Unmanaged VPS vs Managed VPS
Managed vs unmanaged VPS: who patches the server?
On an unmanaged VPS the provider guarantees the hardware, the network and the hypervisor; everything above the kernel is yours, including updates, firewalling and backups. A managed VPS adds administration for two to five times the price. Unmanaged is the right default if you are comfortable with a terminal — and the wrong one if nobody on your side will apply a security update.
| Dimension | Unmanaged VPS | Managed VPS |
|---|---|---|
| OS updates | You | Provider |
| Firewall and hardening | You | Provider |
| Backups | You (add-on available) | Provider |
| Root access | Full | Sometimes restricted |
| Price multiplier | 1× | 2–5× |
| Response to an incident | Yours | Theirs, within an SLA |
Which should you choose?
Unmanaged VPS
Unmanaged is correct if you can use SSH and will actually run updates. Every OnionVPS plan is unmanaged, which is why it is priced the way it is.
Managed VPS
Managed is worth it when there is genuinely nobody available to patch the box.
Frequently asked questions
What does unmanaged actually mean?
We keep the hardware, network, hypervisor and control plane running, and we will help with anything on our side of the boundary. The operating system and everything you install on it are yours.
Do you help if I break my server?
We will get you a working console and a snapshot restore, and we answer platform questions. We do not administer your operating system.