Custom ISO VPS Hosting Built for Full OS Control
Custom ISO on a VPS lets you boot compute instances from your own uploaded OS image or the Public ISO library — a RAW-format path for specialised distributions, private builds and pinned environments that the standard templates do not cover. PakiWebHost provides the infrastructure and full root access; your image defines the system.
- Upload your own ISO
- Public ISO library
- RAW-format images
- Full root access
- NVMe SSD storage
Custom ISO Terminal
Your image
Boot from an ISO you upload — not a fixed template list.
RAW-format
External snapshot images in RAW format are supported.
Public library
The Public ISO library offers additional boot options.
Self-managed
You install, configure, update and maintain the OS.
What Custom ISO Means on a VPS
Custom ISO on a VPS is the path between the standard operating-system templates and a completely bespoke install. Instead of choosing a prebuilt image, you upload an ISO — a specialised distribution, a private build, a pinned version — and boot the server from it yourself.
Your Image, Your Install
Boot compute instances using your own uploaded ISOs or the Public ISO library, then walk through your own installer and partitioning choices.
RAW-Format Support
External snapshot images in RAW format are supported, which covers custom builds and unusual operating systems beyond the template list.
Full Root After Boot
Once installed, your OS runs with full root access — the same control as any standard VPS template.
Responsibility Scales With Control
Custom images mean custom compatibility: verify that your ISO supports the virtual hardware before committing a workload to it.
When a Custom ISO Is the Right Path
Standard templates cover the common cases — Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Arch Linux and Windows Server. A Custom ISO is the right path when your workload needs something the templates cannot provide: a specialised distribution, a private or hardened build, a pinned older version, custom partitioning, or licensed environments with their own installers.
The trade-off is responsibility. With a custom image, compatibility with the virtual hardware, driver support and install behaviour are yours to verify. Test the ISO on a non-critical server first, confirm the install completes cleanly, and only then move real data onto it.
Specialised distributions
Run niche, hardened or security-focused distributions that are not in the template list.
Pinned builds
Deploy a pinned OS version when your application or compliance requires an exact image.
Private builds
Boot internal or licensed images with their own installers where supported.
Minimum vs Practical VPS Requirements
A custom ISO can boot from a small baseline, but a useful VPS plan should be sized for the OS you install and the services you will actually run. Your installer's requirements — not the VPS platform's — define the real minimum.
Check the ISO's requirements
Confirm your image's RAM, disk and driver expectations against the plan before deployment.
Size for the services
Prioritise RAM for the runtime and services, and disk for the OS, application data, logs and growth.
Container or app host
Budget extra disk for images and volumes, plus RAM for every resident process.
Database-backed workload
Focus on memory, storage headroom, backup space and restore testing before production traffic.
Select Your VPS Plan
Compare PakiWebHost VPS plans for custom ISO deployments — confirm your image's hardware requirements against the plan before checkout.
30% save
VPS XS
Start Simple, Grow Smartly
$ 9.99 / Per Month
$ 9.99 /mo when you renew
- 3 CPU vCoresHigh-performance processing power for multitasking and resource-heavy applications.
- 4 GB RAMSmooth operation of apps, scripts, and simultaneous user traffic.
- 30 NVMe Disk spaceBlazing-fast storage for quick data access and reliable performance.
- Unlimited BandwidthHandle massive traffic without speed caps or extra charges.
- 1 backup SlotAutomated schedule backups to safeguard critical data effortlessly.
- 1 SnapshotInstant server-state capture for testing, updates, or rollbacks.
- 1 Dedicated IPSecure, exclusive access for domains, SSL, and server stability.
- Full Root AccessComplete control to customize configurations and install software.
VPS S
Build Faster, Reach Further
$ 16.99 / Per Month
$ 16.99 /mo when you renew
- 3 CPU vCoresHigh-performance processing power for multitasking and resource-heavy applications.
- 6 GB RAMSmooth operation of apps, scripts, and simultaneous user traffic.
- 50 NVMe Disk spaceBlazing-fast storage for quick data access and reliable performance.
- Unlimited BandwidthHandle massive traffic without speed caps or extra charges.
- 1 backup SlotAutomated schedule backups to safeguard critical data effortlessly.
- 1 SnapshotInstant server-state capture for testing, updates, or rollbacks.
- 1 Dedicated IPSecure, exclusive access for domains, SSL, and server stability.
- Full Root AccessComplete control to customize configurations and install software.
VPS M
Power Your Business Growth
$ 25.99 / Per Month
$ 25.99 /mo when you renew
- 4 CPU vCoresHigh-performance processing power for multitasking and resource-heavy applications.
- 8 GB RAMSmooth operation of apps, scripts, and simultaneous user traffic.
- 80 NVMe Disk spaceBlazing-fast storage for quick data access and reliable performance.
- Unlimited BandwidthHandle massive traffic without speed caps or extra charges.
- 1 backup SlotAutomated schedule backups to safeguard critical data effortlessly.
- 1 SnapshotInstant server-state capture for testing, updates, or rollbacks.
- 1 Dedicated IPSecure, exclusive access for domains, SSL, and server stability.
- Full Root AccessComplete control to customize configurations and install software.
VPS L
Unleash Unlimited Possibilities
$ 39.99 / Per Month
$ 39.99 /mo when you renew
- 6 CPU vCoresHigh-performance processing power for multitasking and resource-heavy applications.
- 16 GB RAMSmooth operation of apps, scripts, and simultaneous user traffic.
- 100 NVMe Disk spaceBlazing-fast storage for quick data access and reliable performance.
- Unlimited BandwidthHandle massive traffic without speed caps or extra charges.
- 1 backup SlotAutomated schedule backups to safeguard critical data effortlessly.
- 1 SnapshotInstant server-state capture for testing, updates, or rollbacks.
- 1 Dedicated IPSecure, exclusive access for domains, SSL, and server stability.
- Full Root AccessComplete control to customize configurations and install software.
VPS XL
Unleash Unlimited Possibilities
$ 49.99 / Per Month
$ 49.99 /mo when you renew
- 8 CPU vCoresHigh-performance processing power for multitasking and resource-heavy applications.
- 24 GB RAMSmooth operation of apps, scripts, and simultaneous user traffic.
- 150 NVMe Disk spaceBlazing-fast storage for quick data access and reliable performance.
- Unlimited BandwidthHandle massive traffic without speed caps or extra charges.
- 1 backup SlotAutomated schedule backups to safeguard critical data effortlessly.
- 1 SnapshotInstant server-state capture for testing, updates, or rollbacks.
- 1 Dedicated IPSecure, exclusive access for domains, SSL, and server stability.
- Full Root AccessComplete control to customize configurations and install software.
VPS XXL
Unleash Unlimited Possibilities
$ 59.99 / Per Month
$ 59.99 /mo when you renew
- 8 CPU vCoresHigh-performance processing power for multitasking and resource-heavy applications.
- 32 GB RAMSmooth operation of apps, scripts, and simultaneous user traffic.
- 200 NVMe Disk spaceBlazing-fast storage for quick data access and reliable performance.
- Unlimited BandwidthHandle massive traffic without speed caps or extra charges.
- 1 backup SlotAutomated schedule backups to safeguard critical data effortlessly.
- 1 SnapshotInstant server-state capture for testing, updates, or rollbacks.
- 2 Dedicated IPSecure, exclusive access for domains, SSL, and server stability.
- Full Root AccessComplete control to customize configurations and install software.
VPS XXXL
Unleash Unlimited Possibilities
$ 79.99 / Per Month
$ 79.99 /mo when you renew
- 12 CPU vCoresHigh-performance processing power for multitasking and resource-heavy applications.
- 64 GB RAMSmooth operation of apps, scripts, and simultaneous user traffic.
- 400 NVMe Disk spaceBlazing-fast storage for quick data access and reliable performance.
- Unlimited BandwidthHandle massive traffic without speed caps or extra charges.
- 1 backup SlotAutomated schedule backups to safeguard critical data effortlessly.
- 1 SnapshotInstant server-state capture for testing, updates, or rollbacks.
- 2 Dedicated IPSecure, exclusive access for domains, SSL, and server stability.
- Full Root AccessComplete control to customize configurations and install software.
VPS HUGE
Unleash Unlimited Possibilities
$ 119.99 / Per Month
$ 119.99 /mo when you renew
- 16 CPU vCoresHigh-performance processing power for multitasking and resource-heavy applications.
- 128 GB RAMSmooth operation of apps, scripts, and simultaneous user traffic.
- 600 NVMe Disk spaceBlazing-fast storage for quick data access and reliable performance.
- Unlimited BandwidthHandle massive traffic without speed caps or extra charges.
- 2 backup SlotAutomated schedule backups to safeguard critical data effortlessly.
- 2 SnapshotInstant server-state capture for testing, updates, or rollbacks.
- 2 Dedicated IPSecure, exclusive access for domains, SSL, and server stability.
- Full Root AccessComplete control to customize configurations and install software.
Setup Flow for a Custom ISO Deployment
The custom ISO path has one extra step compared with a template deployment: the install itself. Plan it deliberately before placing applications on the server.
Prepare the ISO
Confirm your image is a compatible bootable ISO or RAW-format snapshot, and verify its checksum.
Upload and Attach
Upload the ISO and attach it to the compute instance, or choose it from the Public ISO library.
Boot and Install
Boot from the attached ISO, walk through your installer, and confirm the OS is healthy before removing the image.
Configure Access
Set up SSH keys, user accounts, firewall rules and your update routine as soon as the install completes.
Snapshot the Base
Take a snapshot of the freshly installed system so you can restore to a known-good state later.
Security Basics After Deployment
A custom-built server is still a live, internet-facing machine — and because the image is yours, its security baseline is also yours. Treat the first session as an operating checkpoint.
Verify the Image
Confirm your ISO came from a trusted source and validate its checksum before deployment.
Patch Immediately
Apply all available security updates after the install — your image is only as current as its build date.
Restrict the Surface
Configure the firewall to allow only required ports, use SSH keys and create named users with limited sudo.
Backup Discipline
Back up configuration, application data, databases and secrets in a place you can test and restore from.
A custom ISO on a PakiWebHost VPS is self-managed. PakiWebHost provides the infrastructure; you own the image, the install, the security baseline and everything running inside it.
When a Custom ISO Is the Right Choice
Custom ISO is the path of maximum control — and maximum responsibility. It is the right choice when the standard templates genuinely cannot cover your requirement, and the wrong choice when a template would work just as well.
Specialised Distributions
Security-focused, niche or minimal distributions that are not in the standard template list.
Pinned OS Versions
Deploy an exact OS version when your application, compliance or vendor support requires a specific image.
Custom Partitioning
Installers that need unusual disk layouts, encryption or partition schemes beyond template defaults.
Private & Licensed Builds
Internal images or licensed environments with their own installers, where supported.
Migration & Recovery
Restore a server from an external RAW-format snapshot image rather than rebuilding from a template.
Expert-Managed Environments
Teams that document and automate their install paths benefit from a fully repeatable custom image pipeline.
Compare Custom ISO with Standard Templates
The right path depends on how standard your stack is. Templates cover the common operating systems; a Custom ISO covers everything else.
| Option | Strong fit | Main trade-off | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom ISO | Specialised distributions, pinned versions, private builds, custom partitioning and RAW-format restores. | More setup responsibility — compatibility, drivers and install behaviour are yours to verify. | View VPS plans |
| Ubuntu | General Linux server workloads, Docker, web apps, developer tooling and broad tutorial coverage. | Requires self-managed administration, updates, security and backups. | Compare Ubuntu |
| Debian | Conservative production servers, long-running services and stability-first teams. | Requires self-managed administration, updates, security and backups. | Compare Debian |
| Windows Server | Windows-native applications, .NET dependencies and Remote Desktop workflows. | Different licensing, administration and resource expectations from Linux. | Compare Windows |
Useful Custom ISO and VPS Resources
Use these related pages when you need a product comparison, broader VPS guidance or another operating-system path.
Global Data Center Locations
Choose the location closest to your users and workloads for lower latency and faster response times.
Boot Your Own Image on a PakiWebHost VPS
Upload your ISO, boot your own operating system and keep full root access over the result. Custom ISO deployments put the install path in your hands — with NVMe storage and the included recovery layer underneath.
Custom ISO VPS Questions
A Custom ISO deployment boots your VPS from an operating-system image you upload — or from the Public ISO library — instead of a prebuilt template. After the install, your OS runs with full root access, the same as any standard VPS.
Bootable ISO images and external snapshot images in RAW format are supported. Verify that your image is bootable and compatible with the virtual hardware before deploying a workload to it.
Use a Custom ISO for specialised distributions, pinned OS versions, private or hardened builds, custom partitioning and licensed environments — anything the standard Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux, Arch Linux or Windows templates cannot cover.
Yes. Once your OS is installed from the ISO, it runs with full root access — the same level of control as any standard VPS template deployment.
Self-managed — and more so than a template deployment. PakiWebHost provides the infrastructure; you own the image, the install path, the security baseline and everything running inside the OS.
External snapshot images in RAW format are supported. Test that the image boots and its drivers are compatible with the virtual hardware before committing production data to the server.
Verify the ISO's checksum, apply all security updates immediately after install, configure the firewall to allow only required ports, use SSH keys with named users, and snapshot the freshly installed base before placing workloads on it.
Custom ISO deployments are supported across the PakiWebHost VPS range. Compare the plans on this page by CPU, RAM and NVMe storage, and confirm your image's hardware requirements before checkout.