• HestiaCP
  • Ubuntu
  • PHP-FPM
  • MariaDB

HestiaCP VPS HostingA free hosting control panel on your own Ubuntu server

HestiaCP is an open-source control panel that manages websites, email, DNS, databases and SSL certificates from one dashboard. We install it on a hardened KVM VPS with Ubuntu, so you can host client sites without a per-account licence fee.

See VPS plans See how it deploys
  • KVM virtualisation
  • NVMe storage
  • Root SSH access
  • Free one-time setup
  • 99.9% uptime SLA

systemctl list-units --type=service --state=active

  • hestiacontrol panel on port 8083
  • php-fpmPHP for every site
  • mariadbdatabase server
  • exim4 + dovecotmail send and receive
  • bind9DNS for your domains
  • fail2banbrute-force guard

Installed and secured before handover.

:8083panel port
GPLv3open-source licence
1 GBminimum RAM, 4 GB recommended
22.04 to 26.04Ubuntu LTS supported
01Why a VPS

Why Use HestiaCP on a VPS

A panel turns a bare server into something you can hand to clients or teammates, without paying a licence for every account.

Free and open source

HestiaCP is released under the GPLv3 licence. There is no per-account or per-server fee for the panel itself.

Everything in one place

Web domains, mail domains, DNS zones, databases, cron jobs, backups and a file manager sit in the same dashboard.

Users and packages

Create separate users with their own sites and limits, and give each one a package that sets what they can use.

A CLI and an API too

Every action has a v- command and a REST API, so you can script account creation or call it from your own tools.

02The stack

How a HestiaCP Server Is Put Together

The panel manages the services underneath it. Your visitors never see the panel; it only configures and watches the rest.

  1. Control panel

    HestiaCP

    The dashboard on port 8083 and the CLI that configure everything below.

  2. Web and PHP

    Web server and PHP-FPM

    Serve your sites. PHP runs through PHP-FPM; extra PHP versions (MultiPHP) are an install option.

  3. Mail and DNS

    Exim, Dovecot, BIND

    Send and receive mail, and answer DNS for your domains. ClamAV and SpamAssassin handle viruses and spam.

  4. Database

    MariaDB

    The default database. MySQL 8 and PostgreSQL are optional installs.

04 DATABASE MariaDB 03 MAIL AND DNS Exim, Dovecot, BIND 02 WEB AND PHP Web server and PHP-FPM 01 CONTROL PANEL HestiaCP

Engineer's notes

  1. Install HestiaCP on a freshly installed server. It expects to configure the web, mail and database services itself.
  2. The installer is interactive by default; unattended installs use command-line flags.
  3. SpamAssassin and ClamAV are the memory-heavy parts. HestiaCP's 1 GB minimum is stated without them.
  4. The panel uses port 8083 with its own certificate; keep it off the public internet if you can.
  5. HestiaCP manages its own firewall (iptables and Fail2Ban). Change firewall rules in the panel rather than adding a second firewall tool beside it.
  • 443HTTPS, your sites
  • 80HTTP, redirects to HTTPS
  • 22SSH, you only
  • 8083HestiaCP panel
03Use cases

What You Can Run

Client websites

Many sites on one server, each under its own user.

WordPress and other PHP apps

Sites that run on PHP-FPM and MariaDB.

Business email

Mail domains and mailboxes on your own server.

Your own DNS

DNS zones for the domains you host, served by BIND.

Free SSL

Let's Encrypt certificates for each domain from the panel.

Reseller-style accounts

Separate users with their own limits and backups.

04Sizing guide

Which Plan for Your HestiaCP Server

Site traffic, mailbox count and whether you turn on antivirus and spam filtering decide the size.

Recommended start

VPS-1

2 vCores and 4 GB RAM: above the panel's recommended memory.

vCores2
RAM4 GB
NVMe40 GB
See VPS-1
Recommended start

VPS-2

4 vCores and 8 GB RAM with room for the antivirus and spam filters.

vCores4
RAM8 GB
NVMe75 GB
See VPS-2
Recommended start

VPS-3

6 vCores, 12 GB RAM and 100 GB NVMe.

vCores6
RAM12 GB
NVMe100 GB
See VPS-3
Recommended start

VPS-4

8 vCores, 24 GB RAM and 200 GB NVMe.

vCores8
RAM24 GB
NVMe200 GB
See VPS-4

A starting point, not a limit: every plan upgrades in place, keeping your data, IP address and configuration.

05After handover

Installing HestiaCP on Your Server

If you ask us at order, the free setup installs HestiaCP for you. To do it yourself on a fresh Ubuntu LTS server, the steps are these.

  1. Update the fresh server

    Start from a freshly installed Ubuntu LTS with the latest updates.

    apt update && apt -y upgrade

  2. Download the installer

    The installer, hst-install.sh, comes from the release branch on GitHub.

    wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hestiacp/hestiacp/release/install/hst-install.sh

  3. Run it as root

    It asks which components to install. Answer the questions, then let it finish.

    bash hst-install.sh

  4. Sign in to the panel

    Open the panel on port 8083 with the address and admin details the installer prints.

    https://host.example.com:8083

Example commands: adjust names, paths and versions to your project. Deploying and maintaining your application is yours to do, or ask us for a quote.

06Cheat sheet

HestiaCP commands you will use every week

Copy, paste, adjust the names. Each one is safe to run as your own user on the server.

Add a user

v-add-user alice 'StrongPassw0rd' [email protected]

Add a web domain

v-add-web-domain alice example.com

Issue a free SSL certificate

v-add-letsencrypt-domain alice example.com www.example.com

List a user's domains

v-list-web-domains alice

Back up a user

v-backup-user alice yes

Change a user's password

v-change-user-password alice 'NewPassw0rd'
07Compare

Shared cPanel Hosting or Your Own HestiaCP?

Both give you a dashboard. The difference is who owns the server and what you pay per account.

Shared cPanel hosting

  • The panelcPanel, included in the plan
  • AccountsOne account per plan
  • Server accessNo root
  • Updates and securityHandled by the host
  • Best forOne site, no server to run

HestiaCP VPS

  • The panelHestiaCP, free and open source
  • AccountsMany users on one server
  • Server accessFull root and SSH
  • Updates and securityYours: OS and panel updates
  • Best forAgencies and people who want control
Choose a VPS plan
08Handover

Your HestiaCP server

Free one-time setup before you get access. Here is what happens, and what you receive.

  1. Pick a plan and a location

    Resources that fit your workload, in the datacentre closest to your users.

  2. Tell us your HestiaCP setup

    Versions, database and domain: at order or right after.

  3. We install and secure it

    Server hardened, the stack installed and tested, HTTPS on your domain.

  4. You get root

    SSH to a working server, ready for your code and data.

Installed for you

  • HestiaCP with its web server, PHP-FPM and MariaDB
  • Mail (Exim and Dovecot), DNS (BIND) and FTP, as chosen at install
  • ClamAV and SpamAssassin if you choose them
  • Firewall and Fail2Ban configured by HestiaCP
  • Your domains, users and mail accounts are added by you

Secured before handover

  • Non-root sudo user created for daily work
  • SSH key login, password login for root disabled
  • Firewall (UFW) open only for the ports you use
  • Fail2ban blocking repeated login attempts
  • Automatic security updates enabled
  • Free Let's Encrypt SSL on your domain
  • Timezone, swap and hostname configured

Not included (we say so up front)

  • Ongoing server administration
  • Application maintenance and updates
  • Debugging your code
  • Migrating existing sites or data
09Hardening and tuning

Security and Performance for HestiaCP

Security

  • Keep Ubuntu and HestiaCP updated; a panel is a high-value target.
  • Restrict port 8083 to your own IP address when you can.
  • Use a long, unique admin password and a separate user for each client.
  • Set SPF, DKIM and DMARC on every mail domain so your mail is trusted.

Performance

  • Turn off ClamAV and SpamAssassin on a small server if you do not need them.
  • Use PHP-FPM with a sensible limit per site.
  • Keep databases on the NVMe disk and watch their size.
  • Do not run heavy extra services on the same server as mail.

Built from the official documentation

VPS Plans

VPS Plans for HestiaCP

HestiaCP's documented minimum is 1 CPU core and 1 GB RAM without the antivirus and spam filters, and 4 cores and 4 GB RAM recommended. Pick a plan by how many sites and mailboxes you will host.

VPS-1

Small websites, APIs, bots and development servers.

₹1,008 /mo
Get Started
  • 2 vCores
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 40 GB NVMe
  • 500 Mbps
  • Full root and SSH access
  • Free initial stack installation
  • Server hardening and firewall setup
  • Daily backup of the previous 24 hours
  • Unlimited traffic *
  • Anti-DDoS protection
  • Dedicated IPv4 and IPv6
  • KVM virtualisation
Most Popular

VPS-2

Production apps, WordPress and online stores.

₹1,906 /mo
Get Started
  • 4 vCores
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 75 GB NVMe
  • 1 Gbps
  • Full root and SSH access
  • Free initial stack installation
  • Server hardening and firewall setup
  • Daily backup of the previous 24 hours
  • Unlimited traffic *
  • Anti-DDoS protection
  • Dedicated IPv4 and IPv6
  • KVM virtualisation

VPS-3

Busy stores, SaaS products and several projects.

₹2,748 /mo
Get Started
  • 6 vCores
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 100 GB NVMe
  • 2 Gbps
  • Full root and SSH access
  • Free initial stack installation
  • Server hardening and firewall setup
  • Daily backup of the previous 24 hours
  • Unlimited traffic *
  • Anti-DDoS protection
  • Dedicated IPv4 and IPv6
  • KVM virtualisation

VPS-4

High-traffic apps, large databases and agencies.

₹5,274 /mo
Get Started
  • 8 vCores
  • 24 GB RAM
  • 200 GB NVMe
  • 3 Gbps
  • Full root and SSH access
  • Free initial stack installation
  • Server hardening and firewall setup
  • Daily backup of the previous 24 hours
  • Unlimited traffic *
  • Anti-DDoS protection
  • Dedicated IPv4 and IPv6
  • KVM virtualisation

* Unlimited traffic in Europe and North America. In Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney a monthly allowance applies (VPS-1 500 GB, VPS-2/VPS-3 1 TB, VPS-4 3 TB), then speed is limited to 10 Mbps until the next month.

Prices exclude 18% GST, which is added to invoices for customers in India.

10Under the hood

Platform specs and locations

The same KVM platform on every plan; only CPU, RAM, storage and port speed change.

Virtualisation
KVM with reserved vCores and RAM
Storage
NVMe SSD on every plan
Network
Dedicated IPv4 and IPv6, 500 Mbps to 3 Gbps per plan
Operating systems
Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04 LTS · Debian 13, 12 and 11 · AlmaLinux · Rocky Linux · Fedora · FreeBSD
Access
Full root over SSH, key-based login
Backups
Automatic daily backup of the previous 24 hours; snapshots and longer retention on request
Protection
Always-on anti-DDoS mitigation
Availability
99.9% uptime SLA

Asia-Pacific

  • Mumbai
  • Singapore
  • Sydney

Europe

  • London
  • Limburg
  • Roubaix
  • Gravelines
  • Strasbourg
  • Milan
  • Warsaw

North America

  • Beauharnois

Availability per location changes with demand; we confirm your location before setup. In Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney each plan includes a monthly traffic allowance (VPS-1 500 GB, VPS-2 and VPS-3 1 TB, VPS-4 3 TB); beyond it, speed is limited to 10 Mbps until the next month.

HestiaCP VPS FAQs

Questions before you deploy

Not covered here? Ask an engineer before you order.

Ready when you are

Get a Server With HestiaCP

Choose a plan and tell us you want HestiaCP. We hand over a hardened Ubuntu server with the panel installed.

Deploy your VPS Talk to an engineer