A Windows VPS is the simplest way to keep a Windows program running 24/7 that you reach from anywhere over Remote Desktop — a trading terminal, an accounting package, a bot or a full work desktop. This guide covers what to look for, how to size one, and what “buy RDP” should actually include so nothing surprises you at checkout.
What a Windows VPS with RDP actually gives you
A Windows VPS is a virtual server running Windows Server that you connect to with the built-in Remote Desktop client (RDP) on Windows, macOS, Android or iOS. Once you log in you get a normal Windows desktop that happens to live in a data centre — it stays on when your own computer is off, keeps a stable dedicated IP, and runs on business-grade hardware with backups and always-on DDoS protection. That is the whole point of “buy RDP”: a Windows machine that never sleeps and is reachable from any device.
Windows VPS vs a Cloud PC — which do you need?
They overlap, but the intent differs. A Cloud PC is pitched as your everyday work desktop in the cloud — Office, a browser, accounting software — safe from load-shedding and reachable from a cheap laptop. A Windows VPS is the same underlying thing sold for running software: a trading terminal, a bot, a small SQL Server, an app you host yourself. If a human sits at it all day, think Cloud PC; if a program runs on it around the clock, think Windows VPS. The hardware and the RDP experience are identical.
How much Windows VPS do you actually need?
Windows itself wants more headroom than Linux, so 2 GB of RAM is the floor and 4 GB is the comfortable starting point. Beyond that, size to the workload rather than the brochure:
| If you are running… | A sensible starting point |
|---|---|
| 1–2 MetaTrader terminals / a single bot | 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB NVMe |
| A remote work desktop (Office, browser, ERP) | 2–4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 80–160 GB NVMe |
| Up to ~6 terminals or a small SQL Server | 4 vCPU, 8–16 GB RAM, 160 GB NVMe |
| A busy multi-account or multi-user box | 6–8 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 200 GB+ NVMe |
When in doubt, start one tier below what feels safe — on Scutex, moving up is a reboot rather than a rebuild, so the cost of starting small is essentially zero.
Windows VPS plans & pricing
| Plan | vCPU / RAM | Storage | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows StartRDP & desktop apps | 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM | 80 GB NVMe | $25/mo | Get started |
| Windows ProTrading & .NET production | 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM | 160 GB NVMe | $45/mo | Get started |
| Windows MaxMSSQL & heavy workloads | 6 vCPU / 16 GB RAM | 240 GB NVMe | $75/mo | Get started |
The tiers above are the base VPS plans; choose a Windows Server image at checkout and the licence is included in the monthly price — there is no separate Microsoft fee to manage. Full Windows-specific options live on the Windows VPS page.
Latency: where to put your Windows VPS
The right region depends on what the VPS talks to. For a work desktop, host it near you — our South Africa edge gives single-digit to low-double-digit latency across the region, so the desktop feels responsive. For trading, host it near your broker, not yourself: a Forex VPS in Frankfurt routes orders in single-digit milliseconds regardless of where you log in from. We walk through that trade-off in detail in our Forex VPS guide.
What to check before you buy RDP
- Licensing included: confirm the Windows Server licence is in the price, not a surprise add-on.
- Real NVMe, not SATA: Windows feels sluggish on slow disks — NVMe keeps the desktop and app startup snappy.
- Dedicated IP and DDoS protection: an IP nobody else shares, with always-on mitigation, so your RDP endpoint stays reachable.
- Backups and snapshots: so a bad update or a mistake is a five-minute restore, not a rebuild.
- RDP hardening: change the default port, restrict access to your IPs where you can, and use strong credentials — ask support if you want this set up for you.
Getting started
Pick a plan, choose a Windows Server image and a region, and connect over RDP in about a minute. Setup and Windows licensing are included, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are weighing shared CPU against reserved cores for a heavier workload, our guide on VPS vs VDS explains when steal time is worth paying to avoid.