Unmanaged KVM VPS providers tested with real benchmarks. Whether you need premium China-route connectivity or the cheapest VPS under $1/month, we have you covered.
Two budget VPS providers, very different strengths.
| Feature | BandwagonHost | RackNerd |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $49.99/yr | $10.28/yr |
| Network | CN2 GIA / GIA-E (premium) | Standard transit |
| China Latency | ~120ms | ~250ms |
| US Latency | ~45ms | ~35ms |
| Data Centers | 13 (incl. HK, JP) | 7+ US locations |
| Stock | Often sold out | Always available |
| Support | Ticket only | Ticket + Live Chat |
| Best For | China/Asia traffic | Budget US hosting |
A VPS (Virtual Private Server) gives you dedicated resources on a shared physical server. Unlike shared hosting where resources fluctuate, your VPS has guaranteed CPU, RAM, and storage. You get full root access to install any software.
KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) provides true hardware virtualization. Each VPS runs its own kernel, supports Docker/Kubernetes, and offers better isolation. Both BandwagonHost and RackNerd use KVM.
OpenVZ is container-based virtualization cheaper but with shared kernel and no Docker support. We recommend KVM for any serious workload.
CN2 GIA (Global Internet Access) is China Telecom premium enterprise network. It provides 2-3x lower latency to mainland China compared to standard transit routes.
CN2 GIA-E (Enterprise) is the highest tier with even less congestion. BandwagonHost is one of the few budget providers offering CN2 GIA-E plans.
→ See our Web Hosting Guide instead