What's installed on your LEMP server?
- Nginx 1.24 from Ubuntu 24.04 packages
- PHP-FPM 8.3 with the mysql, mbstring, xml, curl, zip, gd, intl and bcmath extensions
- MariaDB 10.11 with a database and user both called site, closed to the outside
- A try_files rule that sends unknown addresses to index.php, and a 64 MB request limit
- Let's Encrypt through Certbot: the site opens over HTTPS on an sslip.io address, and requests to the IP redirect there
- fail2ban and automatic Ubuntu security updates
- Firewall with only ports 22, 80 and 443 open
What size do you need for LEMP?
There's no official RAM figure for LEMP, because the application you put on it decides what it needs. As a rule of thumb, 1 GB is a start for one small PHP application. Look at 2 GB for several sites or a content management system, and 4 GB for applications that lean heavily on the database. You can grow RAM, CPU and disk separately from your panel, and your data and IP address stay the same.
| Use | Size | Price | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| New site | 1 GB RAM · 1 vCore · 25 GB NVMe | $2.58/mo | |
| Growing site | 2 GB RAM · 1 vCore · 40 GB NVMe | $4.01/mo | |
| Busy site | 4 GB RAM · 2 vCore · 60 GB NVMe | $6.89/mo |
Who is it for?
- Developers deploying PHP frameworks with a single entry point
- Anyone who wants to write their own Nginx configuration
- People running several sites on one server with server blocks
- Those learning Nginx, PHP-FPM and MariaDB or building a test environment
- Applications with users in Turkey that should run on a server in Istanbul
What happens after you order?
- Set the size and complete your payment.
- Your server starts and the stack installs itself. This took about 3.5 minutes in our real-server tests.
- In your panel, open your server from My servers. Open the Site address link on the Overview tab. The Your server is ready page shows that PHP-FPM is working.
- Upload your files to /var/www/html over SFTP, using the root user and password shown in the panel. You can delete the welcome page, index.php.
- Connect over SSH and run chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html to give the files the right owner.
- Connect your application to the database through localhost, using the Login and Password rows in the panel.
With every server
- Daily backups included in the price
- Unlimited traffic
- Full root access
- Scale RAM and CPU up or down later, and grow the disk
- Location: Istanbul · IST-1.
Good to know
- Nginx doesn't read .htaccess files. Rewrite rules live in /etc/nginx/sites-available/default. After changing them, test with nginx -t and run systemctl reload nginx.
- Nginx and PHP accept uploads up to 64 MB, and the PHP memory limit is 256 MB. You change the PHP side in /etc/php/8.3/fpm/conf.d/99-seturack.ini.
- The Login and Password rows in the panel belong to the database user. For SSH and SFTP, use the Username and Password rows further down.
- Ubuntu security updates install by themselves. PHP version upgrades and your application's code are your responsibility.
- The install doesn't set up a mail server. If your application sends email, use SMTP.
- If a certificate can't be issued, the site opens over http on your IP address. Once your domain is connected, you can try again with certbot --nginx.
LEMP questions and answers
What is a LEMP stack?
LEMP stands for Linux, Nginx, MariaDB or MySQL, and PHP. The E comes from how Nginx is pronounced, engine-x. This server has Ubuntu 24.04, Nginx 1.24, MariaDB 10.11 and PHP-FPM 8.3 installed.
How much RAM does a LEMP server need?
There's no official RAM figure for LEMP. As a rule of thumb, 1 GB is a start for one small PHP application, and 2 GB for several sites or a content management system. If it isn't enough, you scale up from your panel.
Does Nginx read .htaccess files?
No. Nginx rules go in the server configuration, which on this server is /etc/nginx/sites-available/default. The try_files rule that pretty URLs need is already there. If you're moving a site that depends on .htaccess files, translate the rules to Nginx or choose LAMP.
How do I raise the upload limit on a LEMP server?
Raise upload_max_filesize and post_max_size in /etc/php/8.3/fpm/php.ini, then run systemctl restart php8.3-fpm. For files above 64 MB, also raise client_max_body_size in the Nginx configuration.
Can I install WordPress on a LEMP server?
Yes. Unpack WordPress into /var/www/html and finish the setup with the site database details. The rule for pretty URLs is already in place. If you'd rather skip the setup, have a look at the pre-installed WordPress option.
How do I connect a domain to a LEMP server?
Point the A record at your server's IP address and run certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com over SSH. The certificate is issued and renews itself. For several sites, write a separate server block under /etc/nginx/sites-available and link it into sites-enabled.