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Rocky Linux VPS Hosting

Run Rocky Linux 9 on a fast VPS: a community-driven, RHEL-compatible enterprise system with full root access, DDoS protection and a ten-year lifecycle.

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Rocky Linux VPS at a glance

Versions: Rocky Linux 9 (Rocky Linux 8 on selected plans)
Support: Rocky Linux 9: security updates until 2032
Package manager: dnf
Compatibility: Binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Minimum plan: 2 GB RAM; 4 GB or more with a control panel
Access: SSH as root, with a password or your SSH key

How your Rocky Linux VPS is built

Four layers, from our hardware to your software. Everything above the infrastructure is yours to control.

1
ClientVPS infrastructure
KVM virtualisation with dedicated vCPU and RAM, NVMe or SSD storage, fast networking and DDoS protection on every server.
2
Rocky Linux 9 base system
A RHEL 9-compatible system with systemd, SELinux enforcing and long-term updates from the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation.
3
dnf and RHEL-compatible repositories
BaseOS and AppStream for the system, EPEL for thousands of extra packages, and vendor repositories built for RHEL 9.
4
Your applications
Control panels, business applications, Java services and containers with Podman.

Choose your Rocky Linux VPS plan

Live prices. Rocky Linux is selected for you on the next page, where you choose the location and pay with crypto or your balance.

Live plans are loading. You can also choose a plan on the deploy page. Deploy Rocky Linux VPS

Why run Rocky Linux on a VPS

RHEL-compatible at no cost

Software built for Red Hat Enterprise Linux runs on AlmaLinux without a Red Hat subscription.

Ten-year lifecycle

Each major version is supported for about ten years, which suits servers you do not want to rebuild often.

Community governance

Rocky Linux is developed in the open by its community under the Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation.

Secure by default

SELinux is enforcing out of the box, adding a layer of protection around your services.

Why experienced users choose Rocky Linux

Stable application streams

AppStream offers supported versions of languages and databases, such as several PHP or Node.js versions, side by side.

SELinux protection

Mandatory access control limits what a compromised service can reach.

Long, predictable lifecycle

About ten years per major version, with minor releases that keep the system current.

Enterprise ecosystem

Vendors certify software for RHEL, and it runs unchanged on compatible systems.

firewalld and Cockpit

Manage the firewall with zones and the server through the optional Cockpit web console.

Free to use

No subscription or licence fee, even for commercial use.

Who Rocky Linux is best for

Former CentOS users

Rocky Linux was founded to continue where CentOS left off.

Vendor-certified software

Applications that list RHEL 9 as a supported platform.

Infrastructure and HPC teams

A common base for clusters, build servers and scientific software.

Teams that know Red Hat

Use the same dnf, systemd and SELinux skills as on RHEL.

When Rocky Linux is not the best choice

You follow Ubuntu or Debian guides

Package names and tools differ (dnf instead of apt), so many tutorials need adapting.

See Ubuntu VPS

You want very new software

Enterprise releases favour stability, so default package versions are older than on Ubuntu.

See Ubuntu VPS

Best workloads for a Rocky Linux VPS

Business applications

ERP, CRM and other software certified for RHEL.

Web servers

Apache or Nginx with PHP and MariaDB.

cPanel and Plesk servers

Shared or reseller web hosting.

Java applications

Tomcat, Spring and other JVM services.

Containers with Podman

Run containers without a daemon, the Red Hat way.

Staging for RHEL

Test what will later run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

How much VPS does Rocky Linux need?

What you run	Recommended resources
Small website or test server	2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM
Web server with a database	2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM
cPanel with several accounts	4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM
Business applications and Java	8 vCPU, 16 GB RAM or more

Rocky Linux updates and server maintenance

Your VPS is self-managed: you decide when updates and upgrades happen. These habits keep it secure.

Apply updates with dnf
Run dnf update regularly, or install dnf-automatic to apply security updates on a schedule.
Keep SELinux enforcing
If an app is blocked, fix the context or add a policy rule instead of disabling SELinux.
Add EPEL carefully
EPEL adds many packages; install only what you need from it.
Plan major version moves
Moving from version 8 to 9 is a migration project; a fresh install and data move is often simplest.

Get started with your Rocky Linux VPS

1
Connect over SSH
Use the IP address and root password from your client area, or the SSH key you added when ordering.
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
2
Update the system
Install the latest security updates before anything else.
dnf update -y
3
Enable the firewall
Install and start firewalld, then allow SSH. Open more services only as you need them.
dnf install -y firewalld && systemctl enable --now firewalld && firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh && firewall-cmd --reload

Rocky Linux compared with common alternatives

Alternative	Main difference	Choose it when
AlmaLinux	Equally RHEL-compatible with the same lifecycle; run by a different community foundation.	Your vendor or control panel names AlmaLinux.
Debian	Lighter and community-run, with about five years of support per release.	You prefer apt and a minimal system.
Fedora	The upstream of the RHEL family: much newer software, but only about 13 months of support per release.	You want tomorrow's RHEL features today.

Compare operating systems

You choose the system when you deploy and can reinstall with another one later from your client area. Windows runs on our Windows-ready plans, Fedora on our NVMe cloud plans.

System	Best for	Releases and support	Updates and packages
Ubuntu	Most users and modern app stacks	LTS every two years, five years of updates	apt
Debian	Stable, long-running servers	New stable release about every two years	apt
AlmaLinux	cPanel and RHEL-certified software	Follows RHEL, about ten years per version	dnf
Rocky Linux This page	Former CentOS users and enterprise apps	Follows RHEL, about ten years per version	dnf
Fedora	Developers who want the newest software	New release every six months, about 13 months of support	dnf
Windows Server	Windows software, .NET and Remote Desktop	Long-term releases with about ten years of support	Windows Update

Official Rocky Linux resources

These links go to the official project sites, in English.

Rocky Linux VPS FAQ

Is Rocky Linux the same as Red Hat Enterprise Linux?

No, but it is compatible with it: software built for RHEL runs on Rocky Linux. Rocky Linux is free and community-developed.

How long is Rocky Linux 9 supported?

Rocky Linux 9 receives security updates until 2032.

AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux?

Both are free RHEL-compatible systems with the same lifecycle, and for most uses they are interchangeable. Choose Rocky Linux when your software vendor or control panel lists it; otherwise pick the one you already know.

Can I install cPanel on Rocky Linux?

Yes. cPanel supports Rocky Linux. A cPanel licence is bought from cPanel or a licence reseller, and we recommend at least 4 GB RAM.

Do I get full root access?

Yes. You log in as root over SSH, install any software with dnf, enable repositories such as EPEL or CRB, change any setting and reinstall the system from your client area.

Can I switch to another operating system later?

Yes. You can reinstall the server from your client area with another system, such as AlmaLinux or Debian. Reinstalling erases the disk, so back up your data first.

How can I pay?

The Rocky Linux VPS plans on this page start at … a month on yearly billing, which saves 15%, or … a month paid monthly. You pay in cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, USDT and Monero, or from your ClientVPS account balance, and you only need an email address to sign up.

Is Rocky Linux free?

Yes. Rocky Linux is free for any use, including commercial use, with no subscription.

Can I move a CentOS server to Rocky Linux?

Yes. The migrate2rocky script converts a compatible system in place. On a VPS, installing Rocky Linux fresh and moving your data is often the cleaner route.

How do I get automatic updates on Rocky Linux?

Install the dnf-automatic package and turn on its timer with systemctl enable --now dnf-automatic.timer. You can limit it to security updates in /etc/dnf/automatic.conf.

Ready to run Rocky Linux?

Pick a plan, and Rocky Linux is preselected for you. Pay with crypto or your account balance.