Linux cloud server: VPS vs PaaS

The short answer

Use a Linux cloud server when you need to operate the OS. Use Cloud Apps, the PaaS, when you want Git deploys and replica scaling without that work.

Unbroker offers both in one account. You can start on the PaaS and add a server later, or the other way around, without changing provider. For what the machine includes, read what a Linux cloud server is.

What you operate in each model

On a VPS you operate the Linux host. On the PaaS, Unbroker runs the service and you ship the app.

	Linux cloud server (VPS)	Cloud Apps (PaaS)
OS and patches	You patch the OS, packages, sshd, and the firewall. The included Linux images are part of the monthly price.	You do not administer the host OS. You ship the app.
Deploys	You install and update software on the machine.	Git deploys. Pull request previews require Pro.
TLS and domains	No managed certificate and no custom domain on the server. The console shows one IPv4 address.	On Pro, Cloud Apps can add custom domains and managed TLS.
Scaling	One virtual machine at the size you create. There is no in-place resize in this product.	A fixed replica count, or autoscale between a minimum and a maximum. On the shared cell a service can run up to 3 replicas. Dedicated enterprise cells allow more.
Backups	No disk backups or snapshots. You copy data yourself.	A volume can back up to an S3-compatible destination you configure. That is not a snapshot of a server disk. Managed Postgres is a separate product.
Logs	Logs stay on the host unless you ship them.	Service logs are available in the console and the CLI.

How each one is billed

A Linux cloud server is a flat monthly price for the size. Cloud Apps bill the CPU and memory you configure while replicas run, at $0.03 per vCPU-hour and $0.015 per GiB-hour.

A traffic spike does not change the server’s monthly price. Outbound traffic is unlimited under fair use and is not a separate overage. On an app, a short utilization spike does not change the CPU or memory line while the configured size and the running replica count stay the same. If autoscaling starts another replica, you pay for that replica while it runs.

Servers require Pro ($25 per month, with $25 of usage credit). The size is charged in full when the server is created and draws on that credit. Usage above the credit is invoiced. The credit resets each billing cycle and does not roll over. Cancelling a server schedules the stop at the end of the month you have paid for, and the charge is not prorated. The same monthly price applies in European Union, US Central, US East, and US West.

Current sizes from the pricing catalogue:

The disk on every size is SSD. Pricing and Linux cloud servers show the same figures. The billing guide is the source for the app meters.

When a Linux cloud server is the right call

Choose a Linux cloud server when the workload needs the host. That is the practical answer to when to use a VPS.

You need root, a daemon layout, or packages that are not a Cloud Apps service. A CI runner, a proxy, or a Docker host fits here, and you operate what you install.

You want many small services on one box, under one monthly size, and you accept that you run them.

Traffic is steady enough that you want the bill to stay the monthly size. Traffic is not a separate overage on that price, within fair use. That is a different meter from app capacity, not a claim that the invoice is lower.

When a PaaS is the better fit

Cloud Apps is the better fit when the team wants Git deploys and pull request previews, and does not want to run an OS.

Repository services on Pro can autoscale between a minimum and a maximum. New replicas start within about 30 seconds of sustained load, and extra replicas are removed after about 5 minutes of low load. Billing follows the replicas that are actually running. Image services, workers, and any service with a persistent volume run one replica. The services guide states those limits, including the shared-cell cap of 3 replicas.

A team without time to patch sshd, open a host firewall, and plan disk copies should stay on the PaaS. Plans list what requires Pro, including pull request previews, Dockerfiles, volumes, managed databases, and servers. Deployment guides for Git apps are on the guides index. The product page is Cloud Apps.

What a Linux cloud server does not give you

A Linux cloud server is one virtual machine in one region. It does not give you a private network or automatic failover, and you run the OS.

It is not a Linux private cloud server in your own data center. Servers are not joined by a private network, and the price does not include an extra IPv4 address or IPv6. There is no load balancer in front of the machine. If that host is down, the server is down.

Domains and managed TLS stay on Cloud Apps. There are no disk snapshots, and there is no provider backup add-on on the flat price. The platform does not graph server CPU and does not apply operating-system updates. The server guide describes the same split.

Using both in one account

Keep the PaaS and the Linux cloud server on the same Unbroker account when one workload needs Git and another needs root. You do not switch provider to move between them.

The Pro credit applies to eligible usage, including the server charge. An app and a server still bill on different meters: configured capacity while replicas run, and the monthly size of the machine. A server is not a replica of an app, and extra app replicas are not a failover pair for the server.

If the database should be a provider-operated cluster, use managed Postgres instead of installing it on the VM. If you want n8n as a platform service, use the n8n template. A host you operate yourself, in the style of a Coolify install, is the server path. The Coolify alternative covers that comparison.

FAQ

What is the difference between a VPS and a PaaS?

A VPS is a Linux virtual machine you administer, including patches, the firewall, and deploys. A PaaS runs the service for you. On Unbroker the PaaS is Cloud Apps: you connect Git, and CPU and memory bill from the capacity you configure while replicas run. The VPS is a Linux cloud server with root, at a fixed monthly size.

Is a VPS cheaper than a PaaS?

They use different meters, so start from the bill you will actually run. A Linux cloud server is the monthly size, charged in full for that month, with unlimited traffic under fair use. Cloud Apps bill $0.03 per configured vCPU-hour and $0.015 per configured GiB-hour while replicas run. Pro is $25 per month with $25 of usage credit, and the server charge can draw on that credit. Which invoice is smaller depends on the size, the replica count, and how long the app runs. This page does not pick a winner.

When should I use a Linux cloud server?

Use one when you need root, a daemon, several small services on one machine, or a flat monthly price for traffic that stays within fair use. If you do not want to operate the OS, use Cloud Apps.

Can I run Docker or n8n on a Linux cloud server?

You have root, so you can install Docker and other software yourself, and you operate what you install. Unbroker does not manage that Docker daemon and does not ship n8n as an install on the VM. The n8n template is the Cloud Apps path. Dockerfile builds on Cloud Apps are a separate Pro feature.

Do I get root access on a Linux cloud server?

Yes. You log in as root. Unbroker generates a root password, and you can add an SSH public key at creation. The console shows the IPv4 address and can reveal the root password again. Firewall policy and SSH hardening after the first boot are yours.

Is a Linux cloud server highly available?

No. It is one virtual machine in one region, with no automatic failover and no standby. For a web app that should add replicas, use Cloud Apps on Pro. Extra replicas are not a replicated Linux host.