Windows VPS 2026: when you need it, what it costs, where to rent

A search for "Windows hosting" mixes two different products. Windows shared hosting is a slice of an IIS server: you upload an ASP.NET site and a database, but you get no desktop and cannot install your own software. A Windows VPS is a separate virtual machine running Windows Server, which you log into over RDP as administrator. Every price list we opened for this article sold Windows as a VPS/VDS, so this guide is mostly about that. Hosts are compared in our Windows VPS ranking. Prices below come from official host pages in October 2026; check them before you pay.

Windows VPS or Windows hosting: what you are buying

• Windows hosting (shared, IIS): one folder for the site and an MS SQL database, with the .NET version and modules set by the host. It suits a single ASP.NET site that only needs a web server.
• Windows VPS/VDS: full administrator access over RDP, your own Windows services and task scheduler, any .exe software, your own .NET and SQL versions. It is the only option for 1C, MetaTrader and a remote desktop.

If "drop the site in a folder" is enough, read our ASP.NET hosting guide first, because modern .NET is often easier and cheaper on Linux. If the task includes the words "install" or "run a program", you need a VPS.

When you really need Windows

• 1C and BAS. The 1C server exists for Linux too, but contractors who maintain the database usually ask for Windows. Ask what they will support and take that.
• MetaTrader 4/5. The terminals ship for Windows, and advisors built for it need workarounds on Linux. Latency to the broker and stability matter more than power; see our Forex VPS guide.
• Classic ASP.NET on .NET Framework 4.x needs Windows and IIS. Modern .NET (formerly .NET Core) also runs on Linux, so a new project does not have to use Windows.
• MS SQL Server alone is not a reason: according to Microsoft's documentation it runs on Linux starting with SQL Server 2017. You need Windows when the database sits on the same server as a Windows application.
• A remote desktop: a Windows desktop in a data center for accounting, CRM clients and programs that dislike home internet.
• Programs with no Linux version: bank clients, e-signature apps, niche corporate software.

The Windows Server license: what you pay for

Per Microsoft's price list, Windows Server 2025 Standard costs $1,176 for 16 cores and Datacenter costs $6,771, and both need client access licenses (CALs) on top. Buying one for a single VPS rarely makes sense, so the host builds it into the plan or bills it as an add-on. Contabo even states that you cannot bring your own license. From what we saw on the sites, there are four models:

• Included. Fozzy says the Windows license is part of every plan (Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022). 1Gbits says it is included in supported configurations, visible at checkout.
• A separate charge. Contabo adds a Windows fee to the monthly bill, sized by the VPS; its license page mentions €4.99 a month. Vultr's documentation (updated 15 April 2026) says the license is outside the base price and the amount shows at deployment.
• A trial. HyperHost explains its low price by shipping the server with a 180-day trial license, after which you buy the license or reinstall the system. TheHost installs a trial version of Windows Server, with versions up to 2022 on its list.
• Not visible. Zomro shows the same prices on its Windows page as for Linux (Kraft Intel is €9.95 in both lists) and gives the license no line of its own. Whether the cart adds it has to be checked before you pay. Comparing plans blind is annoying, but there is no other way here.

One host shows the cost. At 1Gbits a Linux VPS with 2 cores and 4 GB RAM costs $24.99 a month, while a Windows VPS with the same cores and memory costs $37.99. That is $13 more, or +52% (the disks differ: 100 and 80 GB).

Ask the host what its plan calls a license before you look at the price. Over a year or two, the gap between included, trial and surcharged licensing costs more than the gap between plan prices.

Ihor Jazov, Tophosting editor

Count RDS CALs separately. According to Microsoft Learn, every user or device connecting to an RDS session host needs one, and the grace period is 120 days. So a "remote office for five" costs more than a single plan: 1Gbits, for example, lists RDS CALs as separate options.

How much RAM and disk Windows Server 2022 and 2025 need

Microsoft's minimums: a 64-bit 1.4 GHz processor and 32 GB of disk as an absolute floor (Server Core without a desktop is about 4 GB smaller). RAM for Windows Server 2025 is 2 GB for both Server Core and Desktop Experience, with 4 GB recommended for the desktop option. For 2022 the minimums are lower: 1 GB and 2 GB respectively.

Two conclusions follow. First, 1 GB Windows plans are a trap. Fozzy's cheapest is 1 core, 1 GB and 30 GB of disk, under the official 32 GB and under 2 GB for the desktop option, so the real entry there is the 2 GB plan. Second, 2 GB only fits light services. For an RDP desktop, 1C or a terminal take 4 GB and an NVMe disk, and let your program's requirements decide the rest, not the plan's marketing.

The version matters too. Per Microsoft's lifecycle pages, extended support for Windows Server 2016 ends in January 2027 and for 2019 in January 2029. Mainstream support for 2022 ends in October 2026 (extended runs to October 2031); for 2025 it ends in November 2029 (extended to November 2034). For a new server take 2022 or 2025, whichever your software supports. Skip a 2016 plan: its security updates stop in three months.

Windows VPS providers: entry prices

Who each one suits

• Cheapest entry, if you'll check the terms: Zomro, 224 reviews in our catalog. A 3-day test opens after you top up €1; use it to check RDP, disk speed and the license line.
• Hryvnia billing and Ukrainian support: TheHost (499 UAH, 204 reviews) or HyperHost (158 reviews). Both give a trial license, so ask for the full price straight away.
• A license without surprises: Fozzy, 312 reviews and a 30-day refund. It costs more, from $36.88 for 2 GB. The other option is 1Gbits, $37.99 for 2 cores and 4 GB.
• MetaTrader: MyForexVPS, where Silver at $14.99 is sized for 1-2 terminals, but that is 2 GB RAM with no headroom. For how to choose a trading server, see Forex VPS.
• International cloud with flexible configurations: Contabo or Vultr. Windows is an add-on there, so compare totals with the license.

RDP security: why changing the port is not protection

Exposed RDP is a common target of automated password guessing. The tip "change 3389 to another port" does not protect you: scanners walk every port, and a new number only cuts log noise. Microsoft's documentation calls opening RDP to the internet not recommended and points to a VPN. What works:

• NLA (Network Level Authentication) on: the user authenticates before a session starts. Microsoft recommends keeping it enabled wherever possible.
• An IP allow-list: a Windows Firewall rule or the host's firewall that lets port 3389 in only from your address or subnet. If your IP is dynamic, allow your ISP's range, as Microsoft suggests.
• A VPN in front of RDP: port 3389 is not exposed to the internet at all and you connect from a tunnel. You can run your own VPN on a cheap neighboring Linux VPS using our guide.
• Your own account instead of the built-in Administrator: rename or disable the default, as Contabo also advises. Use a long, unique password and two-factor authentication where you can.
• Windows updates and backups: install updates, set up snapshots or automatic backups and test a restore before you need one.

How to choose in five minutes

• Name the program that needs Windows. Can't? Take a Linux VPS.
• Check RAM and disk against your software's requirements and Microsoft's. Start from 4 GB for a desktop or 1C.
• Ask which license applies (included, trial or extra) and which Windows Server version you get.
• If several people will log in, count RDS CALs.
• Use the trial or refund window to test RDP.
• Close RDP behind an IP allow-list or VPN before the first update, not after the first break-in attempt.

Bottom line

Take a Windows VPS for one specific program; it makes a poor "server just in case". If you have that program, take at least 2 GB and comfortably 4 GB, get the license terms in writing, and never leave RDP open to the internet without restrictions. If the load has outgrown a VPS, look at dedicated servers with Windows. All Windows hosts are in the Windows category, and .NET has its own ASP.NET hosting page.