Cloud servers
power you
aren’t sharing.
UK cloud servers and VPS hosting with dedicated CPU and memory, full root access, and a machine that behaves the same at 9am as it does at 9pm — provisioned in minutes.
what a cloud server actually is.
A cloud server — also called a VPS, short for virtual private server — is a private machine of your own, carved out of powerful shared hardware. It comes with dedicated CPU and memory that no other customer can touch and full root access, so you decide what runs on it. “Cloud VPS”, “cloud server” and “VPS hosting” all name the same idea; only the label changes.
It is the step up from shared hosting. On a shared plan your site lives alongside many others and we look after the server for you — ideal right up until the site outgrows it. A cloud server hands you the keys instead: more control, steadier performance under load, and the responsibility that comes with both.
In plain terms
- Root access
- The administrator login for the server. With it you can install any software and change any setting.
- Dedicated CPU & RAM
- Processing power and memory set aside for you alone, rather than shared with every other account on the machine.
- Snapshot
- A saved image of the whole server at a moment in time, which you can roll back to if a change goes wrong.
- Unmanaged
- You look after the operating system, updates and firewall. Add Plesk, or stay on shared hosting, if you would rather not.
what you get with every cloud server.
Root access, no arguments
Full administrative control. Install what you need, tune what you like, and run the stack your application actually wants rather than the one a control panel permits.
Resources that stay yours
Allocated CPU and RAM rather than a share of whatever is left over. The difference shows up under load, which is exactly when it matters.
Provisioned in minutes
Instances build automatically once the order is placed — no waiting on someone to rack hardware before you can start work.
Scale without starting again
Move up to a larger instance when you outgrow the one you are on, instead of migrating to another provider to find headroom.
Snapshots and rebuilds
Take a snapshot before a risky change and roll back if it goes badly. Rebuild from a clean image whenever you want a fresh start.
Add Plesk if you want it
Run the server bare, or put Plesk on top for the same control panel as our shared hosting. It is your server — the tooling is a choice, not a condition.
who needs a cloud server — and who honestly doesn’t.
A cloud server is the right tool for a real set of jobs and overkill for the rest. Most websites are happier, cheaper and less work on shared hosting. Here is the honest split.
Worth it when…
- You have outgrown shared hosting — the site is straining against its limits, or a busy neighbour is affecting it.
- You need specific software or settings a shared control panel will not let you install.
- You run Node.js, a background worker, a bespoke database or anything that is not simply PHP and MySQL.
- You want performance that stays steady at your busiest moment, not only when the hardware is quiet.
- You need full control of the environment — versions, services, firewall rules — for a client or a compliance requirement.
Probably overkill if…
- You run a brochure site, a blog or a small WordPress shop that loads perfectly well today.
- You would rather someone else handled updates, security patching and backups for you.
- “Root access” sounds like a responsibility you would rather not own.
- You are moving purely to save money — a well-chosen shared plan is usually cheaper and far less work.
managed or unmanaged? your call.
“Managed” and “unmanaged” describe who looks after the operating system. A cloud server is unmanaged by default — powerful, and entirely yours to maintain. You do not have to leave it that way: put Plesk on top for the same panel as our shared hosting, and most routine work becomes point-and-click. Here is how the three options compare.
| Shared hosting | Cloud server | Cloud server + Plesk | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated CPU and memory | Not included | Included | Included |
| Full root access | Not included | Included | Included |
| Install any software | Within the panel | Included | Included |
| Snapshots and rebuilds | Not included | Included | Included |
| Control panel included | Plesk | Not included | Plesk |
| Who patches the OS | We do | You do | You, with the panel’s help |
| Firewall and security | Handled for you | Your responsibility | You, with the panel’s help |
| Best suited to | Most sites, blogs and small shops | Specific stacks and full control | Control without the sysadmin grind |
from order to running, in minutes.
No hardware to wait on and no rebuild to fear. This is the whole path, from placing the order to scaling the server up later.
Pick a plan and an image
Choose a range that fits the workload, then the operating system — Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux or Rocky, or Windows Server on the plans that offer it.
It builds itself, in minutes
The instance is provisioned automatically once the order is placed. Nobody has to rack hardware first, so you are logging in shortly after checkout rather than the next working day.
Make it yours
You hold root from the start. Install your stack by hand for full control, or put Plesk on top for the same point-and-click panel as our shared hosting.
Snapshot before anything risky
Take a snapshot before a big change. If it goes badly, roll back to it; if you want a clean slate, rebuild from a fresh image instead.
Scale up when you outgrow it
Move to a larger instance as the workload grows — plan a short reboot into the change. No rebuild, and no migrating to another provider to find headroom.
uk cloud server plans, priced live.
Three ranges, priced in pounds and read live from our billing system — what you see here is what you pay at checkout. Not sure which range fits? The FAQ below has a rule of thumb, or call and we will size it with you.
Fast NVMe cloud instances, provisioned in minutes.
1 GB RAM, 25 GB SSD, 1 TB bandwidth, £6.99/mo
£6.99/mo
Deploy this serverEvery tier is the same platform — dedicated resources, full root, provisioned in minutes. Sliding up buys more of it, and you can move up again later without rebuilding.
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cloud server questions
Is a cloud server the same as a VPS?
In everyday use, yes. VPS (virtual private server), cloud server and cloud VPS all describe the same thing: a private virtual machine with its own dedicated CPU and memory and full root access, running on powerful shared hardware. We call ours cloud servers — if you have been told to buy a VPS, this is that.
What is the difference between a cloud server and shared hosting?
On shared hosting your site runs alongside others on a managed server, and the operating system, updates and security are handled for you. A cloud server gives you a machine of your own with dedicated CPU and memory and full root access — much more control and far more consistent performance, but you are responsible for what you install on it.
What does “dedicated CPU and memory” actually mean?
On shared hosting your site draws from a pool of CPU and memory shared with every other account on the machine — fine most of the time, until a neighbour gets busy at the wrong moment. A cloud server sets aside an amount of CPU and RAM for you alone, so it is there whether the rest of the hardware is quiet or not. The difference shows up under load, which is exactly when it matters.
What is root access, in plain English?
Root is the administrator account on a Linux server — the equivalent of an admin login on Windows. With it you can install any software, change any setting and run the exact stack your application needs, rather than the subset a shared control panel allows. It is the main thing you are buying, and the main thing that makes the server your responsibility rather than ours.
Do I need to be a system administrator?
For an unmanaged server, broadly yes — updates, firewall rules and backups are yours to look after. If you would rather not, install Plesk on top and a control panel handles most routine work, or stay on shared hosting where it is handled for you entirely.
Is the server managed, or do I look after it myself?
A cloud server is unmanaged by default: you hold root, and the operating system, updates, firewall and backups are yours. Two ways to make that lighter — install Plesk on top so a control panel handles most routine work behind the same panel as our shared hosting, or stay on shared hosting where we handle it entirely. Tell us what you are running and we will say honestly which fits.
Which operating systems can I run?
The usual Linux distributions — Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux and Rocky among them — plus Windows Server on the plans that offer it. Choose at build time, or rebuild onto a different image later.
Can I upgrade later without rebuilding?
Yes. Move to a larger instance as your workload grows. Plan a short reboot into the change, and take a snapshot beforehand as a matter of habit.
Which cloud server range should I choose?
We publish three ranges. As a rule of thumb: Ignite suits most first cloud servers and general web workloads; Blaze is for heavier, compute-hungry jobs; and Dedicated Cloud gives you vCPU that is not shared with anyone. If you are not sure, tell us what you are running and we will point you at the smallest one that comfortably fits — including shared hosting, if that is the honest answer.
What happens if I break something?
Restore a snapshot, or rebuild from a clean image and redeploy. That is the trade for root access: much more freedom, and a shorter path to breaking something. Taking a snapshot before changes turns that into a minor inconvenience rather than a bad day.
not sure which one fits?
Tell us what you are running and we will point you at the right plan — including a smaller one, or shared hosting, if that is the honest answer.