A KVM VPS is a virtual private server running under Kernel-based Virtual Machine, a full virtualization technology built into the Linux kernel. Each guest gets emulated hardware and boots its own operating system 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.

How is KVM different from OpenVZ or LXC?

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 can run Windows, custom kernels, Docker and nested virtualization, and container-based virtualization generally cannot. Container hosting is lighter on overhead, which is why it exists.

Does KVM mean dedicated CPU and RAM?

No. This is the most common misunderstanding about KVM and an earlier version of this page repeated it. 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 thing to ask about, plan by plan.

Can I install Windows on a KVM VPS?

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.

Is KVM slower than container virtualization?

In principle there is some overhead, because hardware is being virtualized rather than shared. In practice, with hardware virtualization extensions in the CPU and virtio drivers for disk and network, most workloads do not notice it — and the isolation and freedom gained in exchange are usually worth far more than the difference.

How do I check whether a VPS is really KVM?

Ask the provider directly and get it in writing, then verify on the server: systemd-detect-virt reports the hypervisor, and a KVM guest has its own kernel that 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 says.

Does VPS For Life use KVM?

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 do not have to check which kind you are buying.

Do I get root access on a KVM VPS?

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 two separate questions, and both are worth asking.

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, nested virtualization — follows from it. What does not follow, and what this page previously got wrong, is any promise about dedicated CPU or memory. KVM describes how the machine is virtualized, not how generously it is fed.

Own kernel per guest
Any OS, including Windows
Docker works normally
Says nothing about resources

What Follows From It KVM vs Containers

KVM on every plan, from

$4.95/mo

All 16 plans, all 4 ranges · no container-based tier

Load kernel modules
Nested virtualization
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.

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. An earlier version of this page put "dedicated CPU and RAM" into the definition itself, which was wrong. 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.

KVM Compared With Container Virtualization
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.

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, and one this page used to commit. 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

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.

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.

KVM VPS Hosting See All 16 Plans