What's installed on your FreeBSD server?
- FreeBSD 15.1, from the project's official image, with a UFS root file system
- pkg for packages and freebsd-update for the base system
- OpenSSH, with root password login allowed, unlike FreeBSD's default
- cloud-init and qemu-guest-agent, added from FreeBSD's official package repository
- PF, IPFW and IPFILTER in the base system; the install writes no rules for any of them
- No web server, database or panel: you add what you need with pkg
What size do you need for FreeBSD?
The FreeBSD Handbook gives no fixed RAM figure and says requirements vary by architecture and version. In our tests the server started on 1 GB of RAM, a clean system took about 3.2 GB of disk, and the image itself is 7 GB. As a rule of thumb, start with 1 GB for a small service, 4 GB for a website with a database or a few jails, and 8 GB for heavier work and building from Ports. You can move RAM and CPU up or down on the Size tab, and the disk only grows.
| Use | Size | Price | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | 1 GB RAM · 1 vCore · 25 GB NVMe | $2.58/mo | |
| Medium | 4 GB RAM · 2 vCore · 60 GB NVMe | $6.89/mo | |
| Powerful | 8 GB RAM · 4 vCore · 120 GB NVMe | $13.62/mo |
Who is it for?
- Admins who know FreeBSD and want to isolate services with jails
- Anyone building a gateway or firewall with PF
- Developers building and testing their software on FreeBSD
- People who want a kernel and base system from a single source
What happens after you order?
- Set the size and complete your payment.
- Your server starts. Open it from My servers in your panel, and the Overview tab shows the IP Address, Username and Password rows.
- In a terminal, type ssh root@your-ip and paste the password.
- Update the base system with freebsd-update fetch install, and packages with pkg update and pkg upgrade.
- Install software with pkg install. For nginx, say, add it to startup with sysrc nginx_enable=YES and start it with service nginx start.
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
- Support for FreeBSD 15.1 ends on 31 March 2027, and the 15 branch runs until 31 December 2029. Each minor release is supported until three months after the next one, so plan your minor upgrades.
- This isn't Linux: there's no apt, systemctl or ip command, and guides written for Linux won't work as they are.
- An extra IP you buy in the panel isn't written inside the server automatically, so you add it to rc.conf yourself. The panel's keyboard layout setting doesn't work on FreeBSD either.
- Docker Engine isn't distributed for FreeBSD. Use jails for isolation, or FreeBSD's Podman support for containers.
- The root file system is UFS, so this isn't the right fit if you need ZFS on root.
- Reinstalling from the panel wipes the disk while the IP stays, so back up your jails and data first.
FreeBSD questions and answers
How much RAM does a FreeBSD VPS need?
The FreeBSD Handbook gives no fixed figure. In our tests the server started on 1 GB. As a rule of thumb, start with 1 GB for a small service, 4 GB for a website with a database or a few jails, and 8 GB for building from Ports.
Does Docker run on FreeBSD?
Docker Engine isn't distributed for FreeBSD, so it doesn't install directly. FreeBSD's built-in isolation method is jails. If you want Docker-style containers, the FreeBSD Handbook covers OCI containers with Podman.
Do Linux programs run on FreeBSD?
Some do. FreeBSD's optional Linux compatibility layer, the Linuxulator, can run unmodified Linux binaries. Even so, look for a FreeBSD package first, since installing with pkg tends to cause less trouble.
How do I update FreeBSD?
Update the base system with freebsd-update fetch install, and packages with pkg update and pkg upgrade. To move to a new minor release, run freebsd-update with -r and the target release, then upgrade. Check your backups in the panel before you start.
Which firewall should I use on FreeBSD?
The base system has three: PF, IPFW and IPFILTER, and the install turns on none of them. Pick the one you know. The Firewall Rules tool in your panel also works in front of the server.
How do I connect to my FreeBSD server?
The IP address and password are on the Overview tab in your panel. Run ssh root@your-ip in a terminal. If SSH isn't reachable, use the VNC Console tool on the Management tab from your browser.