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VPS for developers: which KVM plan to choose for your project
For most development projects 2 vCPU and 8 GB of RAM (KVM 2) is enough; KVM 1 suits a small project, and KVM 4 and up when you have large databases or several heavy services. We say it from experience: it is the plan that runs this site and 20 others, and here is what each thing uses.
Updated 2026-11-10 · By Rómulo Felizola · Leer en español
The four KVM plans at Hostinger
| Plan | vCPU | RAM | NVMe disk | Bandwidth | Offer ($/mo, 24 months) | Renewal ($/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KVM 1 | 1 | 4 GB | 50 GB | 4 TB | $6.49 | $11.99 |
| KVM 2 | 2 | 8 GB | 100 GB | 8 TB | $8.79 | $14.99 |
| KVM 4 | 4 | 16 GB | 200 GB | 16 TB | $12.99 | $28.99 |
| KVM 8 | 8 | 32 GB | 400 GB | 32 TB | $25.99 | $49.99 |
US prices from hostinger.com checked November 10, 2026; the offer is paid upfront for 24 months. Renewal is much higher: see the real price over 4 years.
How much memory each thing uses (measured on our server)
Measured on our server on November 10, 2026: 2 vCPU, 7.8 GB of usable RAM, 96 GB of disk (41% used), Ubuntu 24.04, nginx 1.24 serving 21 sites, PostgreSQL 16, Node 22 and Python 3.12. Load average of 0.28 after 16 days up.
- A Next.js server uses between 125 MB and 445 MB of RAM depending on the application. We run three.
- A Django service with gunicorn takes around 85 MB for its main process.
- PostgreSQL and nginx use little by comparison; what weighs most are the applications and the build tools.
- We run ten continuous-integration runners (GitHub Actions runners, one per project) that use about 95 MB each at rest, and much more while building.
- In total about 3 GB are in use out of 7.8 GB; the system uses the rest as cache. And there are 4 GB of swap, of which 1.3 GB are used.
The rule we took from this: add up what each service uses, add 30% for peaks (a build can multiply consumption) and set up swap. If the total does not fit in the plan's RAM, move up a plan before the server starts killing processes.
Which plan to pick (our judgment)
- KVM 1 (1 vCPU, 4 GB): a small API, one or two static sites, a bot or an automation. Building on the same server is tight.
- KVM 2 (2 vCPU, 8 GB): the sweet spot for an independent developer or a small agency. It is ours: static sites, three Next.js servers, two Django applications, one FastAPI app and PostgreSQL.
- KVM 4 (4 vCPU, 16 GB): when you build often on the server, run several heavy applications or have a database that no longer fits comfortably.
- KVM 8 (8 vCPU, 32 GB): large databases, a lot of background processing, or an agency with many big clients on the same machine.
An honest note: we have not run the other plans in production, so what we say about KVM 1, 4 and 8 is an extrapolation from what we measured on the KVM 2. If your case is borderline, start with the next size up: moving up is easier than recovering a crashed server.
What to do as soon as you have it
Before uploading anything: the first-day VPS checklist. If you are not sure you need a VPS yet, start with what is a VPS.
The plan we use:KVM 2 at Hostinger
For a small project:KVM 1 at Hostinger
If you build or host a lot:KVM 4 at Hostinger
Large databases or many clients:KVM 8 at Hostinger
Frequently asked questions
How many sites fit on a KVM 2 VPS?
It depends what they are. On ours 21 sites run, most of them static, next to several server applications (Next.js, Django and FastAPI). A static site uses almost no memory; a Next.js application can take half a gigabyte.
Can I change plan later?
Hostinger offers plans of different sizes and, in general, you move up when you need to, with an upgrade button in the account. Check it in its panel before buying for 24 months, because we have not measured how the change is prorated.
What is swap for if I already have 8 GB?
It is a cushion: when a spike uses up RAM, the system moves to disk what has not been used for a while instead of killing a process. It does not replace memory; it prevents a scare.