, and security, which makes it ideal for growing websites that need consistent uptime and fast page load speeds.

2 - Game Servers

A VPS is a popular choice for hosting multiplayer games such as Minecraft, Rust, Valheim, CS: GO, and many more. By self-hosting, you gain complete access to the game’s server files, letting you install mods, plugins, custom maps, and even change performance configurations. This level of customization and control is often not possible with traditional game hosting services.

3 - Private VPN

Set up your own Virtual Private Network (VPN) using tools like WireGuard, OpenVPN, or SoftEther. A self-hosted VPN can encrypt your internet traffic, protect your data on public Wi-Fi networks, bypass geographic restrictions, and avoid ISP throttling. It’s especially valuable for privacy advocates, remote workers, or digital nomads who need secure and unrestricted internet access globally.

4 - Cloud Storage

Transform your VPS into a private cloud storage solution with applications like Nextcloud or ownCloud. You can store and sync your personal files, documents, media libraries, and backups while maintaining full control over your data—something public cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox don’t offer. This setup also enables file versioning, secure sharing, and even calendar and contact syncing.

5 - App Hosting and Development

Whether you're building APIs, SaaS platforms, or personal projects, a VPS gives you the flexibility to host applications written in Node.js, Python, PHP, Go, or Ruby. You can create custom dev environments, deploy staging servers, and automate CI/CD workflows. A VPS is particularly useful for developers who need a cost-effective and isolated testing ground for their apps.

6 - Bots and Automation

With a VPS, you can run long-term background processes like Discord bots, Telegram bots, web scrapers, or price tracking scripts without interruptions. Thanks to the 24/7 availability of VPS hosting, it’s ideal for scheduled tasks using cron jobs, monitoring services, or other automation that you want running around the clock without relying on your local machine.

7 - Email Server

Host your own email server using solutions like Postfix, Dovecot, or Mailcow. Running your own mail server means full control over mailboxes, spam filters, encryption, and email deliverability. While more complex to set up, it offers freedom from third-party providers, improved privacy, and brand consistency (e.g., yourname@yourdomain.com).

8 - Remote Desktop

Install a desktop environment (like XFCE, GNOME, or KDE) on your VPS and access it remotely via VNC, RDP, or X2Go. This allows you to perform tasks from a virtual desktop environment hosted in the cloud, which can be helpful for secure browsing, running GUI applications, or doing light remote work from anywhere.

9 - Cybersecurity Labs

Security researchers and students often use VPSs to create isolated virtual labs where they can safely test exploits, penetration tools, or malware samples. These environments are critical for ethical hacking, Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions, and cybersecurity training without risking their main operating systems or networks.

10 - Database Server

Use your VPS as a dedicated database server to run instances of MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or Redis. This is particularly useful for separating the database layer from the application for performance and scalability reasons. Self-hosting databases also allows you to fine-tune configurations, manage backups, and optimize performance without relying on managed cloud database providers.

Pros and Cons of Using a VPS

Before choosing a VPS, it’s important to understand both the advantages and potential drawbacks. While a VPS offers more power and flexibility than shared hosting, it also requires a bit more involvement on your part. Here's a balanced look to help you decide if it's the right solution for your needs:

Pros:

  • Full control over your server environment
  • Scalable performance and resources
  • Cost-effective compared to dedicated servers
  • Customizable software stack

Cons:

  • Requires some technical knowledge
  • Maintenance and security are your responsibility
  • Not as beginner-friendly as shared hosting

VPS Security Best Practices

When you’re managing your own Virtual Private Server, security is your responsibility. Unlike shared hosting (where the provider typically handles updates, firewalls, and monitoring) a VPS puts you in full control. That also means you need to be proactive about securing your server.

Here are some essential best practices to help protect your VPS from threats and vulnerabilities:

Keep Your Software and OS Up to Date

Outdated software is one of the most common ways attackers gain access to servers. Regularly update your operating system, installed packages, and any web apps (like WordPress or frameworks) to patch known vulnerabilities.

Tip: On most Linux distros, running commands like sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade (Ubuntu/Debian) or sudo yum update (CentOS/RHEL) will keep your system current.

Use SSH Keys Instead of Passwords

SSH keys provide a much more secure way to log in to your server than using traditional passwords. They're nearly impossible to brute-force and help prevent unauthorized access, especially from bots scanning for weak login credentials.

How it works: You generate a key pair on your local machine, then upload the public key to your VPS. Only your private key can be used to log in.

Set Up a Firewall (Like UFW or iptables)

A firewall controls what traffic is allowed to reach your server. Tools like UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) or iptables make it easy to block unused ports and allow only the services you want exposed to the public (e.g., HTTP, HTTPS, SSH).

Example (UFW):

sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow http
sudo ufw enable

Change the Default SSH Port

By default, SSH runs on port 22, which is frequently targeted by automated bots. Changing this to a non-standard port can reduce brute-force attempts and limit exposure.

Tip: After changing the port in your /etc/ssh/sshd_config file, be sure to update your firewall rules to allow the new port.

Enable Automatic Backups

No matter how secure your server is, things can still go wrong—accidental file deletions, data corruption, or even ransomware attacks. Set up regular backups of your files and databases, and store them in a separate location (like another VPS or cloud storage).

Tools to consider: rsync, Duplicity, or managed backup services provided by your VPS host.

Monitor Logs Regularly

Keep an eye on system logs to detect unusual activity or signs of an attack. Monitoring login attempts, web traffic, and system errors can help you spot issues before they become critical.

Common log files to check:

/var/log/auth.log (SSH and login attempts)

/var/log/syslog or /var/log/messages (system-wide events)

Web server logs (e.g., /var/log/nginx/access.log)

You can also use log monitoring tools like Fail2ban, Logwatch, or Logrotate to help automate log reviews and responses to suspicious behavior.

Things you should know about renting a VPS

You'll most likely need extensive technical knowledge, as the VPS by itself is an empty shell. You'll need to know small details such as what OS you'll want to use, what you need the VPS for specifically, and how you'll take care of the VPS. This means you are responsible for your own handling of security, software updates, and backups. And even although a VPS can be more powerful than shared hosting, VPSs still have their limits based on what you are using it for.

Resources and Tools for VPS Management

Managing a VPS can feel overwhelming at first but the right tools can make it much easier. Whether you want a user-friendly interface, better backups, or improved security, here are some reliable tools and platforms to help:

Control Panels

These tools simplify server management with graphical interfaces and automation features:

  • cPanel: Industry-standard panel with extensive features for websites, email, and DNS.
  • Plesk: Beginner-friendly with strong WordPress integration.
  • Webmin: Free and powerful panel for Linux server management.
  • CyberPanel: Lightweight, open-source panel powered by OpenLiteSpeed.

Monitoring Tools

Keep tabs on server performance, uptime, and potential issues:

  • UptimeRobot: Easy-to-use uptime monitoring with alerts
  • Zabbix: Enterprise-grade monitoring for servers, applications, and networks.
  • Grafana – Beautiful visual dashboards for metrics, often paired with Prometheus.

Backup Tools

Automate backups and protect your data in case of server failure or accidental deletion:

  • rsync: Fast and efficient file synchronization and backups over SSH.
  • Duplicity: Supports encrypted, incremental backups to various cloud services.
  • BorgBackup: Secure and efficient backup tool with deduplication and compression.

Security Tools

Enhance your server’s defenses with these security-focused tools:

  • Fail2ban: Protects against brute-force attacks by blocking suspicious IPs.
  • Let's Encrypt: Provides free SSL certificates to secure your websites.
  • ClamAV: Open-source antivirus engine for detecting malware on your server.

Using these tools, you can automate tasks, monitor server health, strengthen security, and save time managing your VPS. This way it will give you more bandwidth to focus on building your project or business.

VPS vs. Other Hosting Types

With so many hosting options available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to decide which one is right for you. Understanding how a Virtual Private Server (VPS) compares to Shared Hosting, Dedicated Servers, and Cloud Hosting will help you choose based on your technical skills, performance needs, and budget.

  • Shared Hosting
  • Dedicated Servers
  • Cloud Hosting

Shared Hosting

Best for: Beginners, small blogs, low-traffic websites
Overview: Shared hosting is the most affordable option, where your site shares server resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth) with many others. It’s easy to use and often comes with a simple control panel like cPanel, but it offers minimal control and can suffer from performance issues due to noisy neighbors.

VPS Hosting

Best for: Growing websites, developers, small businesses
Overview: A VPS gives you a slice of a physical server with dedicated resources, root access, and more control. It’s a great middle ground between shared hosting and dedicated servers, offering performance, security, and flexibility at a reasonable price.

Dedicated Server Hosting

Best for: Large websites, enterprises, high-traffic applications
Overview: With a dedicated server, you get an entire machine to yourself. This provides maximum control, performance, and customization—but also requires extensive technical knowledge and comes at a much higher cost. You're fully responsible for maintenance and security.

Cloud Hosting

Best for: Scalable apps, startups, global platforms
Overview: Cloud hosting uses a network of servers (the “cloud”) to host your site or app. Resources are scalable on-demand, and downtime is minimized through redundancy. It's ideal for dynamic workloads, but pricing can be unpredictable, and it’s more complex than traditional hosting.

When to Upgrade Your VPS

As your website or application grows, so do its demands. While a VPS can be a powerful starting point, there comes a time when your current plan might not be enough. Knowing when to upgrade your VPS ensures you maintain optimal performance, reliability, and security.

Here are common signs it's time to level up:

You're Experiencing Downtime or Slowness

Frequent crashes, slow page loads, or services becoming unresponsive are clear signs that your server is hitting its resource limits. Upgrading your VPS can give you access to more CPU, RAM, or bandwidth to handle the load.

Increased Traffic to Your Website

As traffic grows, so does the strain on your server. A sudden spike in visitors or consistent growth over time can lead to performance bottlenecks. Upgrading ensures your site remains fast and responsive for all users.

Running Resource-Intensive Applications

Apps like databases, video processing tools, game servers, or machine learning models can quickly eat up server resources. If your VPS can't keep up, upgrading to a higher-tier plan or dedicated environment will improve stability and speed.

Need for More Storage or Better Security

Running out of disk space? Need more room for backups or logs? Higher-tier VPS plans offer expanded storage options—and often better isolation and security features as well.

You've Outgrown Shared Hosting

If you're migrating from shared hosting and already hitting performance limits, starting with a low-end VPS might have made sense. But once your traffic, storage, or software needs grow, upgrading your VPS ensures you can scale without switching platforms again.

How to Choose the Right VPS Provider

Help readers select a VPS that matches their needs. Considerations you should have are:

  • Type of virtualization (KVM, OpenVZ, etc.)
  • Managed vs. unmanaged VPS
  • Resource allocation (CPU, RAM, disk, bandwidth)
  • Data center location
  • Support and uptime guarantees
  • Operating system options (Linux, Windows)

What are the costs for a VPS from MyNymBox?

VPS prices vary depending on how many features or other additions you will want or need. An average sum would probably be around 10$ monthly if you are on a budget, or it could work itself up to around 30$ monthly if you need more RAM or Disk Space.

Here at MyNymBox we offer countless options for VPS in locations such as Germany, Netherlands, and Finland, that all come along with the benefit of being completely private and without KYC, and you'll be able to pay for it using a crypto of your choosing. A couple of our options include:

A budget-friendly VPS with 1 CPU thread, 1GB Ram, and 30GB storage for 10$.

A budget+ VPS with 2 CPU threads, 2GB Ram, 40GB storage for 13$.

A mid-range VPS with 2 CPU threads, 6GB Ram, 60GB storage for 28$.

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