What is the difference between KVM VPS, OpenVZ VPS and VDS?
Published: 05 February 2020 • 2 min read
We at VPSBG offer a wide range of cloud servers that differ in terms of the policies that we apply to each service as well as the technology that each one utilizes. In this entry in our documentation we are going to do a short review and comparison between our cloud services so that you can make the appropriate choice when getting a cloud server.
KVM VPS
Our cloud VPS servers are based on the KVM virtualization. This type of virtualization is ‘true’, meaning that your VPS operates as its own server, allowing you to install a custom kernel as well as Windows Server or BSD, while also giving you the chance to install and use popular applications such as Docker. As a matter of fact we have even created a number of different application templates that you can install with just one click, saving you time and effort by removing the tedious process of having to set up everything manually!
Resources between you and the other clients on this node are shared, meaning that you can’t use 100% of the CPU at all times. However, you can use 100% of the RAM of all of the storage space on the disk that you own.
Virtual Dedicated Servers
Our VDS service also utilizes KVM virtualization, which again lets you install anything you want - from operating systems to applications. However, with our VDS services, you don’t need to share resources with other clients as they offer dedicated CPU cores.
This means that if you order a virtual dedicated server with 2 CPU cores, you will get 2 cores that you can utilize 100% of the time as they are reserved for your server. Independent RAM and disk usage are also guaranteed.
OpenVZ VPS
There is also another type of virtualization - OpenVZ, which is container-based. While it does have some advantages such as being able to process resources more effectively and being slightly faster, you can’t utilize a customer kernel, nor can you install Windows/BSD on it.
Comparison between KVM VPS, VDS & OpenVZ servers
You can use the following table to see the differences between the all of the services:
| OpenVZ VPS | KVM VPS | VDS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Kernel | No | Yes | Yes |
| High-performance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows/BSD | No | Yes | Yes |
| Install apps like docker, etc. | Yes, with OpenVZ 7 | Yes | Yes |
| Plan upgrade requires a reboot | No | Yes | Yes |
| Linux distro upgrade without reinstall | No | Yes | Yes |