NVMe VPS
4 plans · from $9.95/mo
NVMe storage · 10 Gbps port
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Starter NVMe VPS
1 Core · 2 GB RAM
$9.95/mo
+ $1.00 one-time setup
Definition · KVM VPS
A KVM VPS is a virtual server that boots its own kernel.
That is the definition, and nearly everything people value about KVM — Docker, custom kernels, Windows, real swap — follows from it. What does not follow is any promise about dedicated CPU or memory. KVM describes how the machine is virtualized, not how generously it is fed. Every plan here is KVM, from $4.95 a month.
- Own kernel per guest
- Any OS, including Windows
- Docker works normally
- Says nothing about resources
KVM on every plan, from
$4.95/mo
All 16 plans, all 4 ranges · no container-based tier
- Load kernel modules
- Docker works normally
- Real swap and sysctl tuning
- Not a resource guarantee
The Definition, in One Paragraph
A KVM VPS is a virtual private server running under Kernel-based Virtual Machine — full hardware virtualization built into the Linux kernel — in which the guest is given emulated hardware and boots its own operating system kernel. That makes it behave like a separate physical machine rather than a partition of the host. The alternative approach, container-based virtualization such as OpenVZ or LXC, shares one host kernel across every guest: cheaper to run, and the reason those plans frequently cannot run Docker, cannot load kernel modules, cannot use real swap and cannot run Windows at all. Crucially, KVM is a statement about virtualization, not about resource allocation. It does not mean dedicated CPU, it does not mean dedicated memory, and it does not mean the host is not oversold — those are separate questions to ask about any plan, whatever hypervisor it runs.
- KVM = full virtualization built into the Linux kernel.
- Each guest boots its own kernel — that is the definition.
- Enables: any OS, Docker, custom kernels, swap, nested virtualization.
- Containers (OpenVZ/LXC) share the host kernel instead.
- Does not imply dedicated CPU, dedicated RAM, or root access.
- Used on all 16 plans here, including the entry plan.
Related: KVM VPS hosting · VPS vs VDS · VPS for Docker · Windows VPS · Full root access
What Follows From Owning the Kernel
Five things that follow from the definition, and one that does not follow at all — listed together because the sixth is the one people get wrong.
- The guest boots its own kernel This is the definition, not a feature of it. Under KVM the virtual machine loads and runs its own kernel, exactly as a physical machine would. Under container-based virtualization such as OpenVZ or LXC, every guest on the host shares the host's single kernel. Almost everything else on this page follows from that one sentence. Defines it
- Any operating system, including Windows Because the hardware is emulated rather than the OS shared, the guest can be anything — a different Linux distribution, a different kernel version, or Windows. Shared-kernel virtualization is limited to Linux guests compatible with the host's kernel. Windows VPS → Follows
- Docker and containers work properly Containers need kernel features — cgroups, namespaces, overlayfs. On KVM the kernel is yours, so they are present. This is the most common practical reason people move from a cheap container-based VPS to a KVM one. VPS for Docker → Follows
- Custom kernels, modules, swap and sysctl You can recompile the kernel, load modules, configure real swap and change sysctl values, because you own the kernel reading them. On a shared kernel those settings belong to the host and are silently ignored in the guest. Follows
- Isolation from other guests Another customer's kernel panic is contained in their virtual machine. Sharing a kernel means sharing its failures — and its vulnerabilities. Follows
- It does not mean dedicated CPU or RAM KVM says nothing whatever about how physical resources are divided between guests. A KVM VPS can be heavily oversold; a container-based one can be generously provisioned. Putting "dedicated CPU and RAM" into the definition of KVM is a common error in hosting copy. Resource guarantees are a separate question you have to ask separately. Where resources are actually guaranteed → Does NOT follow
KVM Compared With Container Virtualization
The last row is the important one: neither model tells you anything about resource guarantees, which is a question you have to ask separately of any provider.
| Factor | KVM (full virtualization) | OpenVZ / LXC (containers) |
|---|---|---|
| Kernel The defining difference. | One per guest | Shared with the host |
| Operating systems | Any, including Windows | Linux only, kernel-compatible |
| Docker and containers | Work normally | Often restricted or unavailable |
| Custom kernel modules | Yes | No |
| Real swap and sysctl | Yours to configure | Set by the host |
| Nested virtualization | Possible | Not possible |
| Overhead The one row where container virtualization wins. | Small, largely absorbed by CPU extensions | Lower — nothing is being emulated |
| Resource guarantees Neither model implies anything here. This is a separate question. | Not implied | Not implied |
How to check a plan for yourself rather than trusting the page: ask the provider in writing whether it is KVM, then on the server run
systemd-detect-virt. A KVM guest also lets you load a kernel module and run Docker — if either fails, it is very probably container-based whatever the plan says.
KVM VPS Plans: Every Range Is KVM
No container-based tier sits underneath. All 16 plans in all 4 ranges run under KVM with full root. The ranges differ in storage, port speed and whether memory is dedicated. The entry plan of each is below.
Cloud VPS
4 plans · from $13.95/mo
NVMe (triple-replicated) storage · 10 Gbps port
Entry plan
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Starter Cloud VPS
1 Core · 2 GB RAM
$13.95/mo
Classic VPS
4 plans · from $4.95/mo
SAS storage · 1 Gbps port
Entry plan
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Starter Classic VPS
1 Core · 1 GB RAM
$4.95/mo
+ $3.00 one-time setup
VDS
4 plans · from $24.95/mo
NVMe storage · 10 Gbps port
Entry plan
Compare VDS
Starter VDS (Xeon E3)
2 Cores · 2 GB Dedicated RAM
$24.95/mo
Every plan includes a dedicated IPv4 address and open Port 25. KVM VPS hosting in detail · all 16 plans with full specifications.
How to Check a VPS Is Really KVM
Thirty seconds on the server tells you more than any plan page, ours included.
-
Ask systemd which hypervisor it is under. A KVM guest prints
kvm. Container platforms print things likeopenvzorlxc.systemd-detect-virt -
Ask the CPU. On a KVM guest this shows
Hypervisor vendor: KVM.lscpu | grep -i hypervisor -
Prove the kernel is yours. On KVM,
lsmodlists the modules loaded into your own kernel, and root can load more. On a shared-kernel container the list is usually empty and loading fails.lsmod | head modprobe tcp_bbr && lsmod | grep tcp_bbr -
Check for nested virtualization, if you need it. A count above zero means the host
passes hardware virtualization through, so you can run VMs inside the VPS. KVM makes this possible,
but each host decides whether to allow it.
grep -E -c '(vmx|svm)' /proc/cpuinfo
If a provider calls a plan KVM and these say otherwise, believe the server. Do not rely on any one
check alone: systemd-detect-virt is the quickest, and the module test is the most convincing.
Three Things KVM Does Not Mean
All three get asserted routinely in hosting copy. None of them follows from the definition.
KVM is not a resource promise
The most common misuse of the term in hosting copy. A host running KVM can still oversell its machines. If you want a guarantee, look for one written into the plan — on this catalogue that means the VDS range's dedicated RAM, and nothing anywhere promises dedicated CPU cores.
KVM is not a speed claim
Speed comes from the CPU, the memory and the storage. A KVM guest on a slow disk is a slow server. What KVM gives you is freedom and isolation — if throughput is the problem, the storage type is the thing to look at.
KVM is not root access
A provider can run KVM and still hand you a restricted account with a mandatory control panel. Virtualization type and access level are independent. Ask both questions; a plan that answers only the first has answered half.
KVM VPS Questions
A KVM VPS is a virtual private server running under Kernel-based Virtual Machine, full virtualization built into the Linux kernel. Each guest gets emulated hardware and boots its own kernel, so it behaves like a separate machine rather than a partition of the host. That is the whole definition — it describes how the machine is virtualized, not how many resources it is given.
Kernel-based Virtual Machine — the virtualization technology built into the Linux kernel that turns a physical server into a hypervisor. “KVM VPS” means the virtual server runs under it, with its own kernel. It has nothing to do with the keyboard-video-mouse switches that share the same three letters.
KVM is full virtualization — each guest has its own kernel. OpenVZ and LXC are container-based — all guests share the host kernel. That single difference is why KVM runs Windows, custom kernels, Docker and nested virtualization, and container virtualization generally does not. Container hosting is lighter on overhead, which is why it exists at all.
No — it is the most common misunderstanding about KVM. KVM describes the virtualization model and says nothing about how physical resources are divided. A KVM VPS can be heavily oversold. Resource guarantees are a separate question: here, the VDS range states dedicated RAM and no range offers dedicated CPU cores.
Yes. Because KVM emulates hardware rather than sharing an operating system, the guest can run Windows as readily as Linux. This is impossible on Linux container virtualization by design.
In principle yes, a little — hardware is being virtualized rather than shared. In practice, with CPU virtualization extensions and virtio drivers for disk and network, most workloads do not notice, and the isolation and freedom gained are usually worth far more than the difference.
Ask the provider and get it in writing, then verify on the server:
systemd-detect-virt reports the hypervisor, and a KVM guest has its own kernel you can replace. If a plan will not let you load a kernel module or run Docker, it is very likely not KVM regardless of what the plan page claims.
Yes — on all 16 plans across all 4 ranges, including the entry plan at $4.95. There is no cheaper container-based tier, so you never have to check which kind you are buying. More on KVM here →
On ours, yes, on every plan. But root access is not implied by KVM either — a provider could run KVM and still restrict what you may do. Virtualization type and access level are separate questions; ask both.
KVM on all 16 plans, from $4.95.
Your own kernel on every range with no cheaper container-based tier to fall into — plus full root access, a dedicated IPv4, and a 7-day money-back guarantee on a first order.