Introduction
Are you ready to take full control of your website by hosting it on your own VPS? Whether you’re a web developer, small business owner, tech enthusiast, or a student learning the ropes of server management, this guide will walk you through the essential steps to get your site online. Hosting a website on a VPS gives you freedom, flexibility, and performance—without the limitations of shared hosting. In this article, you’ll learn how to choose the right VPS plan, set up your web server, and go live with your own domain using Time4VPS.
No advanced system administration experience is required—just some basic Linux knowledge, comfort using the command line, and a passion to learn.
Minimal Skill Requirements
- Basic knowledge of Linux command line
- Familiarity with SSH and file management
- Understanding of domains and DNS concepts
- Basic HTML/PHP or CMS usage (like WordPress)
Prerequisites
1. Domain Name
You must own a registered domain name (e.g., from Time4VPS, Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.).
2. VPS Access
Choose a VPS plan from Time4VPS, considering your project’s scale:
| Website Type | Recommended VPS Plan | Reason |
| Personal blog or portfolio | Container VPS C2, C4 or C8 | Lightweight traffic, low CPU/RAM usage |
| Small business or company site | Linux2, Linux4, C8 | Needs better performance, concurrent users, SSL, and backups |
| Medium-sized eCommerce or CMS | Linux4, Linux8 | More PHP workers, database activity, and caching required |
| High-traffic app or SaaS product | Linux16 and higher | Demands scalable resources, better I/O, and high uptime |
3. SSH Access to VPS
You need the IP, username, and password/root key to connect via SSH.
4. Operating System Installed
Recommended: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or Debian 12 for long-term support and compatibility.
5. Web Stack Choice
Decide between:
- LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
- LEMP (Linux, Nginx, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP)
- CMS (e.g., WordPress)
- Control Panel (cPanel, DirectAdmin, Plesk and etc.)
DNS Configuration
Ability to set A/AAAA records pointing to your VPS IP from your domain registrar.
Hosting a website
1. Domain name
The domain name is the unique address of your website on the internet. For example, www.time4vps.com is a domain name that follows standard formatting and best practices.
Here’s how to register your own domain:
Step 1: Choose a reliable domain registrar—Time4VPS offers domain registration along with VPS hosting, making it a convenient one-stop solution.
Step 2: Search for domain availability by writing it’s name. Please note recognition comes from the name, so choose it wisely. Depending on your website’s structure and audience, you will need choose whether it will be .COM, .ORG, .EU or any other .TLD. Not all domains are available for everyone. For example .EU domains are available only for EU citizens and companies registered in Europe.
Step 3: Purchase the domain
2. Getting your VPS server
From the table above, you can check what plan would suite your needs. Purchasing for longer period will save you your funds in a long run!
3. Connecting Domain to your server
If you have purchased domain and server from Time4VPS, all you need to do is connect domain via “A” record in “DNS Manager” service. The service is free and accessible in your account. For more information on how to do it, refer to this guide:
https://help.time4vps.com/en/articles/4835638-working-with-dns-manager
However if you have acquired domain from other service provider, you can choose either to use their name servers (if they provide) and point domain via “A” record to your server’s IP address or connect the domain via our name servers:
ns1.time4vps.com
ns2.time4vps.com
Changing name servers can take up to 24 hours, but usually it is done within 4 – 8 hours.
4. Installing website environment
Once your VPS is ready and you’ve registered a domain, the next step is to set up the software environment your website will run on. There are several methods depending on your needs and technical skill level:
Option 1: (Medium skill level) LAMP Stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
Installation process requires SSH access to your server and configuring vhost in most cases. After install or host your preferred website from the CLI (command line interface)
Tutorial on how to install LAMP can be found in our page.
Option 2: (Medium skill level) LEMP Stack (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, PHP)
Installation process requires SSH access to your server and access configuring in most cases.
Tutorial on how to install LEMP can be found in our page.
Option 3: (Low skill level) Use a Web Hosting Control Panel
There are many Control Panels with graphical interfaces accessed through web browser. Which of CP to choose depends completely on your needs. There are paid and free control panels, where functionality differs. From most of them you can easily host your own website or install CMS such as WordPress or PrestaShop.
Conclusion
Hosting a website on a VPS gives you greater control, performance, and scalability compared to traditional shared hosting. With the right tools—whether it’s a LAMP or LEMP stack, CMS, or control panel—you can tailor your server to match your project’s needs. Time4VPS makes this process easier by offering flexible plans and helpful setup options for beginners and advanced users alike. By following this guide, you’re now equipped to launch and manage your own professional-grade website confidently.
