"Windows 10 VPS" is one of the most common searches for a Windows server, and almost every host answers it with Windows Server. That isn't a trick. There are licensing reasons, and for most programs the difference is smaller than it sounds. Here is what changes, what doesn't, and the numbers from our own Windows Server 2022 VPS.
Why hosts don't sell Windows 10
Licensing. A Windows 10 or 11 licence is written for a computer you own. Running desktop Windows on rented, shared hardware is allowed under Microsoft's terms only with specific enterprise subscriptions, and only through hosting partners Microsoft has authorised for exactly that. Windows Server is licensed for servers in data centres. That's why nearly every VPS host, including us, offers Server.
Support. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. Paid consumer security updates (ESU) for home PCs run until October 12, 2027, but that programme covers your own PC, not a rented server. Windows Server 2022 gets security updates until October 14, 2031.
So "a Windows 10 VPS" today would be an out-of-support system under a licence that doesn't cover the use. Server 2022 is the honest version of the same request.
What's the same
More than people expect. Windows Server 2022 (build 20348) is built on the same core as Windows 10 and 11:
- Desktop software installs and runs: .NET apps, trading terminals, bots, browsers, office tools. Our image is the Desktop Experience edition, a full desktop over RDP, not the command-line-only Server Core.
- Edge is preinstalled, so you can download what you need straight away.
- PowerShell, Task Scheduler and the usual admin tools are all there.
If your program runs on Windows 10, test it on Server first. It almost certainly works.
What's different
| Windows 10 / 11 (desktop) | Windows Server 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Licence on a rented VPS | Only via special enterprise programmes | Standard: server licence (BYOL) |
| Security updates | Ended Oct 14, 2025 (Win 10) | Until Oct 14, 2031 |
| Simultaneous RDP sessions | 1 | 2 for administration, no extra licences |
| Microsoft Store | Yes | No |
| Server roles (IIS, DNS, Hyper-V…) | No | Yes |
| RAM at idle on our VPS | — | under 1.3 GB |
The practical differences:
- No Microsoft Store. On our server the Store package isn't present at all. Apps distributed only through the Store won't install; the same app's normal installer usually will.
- A few programs refuse a server edition. Some consumer software and game anti-cheat systems check the edition and stop. This is rare for anything you'd run on a VPS, but check if your app is in that category.
- Two RDP sessions instead of one. Two people (or you plus a script session) can be logged in at once. Each user gets one session by default, so reconnecting picks up where you left off. More than two concurrent users is a different product: the Remote Desktop Services role with paid client licences.
How heavy is it really
We measured on our Windows Server 2022 VPS with nobody logged in:
- RAM: 965 MB to 1.3 GB in use;
- Disk: about 14 GB of the 50 GB system disk;
- Processes: 88.
That's why our smallest Windows plan, Windows-Small (4 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 50 GB, $11/mo on NAT), has plenty of room for a bot, a terminal or a small .NET service. If you need your own public IPv4 for inbound connections, Windows Small-IP is $28/mo.
Licence: bring your own
The image is Windows Server 2022 Standard, starting as Evaluation, and you activate it with your own key. That keeps the plan price at the price of the machine. How activation and edition switching work is in BYOL Windows Server on a VPS.
First things to do on a new Windows VPS
- Connect over RDP.
- Secure RDP: NLA, lockout, an IP allowlist.
- If your program must run around the clock, set it up in Task Scheduler so it survives reboots and crashes.
- For scripting from Linux or CI, install OpenSSH.
All four Windows plans are on the Windows VPS page. Payment is in USDT, USDC or ETH on Base, Ethereum or Polygon, and no ID is needed.
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