Vultr

What is Vultr?

Vultr is a global cloud infrastructure provider that offers high-performance SSD cloud servers, bare metal servers, and cloud computing services across data centers worldwide. Founded in 2014 by David Aninowsky, Vultr has rapidly grown to become one of the leading alternatives to major cloud providers, serving over a million customers with its combination of powerful infrastructure, competitive pricing, and developer-friendly approach.

What distinguishes Vultr in the crowded cloud market is its focus on simplicity and performance without enterprise complexity. While AWS and Google Cloud offer hundreds of services with steep learning curves, Vultr provides straightforward compute, storage, and networking services that developers can deploy in minutes. The platform offers cloud compute instances starting at just a few dollars monthly, making it accessible for individual developers, startups, and enterprises alike.

Vultr operates data centers across six continents with locations in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. This global presence enables low-latency deployments close to end users worldwide. The platform supports a wide range of operating systems, one-click applications, and custom ISOs, giving developers complete control over their infrastructure. With its combination of global reach, competitive pricing, and developer-focused features, Vultr has become a popular choice for hosting applications, game servers, development environments, and production workloads.

Key Features

• Cloud Compute: High-performance SSD virtual machines with dedicated resources, available in regular, high-frequency, and high-memory configurations.
• Bare Metal: Dedicated physical servers with full hardware access for maximum performance and customization requirements.
• Block Storage: Scalable NVMe SSD storage volumes that can be attached to compute instances for additional capacity.
• Object Storage: S3-compatible object storage for static assets, backups, and large-scale data storage needs.
• Kubernetes: Managed Kubernetes service (VKE) for container orchestration without cluster management overhead.
• Load Balancers: Managed load balancing to distribute traffic across multiple instances for high availability.
• Global Network: 32 data center locations across six continents with private networking between regions.
• One-Click Apps: Pre-configured applications including WordPress, Docker, GitLab, and popular development stacks.
• Custom ISO: Upload and deploy custom operating system images for specialized requirements.
• Snapshot and Backup: Automated backups and instant snapshots for disaster recovery and instance cloning.

Recent Updates and Improvements

Vultr continuously expands its infrastructure and services to meet growing customer demands and competitive pressures.

• New Data Centers: Expanded global presence with additional locations for improved geographic coverage.
• AMD EPYC Instances: High-frequency compute powered by latest AMD EPYC processors for improved performance.
• Managed Databases: Fully managed PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Redis database services with automatic backups.
• Enhanced Kubernetes: Improved VKE with additional features, better scaling, and enhanced monitoring.
• Inference Platform: GPU cloud instances optimized for AI and machine learning workloads.
• Improved API: Enhanced REST API with better documentation and additional management capabilities.
• DDoS Protection: Built-in DDoS mitigation across all instances for improved security.
• IPv6 Support: Native IPv6 addressing available across all data center locations.

System Requirements

Vultr CLI

• Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Go runtime (bundled in binary releases)
• API key from Vultr account

Supported Operating Systems

• Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Fedora, Rocky Linux
• Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022
• FreeBSD, OpenBSD
• CoreOS, RancherOS
• Custom ISO uploads supported

Instance Types

• Cloud Compute: 1-96 vCPUs, 1-256 GB RAM
• High Frequency: AMD/Intel high-clock CPUs
• Bare Metal: Dedicated physical servers
• GPU Instances: NVIDIA GPU accelerated

How to Use Vultr

Getting Started

1. Sign up at vultr.com and add payment method
2. Navigate to Products and select Compute
3. Choose location, server type, and OS
4. Configure hostname and optional features
5. Deploy and connect via SSH or console

# Install Vultr CLI
# macOS
brew install vultr/vultr-cli/vultr-cli

# Linux
curl -sL https://github.com/vultr/vultr-cli/releases/latest/download/vultr-cli_linux_amd64.tar.gz | tar xz

# Configure API key
export VULTR_API_KEY="your-api-key"
vultr-cli account

# List available regions
vultr-cli regions list

# Create new instance
vultr-cli instance create \
  --region ewr \
  --plan vc2-1c-1gb \
  --os 387 \
  --label "my-server"

# List instances
vultr-cli instance list

Using Terraform with Vultr

terraform {
  required_providers {
    vultr = {
      source = "vultr/vultr"
      version = "2.15.0"
    }
  }
}

provider "vultr" {
  api_key = var.vultr_api_key
}

resource "vultr_instance" "web" {
  plan        = "vc2-1c-1gb"
  region      = "ewr"
  os_id       = 387
  label       = "web-server"
  hostname    = "web.example.com"
  
  backups          = "enabled"
  ddos_protection  = true
  enable_ipv6      = true
}

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Competitive Pricing: Generally lower costs than major cloud providers with transparent, predictable pricing.
• Global Presence: 32 data center locations across six continents enable low-latency global deployments.
• Simplicity: Straightforward interface and services without the complexity of larger cloud platforms.
• Performance: NVMe SSD storage and high-frequency compute options deliver excellent performance.
• Hourly Billing: Pay only for what you use with hourly billing and no long-term commitments.
• Custom ISO: Upload custom operating system images for specialized deployment requirements.
• Fast Provisioning: Instances deploy in under a minute with immediate access via SSH or console.

Cons

• Limited Services: Fewer managed services compared to AWS, GCP, or Azure ecosystem.
• Basic Support: Support options are limited compared to enterprise cloud providers.
• Smaller Community: Less community content and fewer third-party integrations than major clouds.
• No Free Tier: No permanent free tier, though new accounts receive promotional credit.
• Limited Compliance: Fewer compliance certifications than enterprise-focused providers.

Vultr vs Alternatives

Who Should Use Vultr?

Vultr is ideal for:

• Cost-Conscious Developers: Those seeking powerful cloud infrastructure at competitive prices without enterprise complexity.
• Game Server Hosts: Gaming communities benefit from global locations and high-performance compute options.
• Global Applications: Projects requiring presence across multiple continents with low-latency regional deployments.
• Custom OS Users: Those needing to deploy custom operating systems or specialized configurations.
• Bare Metal Needs: Applications requiring dedicated physical hardware for performance or compliance.
• DevOps Teams: Infrastructure-as-code practitioners using Terraform or API-driven deployments.

Vultr may not be ideal for:

• Enterprise Compliance: Organizations requiring extensive compliance certifications and enterprise support.
• Managed Service Users: Teams preferring fully managed services over infrastructure management.
• AWS Ecosystem: Projects heavily integrated with AWS-specific services and tooling.
• Support-Dependent Teams: Organizations requiring premium support and SLA guarantees.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Vultr pricing work?

Vultr uses hourly billing with monthly caps. You pay for compute time used, with prices capped at the monthly rate. For example, a $6/month instance costs $0.009/hour but never exceeds $6 in a month. Bandwidth is included with generous allocations, and additional resources like block storage and backups have separate pricing. There are no signup fees or long-term commitments required.

How does Vultr compare to DigitalOcean?

Both are developer-focused cloud providers with similar target audiences. Vultr offers more data center locations (32 vs 15), lower starting prices, bare metal options, and custom ISO support. DigitalOcean has stronger brand recognition, more managed services, and a larger community. Performance is comparable, and choice often depends on specific location needs and feature requirements.

Does Vultr offer managed databases?

Yes, Vultr provides managed database services for PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Redis. These include automatic backups, point-in-time recovery, and maintenance handled by Vultr. Managed databases simplify operations for teams who want database reliability without administration overhead. Pricing is based on instance size and storage.

Can I use Vultr for production workloads?

Absolutely. Many businesses run production workloads on Vultr, benefiting from SSD performance, global availability, and cost efficiency. For production deployments, consider enabling automatic backups, using load balancers for high availability, implementing proper security groups, and deploying across multiple regions for disaster recovery.

How do I migrate to Vultr from another provider?

Migration typically involves: creating equivalent instances on Vultr, transferring data via rsync, SCP, or migration tools, updating DNS records to point to new servers, and testing before decommissioning old infrastructure. Vultr supports custom ISO upload, making it possible to clone existing servers. The Vultr Marketplace also offers migration tools and one-click applications to simplify common deployments.

Final Verdict

Vultr has carved out a strong position in the cloud infrastructure market by focusing on what developers actually need: reliable, performant, and affordable cloud servers without enterprise complexity. The platform global footprint with 32 data centers rivals major providers while maintaining straightforward pricing and simple deployment workflows.

The combination of competitive pricing, global presence, and features like bare metal servers and custom ISO support makes Vultr particularly attractive for specific use cases. Game server hosting, global application deployment, and cost-conscious startups all benefit from Vultr approach. The platform Terraform provider and comprehensive API support modern infrastructure-as-code practices.

While Vultr lacks the extensive managed service ecosystem of AWS or the polished developer experience of DigitalOcean, it excels at providing raw infrastructure with excellent price-to-performance ratios. For teams comfortable managing their own servers and seeking global reach without premium pricing, Vultr delivers compelling value. The platform continues expanding its services and locations, making it an increasingly capable option for diverse cloud computing needs.