Container or VM?

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Containers

Perfect for applications and development environments

✓ Best for:
  • Web applications (Node.js, Python, etc.)
  • Development and testing environments
  • Short-term projects
  • Stateless applications
  • Quick prototyping
📋 Key Features:
  • Lightweight: Faster startup times
  • Ephemeral: Data doesn't persist after deletion
  • Simple: Create, use, destroy workflow
  • Cost-effective: Lower resource overhead
Important: Containers cannot be stopped/restarted. They must be deleted and recreated.

Virtual Machines

Full operating systems with persistent storage

✓ Best for:
  • Production applications
  • Long-running services
  • Applications requiring specific OS configurations
  • Database servers
  • Projects with important data
📋 Key Features:
  • Persistent: Data survives restarts
  • Flexible: Stop, start, and restart as needed
  • Complete OS: Full Ubuntu environment
  • Dedicated storage: Customizable disk space
Tip: You can stop VMs to pause billing while keeping your data safe.
Quick Decision Guide
Short-term project?

Use a Container

Need persistent data?

Use a Virtual Machine

Need GPU access?

Use a Container

Bare Metal Servers

For maximum performance with dedicated physical hardware:

  • Unshared resources: No virtualization overhead
  • High-performance computing: Scientific computing, AI/ML workloads
  • Compliance requirements: Dedicated physical isolation
  • Custom configurations: Specialized hardware requirements

Bare metal servers are available on request. Contact us to discuss your specific needs.

Still not sure? Go back to the dashboard and try creating both to see which works better for your needs.