natboxCheap VPS from $1 a month
Most small projects do not need a big server. A Discord bot, a small website, a personal VPN or a place to learn Linux runs happily on 512 MB of RAM. natbox keeps the price low by sharing one IPv4 address between servers, a setup called a NAT VPS. You still get root, your own block of IPv4 ports and a full /80 of IPv6 to yourself.
Cheap VPS plans
| Plan | RAM | CPU | SSD | IPv4 ports | Bandwidth | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano | 512 MB | 0.5 shared core | 5 GB | 10 | 250 GB | $1.00 a month |
| Box | 1 GB | 1 shared core | 10 GB | 20 | 500 GB | $1.25 a month |
| Box Plus | 2 GB | 2 shared cores | 20 GB | 30 | 1 TB | $2.25 a month |
| Box CPU | 1 GB | 1 dedicated core | 10 GB | 20 | 500 GB | $4.50 a month |
Paying yearly costs less: Nano is $9.00 a year. Every plan includes a routed /80 of IPv6 and runs in Germany.
Why it costs so little
- Shared IPv4. IPv4 addresses are scarce and expensive. Sharing one and giving each server its own ports cuts the biggest cost.
- Containers, not virtual machines. Servers run as Incus system containers, which use less memory than full virtual machines, so more of the hardware goes to you.
- No extras you did not ask for. No control panel licence, no bundled software. You get a clean Debian, Ubuntu, Alpine or AlmaLinux and root SSH.
What a cheap VPS is good for
- Discord bots and Telegram bots that need to stay online.
- Small websites and APIs, on your own domain with HTTPS (guide).
- A personal WireGuard VPN, with an ad blocker if you like.
- Learning Linux on a server you can break and reinstall.
- Monitoring with Uptime Kuma, cron jobs and small databases.
More ideas: What can you run on a small VPS?
What to know before you buy
- You get a block of IPv4 ports, not all 65,535, and no IPv4 address of your own. Websites on ports 80 and 443 work through the Domains tab.
- Outgoing mail ports 25, 465 and 587 are blocked. Send email through an API or relay on port 2525 (email guide).
- Docker is not supported, because servers are containers themselves. Most apps run fine without it.
Cheap VPS questions
What is the cheapest VPS plan?
Nano, at $1.00 a month, with 512 MB RAM, 5 GB SSD, 10 IPv4 ports and a /80 of IPv6. There is also a free one-month trial and a 24-hour burner server for quick tests.
Can I try it for free first?
Yes. New customers get a small server free for one month, one per account. See the free VPS trial.
How do I pay?
PayPal (from $1 per payment), crypto such as BTC, ETH and USDT through NOWPayments (from $3), or account credit, which also pays renewals automatically. See paying with crypto.
Is there a money-back guarantee?
Yes, 7 days on your first paid server. The details are in the refund policy.
Can I upgrade later?
Yes, from the client area. Your server is resized in place and keeps its data, addresses and ports.
Compare with others: NAT VPS providers compared, NAT VPS vs VPS.