> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pangolin.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Choosing a VPS

> Compare hosting options and find the best VPS for your Pangolin deployment

<div id="pangolin-toc-cta" className="pangolin-toc-cta-source">
  <Card title="Try free on Pangolin Cloud" icon="cloud" href="https://app.pangolin.net/auth/signup" arrow="true" cta="Sign up free">
    Fastest way to get started with Pangolin using the hosted control plane. No credit card required.
  </Card>
</div>

Pangolin generally requires minimal resources to run effectively. A basic VPS with **1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, and 8GB SSD** is sufficient for most deployments.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Minimum Requirements">
    * **CPU**: 1 vCPU
    * **RAM**: 1GB
    * **Storage**: 8GB SSD
  </Card>

  <Card title="Recommended Specs">
    * **CPU**: 2 vCPU
    * **RAM**: 2GB
    * **Storage**: 20GB SSD
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Recommended Options

<Tip>
  We're part of RackNerd's affiliate program. Using our links helps support Pangolin development at no extra cost to you.
</Tip>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="RackNerd - 1GB RAM VPS" href="https://my.racknerd.com/aff.php?aff=13788&pid=903">
    **\$11.29/Year**

    * 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 24GB SSD, 2TB Bandwidth
  </Card>

  <Card title="RackNerd - 2GB RAM VPS" href="https://my.racknerd.com/aff.php?aff=13788&pid=904">
    **\$18.29/Year**

    * 1 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 40GB SSD, 3.5TB Bandwidth
    * Great value for performance
  </Card>

  <Card title="RackNerd - 3.5GB RAM VPS" href="https://my.racknerd.com/aff.php?aff=13788&pid=905">
    **\$32.49/Year**

    * 2 vCPU, 3.5GB RAM, 65GB SSD, 7TB Bandwidth
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## DigitalOcean Marketplace

Deploy Pangolin with a single click using the DigitalOcean marketplace. The one-click installer automatically provisions a DigitalOcean droplet with Pangolin pre-installed and firewall rules configured.

<Tip>
  We're part of the DigitalOcean affiliate program. Using our links helps support Pangolin development at no extra cost to you. If you decide to use the DigitalOcean one-click installer, please use our link.
</Tip>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="View App Listing" href="https://marketplace.digitalocean.com/apps/pangolin-ce-1?refcode=edf0480eeb81">
    View Pangolin on the DigitalOcean marketplace
  </Card>

  <Card title="Deploy Now (Affiliate Link)" href="https://marketplace.digitalocean.com/apps/pangolin-ce-1?refcode=edf0480eeb81&action=deploy">
    Create your droplet with Pangolin pre-installed
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## VPS Provider Comparison

| Provider                                                          | Plan          | CPU    | RAM   | Storage  | Price/Month | Price/Year | Best For           |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- | ------ | ----- | -------- | ----------- | ---------- | ------------------ |
| **[RackNerd](https://my.racknerd.com/aff.php?aff=13788)**         | Starter       | 1 vCPU | 1GB   | 24GB SSD | \$0.94      | \$11.29    | Budget users       |
| **[RackNerd](https://my.racknerd.com/aff.php?aff=13788)**         | Basic         | 1 vCPU | 2GB   | 40GB SSD | \$1.52      | \$18.29    | Small teams        |
| **[RackNerd](https://my.racknerd.com/aff.php?aff=13788)**         | Standard      | 2 vCPU | 3.5GB | 65GB SSD | \$2.71      | \$32.49    | Growing teams      |
| **[Hetzner Cloud](https://www.hetzner.com/cloud)**                | CX11          | 2 vCPU | 4GB   | 40GB SSD | \$4.59      | \$55.08    | Performance        |
| **[UpCloud](https://upcloud.com/pricing/)**                       | 1xCPU         | 1 vCPU | 1GB   | 10GB SSD | \$3.30      | \$39.60    | European users     |
| **[Vultr](https://www.vultr.com/pricing)**                        | Cloud Compute | 1 vCPU | 1GB   | 25GB SSD | \$5.00      | \$60.00    | Global presence    |
| **[Linode](https://www.linode.com/pricing/)**                     | Nanode        | 1 vCPU | 1GB   | 25GB SSD | \$5.00      | \$60.00    | Developer friendly |
| **[DigitalOcean](https://www.digitalocean.com/pricing/droplets)** | Basic         | 1 vCPU | 1GB   | 25GB SSD | \$6.00      | \$72.00    | Easy setup         |
| **[OVHcloud](https://www.ovhcloud.com/en/vps/)**                  | Starter       | 2 vCPU | 2GB   | 40GB SSD | \$5.50      | \$66.00    | European users     |
| **[AWS EC2](https://instances.vantage.sh/)**                      | t3.micro      | 2 vCPU | 1GB   | 8GB SSD  | \$8.50      | \$102.00   | Enterprise         |

<Info>
  Prices shown are approximate and may vary based on location, promotions, and currency exchange rates. Check provider websites for current pricing.
</Info>

## Selection Criteria

When choosing your VPS provider, consider these factors:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Performance Requirements">
    **Resource usage depends on several key factors:**

    **Primary factors:**

    * **Number of connected sites**: More sites = higher CPU and memory usage
    * **Data throughput**: Amount of traffic transiting through the server

    **Secondary factors:**

    * **Dashboard UI usage**: Active admin sessions and configuration changes
    * **Database activity**: User management, logging, and analytics queries
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Geographic Location">
    **Choose a data center close to your users:**

    * **North America**: RackNerd, DigitalOcean, Vultr
    * **Europe**: Hetzner, OVHcloud, UpCloud
    * **Asia Pacific**: Vultr, Linode, DigitalOcean
    * **Global**: AWS, Google Cloud, Azure
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Support and Reliability">
    **Consider these factors:**

    * **Uptime guarantees**: Most providers offer 99.9%+
    * **Support quality**: 24/7 support vs. community forums
    * **Backup options**: Automated backups vs. manual
    * **Monitoring**: Built-in monitoring tools
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Cost Considerations">
    **Hidden costs to watch for:**

    * **Bandwidth overages**: Most plans include 1-2TB/month
    * **Backup storage**: Additional charges for automated backups
    * **IPv4 addresses**: Some providers charge extra
    * **Support tiers**: Premium support may cost extra
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>