Virtual private server (VPS)

Definition

A virtual private server (VPS) is a virtual machine sold as an independently administered server environment.

How it works

A VPS gives you a genuine server — root access, your own operating system, allocated CPU, memory, and storage — at a fraction of dedicated hardware's cost. The flexibility cuts both ways: on an unmanaged VPS, updates, security, monitoring, backups, and recovery are yours to run. It is the natural step up when shared hosting's boundaries start to pinch.

Example: A team runs a custom application on a VPS because it needs root access and persistent background services.

Often confused: A VPS isolates a virtual server environment; shared hosting provides a managed account on a standardized platform.

Related terms

• Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM)
• Server
• Shared hosting
• Virtual machine (VM)
• Web hosting

Learn more from Bitfoo

• Compare shared hosting and VPS
• Review VPS plans and responsibilities

Sources

• NIST SP 800-125: Security for Full Virtualization Technologies
• NIST Computer Security Resource Center Glossary

Last reviewed 2026-07-19.