If you’ve ever wondered, “what are common operating systems used for VPS servers?”, you have come to the right place!
We have compiled a list of the top 5 VPS server hosting operating systems, as observed by Rad Web Hosting staff, during the course of providing VPS hosting services since 2015.
Methodology for Collected Data
It should be noted that this compilation is not scientifically or mathematically based, as Rad Web Hosting does not log user or client usage details. In the interest of full disclosure, the number of VPS we host, or have hosted, that OS usage is undefined is significantly greater than those we are aware of (less than 2% of all servers at the time of posting).
VIEW ALSO: What is VPS Hosting?
The occasions where we gain insights for specific OS usage are:
- Managed VPS – client servers where server techs handle day-to-day administrative tasks and often help clients achieve specific server configuration requirements for their project needs.
- Custom VPS servers provided in response to client’s pre-sales request
- VPS servers which clients disclose their purposes during support requests or other interactions.
Without further delay, we present the our report of the Top 5 VPS Server Hosting Operating Systems (as far as we know)!
Top 5 VPS Server Hosting Operating Systems
VPS server hosting is a highly versatile service with many unique use cases. As such, the top choices for VPS server hosting operating systems varies greatly across our users.
1. Ubuntu
Starting out our list of the “Top 5 VPS Server Hosting Operating Systems” is Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a Linux distribution based on Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software. Ubuntu is officially released in multiple editions: Desktop, Server, and Core for Internet of things devices and robots.
Top Ubuntu Versions
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
- Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
- Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
- Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
2. CentOS
CentOS is still very much in use for VPS Server Hosting purposes. CentOS is a discontinued Linux distribution that provided a free and open-source community-supported computing platform, functionally compatible with its upstream source, Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Top CentOS Versions
- CentOS 7
- CentOS 8
3. AlmaLinux
AlmaLinux is a CentOS replacement distribution that is often used by RHEL users. AlmaLinux is a free and open source Linux distribution, developed by the AlmaLinux OS Foundation, a 501 organization, to provide a community-supported, production-grade enterprise operating system that is binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Top AlmaLinux Versions
READ ALSO: How to Choose the Best VPS Hosting Services
4. Debian
Next up in our list of “Top 5 VPS Server Hosting Operating Systems” is Debian. Debian, also known as Debian GNU/Linux, is a Linux distribution composed of free and open-source software and proprietary software developed by the community-supported Debian Project, which was established by Ian Murdock on August 16, 1993.
Top Debian Versions
-
- Debian 12 (Bookworm)
- Debian 11 (Bullseye)
- Debian 10 (Buster)
- Debian 9 (Stretch)
5. Windows Server
Windows Server rounds out the top 5 VPS server hosting operating systems in use at Rad Web Hosting.
Windows Server is a group of operating systems for servers that Microsoft has been developing since 1993. The first OS that was released for this platform is Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server. With the release of Windows Server 2003, the brand name was changed to Windows Server.
READ ALSO: Which Windows Server Versions are Available for Windows VPS?
Top Windows Server Versions
- Windows Server 2025
- Windows Server 2022
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2016
Honorable Mention
These OS did not break the top 5, but are also used in live VPS environments. In no particular order:
- Oracle Linux
- Rocky Linux
- OpenSUSE
That concludes our rankings for Top 5 VPS Server Operating Systems.
Conclusion
We hoped you have found our compiled list of Top 5 VPS Server Hosting Operating Systems educational and insightful. Please feel free to mention any other use cases you have encountered in the comments section.
Disclaimer: Data collection processes were not well-defined and or consistently applied and methodology for compiling the values is subject to scrutiny. Since we only notate the operating systems values in specific circumstances in which we provide with full management, or in which our technicians were provided access to the server by the request of the client directly.
The large majority of our clients do not fall into the above scenarios. These are users who are likely more technically advanced or employ in-house technical support services or who outsource the management of their servers to a third-party. It is not the position of Rad Web Hosting that the OS usage by any of these parties will correlate, to any degree, with the OS usage of clients with which OS usage was documented.
The dataset used does not represent a reliable cross-section of users, and, therefore, does not suggest, predict, or otherwise imply any pattern of use by any users beyond the very limited set. Given the size of the dataset collection as a percentage of the entire amount of VPS provided by Rad Web Hosting, the margin for error would be Extremely High.
This list is not updated regularly and should not be considered to have any implied degree of accuracy or correctness.
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