What kind of server do I need?

What kind of server do I need?

What you'll learn: the minimum server you'll need to install MaxPanel on, and what to look for when buying one.

The short version

Get a VPS (Virtual Private Server) with:

  • Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (this is important — MaxPanel only supports this version)
  • At least 2 CPU cores
  • At least 4 GB of RAM
  • At least 40 GB of disk space
  • A public IP address
  • Root access (which you usually get by default with a VPS)

That's enough to run MaxPanel and host a small number of websites comfortably. As you add more customers and sites, you'll want more disk and RAM.

What's a "VPS"?

A VPS is a virtual machine you rent from a hosting provider. Popular providers include DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Linode, Vultr, and AWS. You pay monthly, you get full access to your own server, and you can resize it later if you need more power.

If you've never bought one before: when checking out, look for a "Create Droplet" / "Deploy Server" button, choose Ubuntu 24.04, and pick a plan that meets the specs above.

A few things to set up before you install MaxPanel

You'll save time later if you have these ready:

  1. A domain name for your panel. Something like panel.yourbusiness.com. You'll point this at your server's IP address using a DNS "A record" in your domain provider's control panel. (Don't worry — we'll walk you through this when it's time.)
  2. The IP address of your server. Your VPS provider shows this right after you create the server.
  3. The root password or SSH key your provider gave you, so you can log in.

What about a "Mail node"?

If you decide later to host email on a separate server (this is optional and most people don't need it at first), the requirements are similar but you'll usually want more disk space — email piles up over time. A 100 GB+ disk is a good starting point for a Mail node.

What about scaling later?

Most VPS providers let you "resize" your server with a few clicks (more CPU, more RAM, more disk). MaxPanel doesn't need to be reinstalled when you do — your server reboots once and comes back bigger.

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