Cheap Windows VPS Hosting (2026): What the Windows Server Licence Adds

The cheapest usable Windows VPS we found is IONOS Windows M+, with 2 vCores, 4 GB of RAM and 120 GB of NVMe storage for $16 a month for the first three months and $25 after that, on a one-year term. The cheapest Windows VPS of any size is Hostwinds' 1 GB plan at $16.99 a month, but it sits below Microsoft's minimum specs for Windows Server. Whichever you pick, a Windows VPS is a Linux VPS plus a licence fee: about $6 a month per CPU core at both Hostwinds and IONOS, with a $12 minimum at Hostwinds. Prices come from the providers' pages on 9-12 Oct 2026 and leave out tax.

This guide is for anyone who needs Windows Server on a virtual server, usually to run an ASP.NET Framework app, a Windows-only program or SQL Server. If your app runs on modern .NET, you may not need Windows at all, and the first section explains how to tell.

Do you need Windows hosting at all?

Before .NET Core arrived, ASP.NET web hosting meant Windows hosting. That's no longer true. According to Microsoft's .NET documentation, ASP.NET Core works across operating systems, Linux included, whereas apps built on the older .NET Framework, including ASP.NET Web Forms, still need Windows. So the question isn't whether your app uses .NET; it's which .NET. An app targeting .NET 6, 8 or later can usually run on a Linux VPS, which costs less for the same resources.

Other good reasons to rent Windows: you run a desktop program on the server through Remote Desktop, you depend on IIS modules or Windows authentication, or a vendor only supports its software on Windows Server. If none of those apply, test your app on Linux first. You'll save the licence fee every month, and our Linux distro guide helps you pick a starting image.

What Windows adds to the bill, provider by provider

The fairest way to price Windows web hosting is to compare it with the same server running Linux at the same provider. Both providers below publish both prices, so the difference is the Windows Server licence, plus whatever else the host bundles with it.

The licence fee scales with CPU count at both providers. At Hostwinds the Windows premium is $12 on one- and two-CPU plans, then $24 at four CPUs, $36 at six and $48 at eight: $6 per CPU with a $12 floor. At IONOS it's $11 for 2 vCores rising to $70 for 12, or roughly $5.50 to $6 per vCore. IONOS's introductory prices last three months on a one-year term, and it doesn't sell Windows on its smallest S+ plan.

Same specs, two operating systems: the monthly gap

On small servers the licence can more than triple the bill: Hostwinds' 1 GB plan is $4.99 on Linux and $16.99 on Windows. On larger ones it's a smaller share but a bigger number: IONOS's 12-vCore XXL+ costs $70 a month more on Windows, or $840 a year. Over a year, the cheapest 4 GB options compare like this: IONOS Windows M+ costs $273 in its first year (three months at $16, nine at $25) and $300 a year after; Hostwinds' 4 GB Windows plan is $371.88 a year at a flat $30.99 a month.

Minimum specs for Windows Server, IIS and SQL Express

Microsoft's published minimums for Windows Server 2025 are a 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor, 2 GB of RAM for both Server Core and the Desktop Experience (4 GB recommended for the Desktop Experience), and 32 GB of disk, which Microsoft calls an absolute minimum. It also warns that a virtual machine with one core and 1,024 MB of RAM fails to install, and to allocate at least 1,280 MB.

That rules out the smallest plans for real work. Hostwinds' $16.99 Windows plan has 1 GB of RAM and 30 GB of disk, below both minimums, so treat it as a test box at most, and confirm with Hostwinds what image it provisions. For a small IIS site, start at 2 GB with 50 GB of disk. Once you add SQL Server Express and the Desktop Experience for remote management, 4 GB is a more comfortable floor, which is why IONOS's 4 GB M+ is our cheap pick. Our VPS sizing guide explains how to measure what you actually use.

Picks for a cheap Windows VPS

We rank these on published price for usable specs, not on speed tests, which we haven't run. If you need Windows Server web hosting on a budget, these are the options that publish both a Windows and a Linux price, so you can see exactly what the licence costs you.

Cheapest 4 GB Windows VPS: IONOS Windows M+

IONOS Windows M+ gives 2 vCores, 4 GB and 120 GB of NVMe for $16 a month for three months, then $25, on a one-year term. IONOS includes unlimited traffic on a 1 Gbps connection, charges no setup fee and advertises a 30-day refund on its VPS plans. The catch is the price step after three months, and the one-year commitment. See IONOS Windows VPS plans.

Cheapest entry and flat pricing: Hostwinds Unmanaged Windows

Hostwinds' unmanaged Windows VPS starts at $16.99 a month for 1 GB and $21.99 for 2 GB, with no introductory discount, so there's no step up after a promotional period. Hostwinds maintains the infrastructure and provisions the server, but the operating system and software are yours to run. Choose the 2 GB plan or larger for anything beyond testing. See Hostwinds Windows VPS.

If you want help with the server: Hostwinds Managed Windows

Hostwinds' managed Windows VPS lists $22.99 a month for 1 GB and $33.99 for 2 GB, shown discounted to $14.94 and $22.09 when we checked; the discount's length wasn't stated, so confirm it at checkout. The Windows licence is included and activated automatically, but Hostwinds doesn't sell SQL Server licences, so you'd use SQL Server Express or bring your own.

Bigger RAM for less: Contabo

Contabo is known for large VPS specs at low prices, and it sells Windows Server as a paid licence added to the monthly bill. We couldn't load its prices from a US connection on 12 Oct 2026, so there's no verified licence figure here. Check Contabo's Windows pricing and compare it with the per-core figures above. Hosting.com, formerly A2 Hosting, also sells Windows hosting, but its prices didn't load in our reads, so we've left it out of the comparison.

SQL Server and other licence costs

The Windows licence is only part of the bill if your app needs SQL Server. SQL Server Express is free. Paid editions are licensed separately: on IONOS dedicated servers, SQL Server 2022 Web is $28 a month and Standard $380 a month, each per 4 CPUs. Hostwinds doesn't offer SQL Server licences on its managed Windows VPS. If you're on a VPS without a licensing option, the realistic choices are Express or a database on a separate service.

On dedicated hardware the licence works the same way. IONOS charges $38 a month for Windows Server 2022 or 2025 on a 4- to 8-core dedicated server, rising to $228 for 48 cores. Our VPS vs dedicated comparison helps you decide whether you need that much hardware.

Edge cases

Upgrading later. Hostwinds lets you move up to the next tier of the same plan, but remember that the licence fee rises with CPU count, so a jump from 2 to 4 CPUs adds $12 a month in licence alone on top of the bigger server.

Nested virtualisation. On its dedicated servers, IONOS rules out Hyper-V as the hypervisor, citing Microsoft's licensing. If you plan to run virtual machines inside your server, check the provider's terms first.

Windows shared hosting. Some hosts sell shared Windows web hosting with Plesk for small ASP.NET sites. It's cheaper than a VPS but limits what you can install, and it isn't covered here. For Linux plans across more providers, see our best VPS hosting shortlist.

Remote access security. A Windows VPS is managed through Remote Desktop, and an RDP port open to the whole internet attracts automated login attempts. Restrict the RDP port to your own IP addresses with the firewall, and use strong passwords; our VPS security checklist covers the same principles for Linux.

Sources (read 9-12 Oct 2026): Hostwinds Unmanaged Windows VPS, Hostwinds Unmanaged Linux VPS, Hostwinds Managed Windows VPS, IONOS Windows VPS, IONOS Linux VPS, IONOS value dedicated servers, Windows Server hardware requirements and choosing .NET or .NET Framework for server apps.