Windows VPS for Development — Build, Test, Deploy on Windows

Local development on Windows works until you need to test IIS configurations, run SQL Server with realistic data volumes, or build in an environment that matches production. A Windows VPS gives you an isolated Windows Server instance that mirrors your production setup — same OS, same IIS version, same .NET runtime, same SQL Server edition.

Access your development VPS via RDP from anywhere: your office, home, a coffee shop, or while traveling. Your code, tools, and running processes persist between sessions. Close your laptop and reconnect later — everything is exactly where you left it.

For teams, multiple developers can each have their own Windows VPS, ensuring consistent environments without the "it works on my machine" problem. Shared resources like database servers or API backends can run on a separate VPS that everyone connects to.

Every development-oriented Windows VPS can be provisioned with our optional developer toolkit: Visual C++ 2015-2022 redistributables, .NET Framework 4.8, .NET 8 SDK, Node.js LTS, Python 3.12, Git for Windows, and Windows Terminal. This saves you 30-60 minutes of setup on a fresh server.

Visual Studio Community, Professional, or Enterprise can be installed via RDP — bring your own license for Professional and Enterprise, or use Community edition for free under its licensing terms. Visual Studio Code is also a popular choice for developers who prefer a lighter IDE.

SQL Server Express (free) or SQL Server Developer (free for non-production use) can be installed for database development. For production database hosting, SQL Server Standard and Enterprise licenses can be purchased separately or brought from your existing volume licensing agreement.

Use your Windows VPS as a CI/CD build agent. Install the GitHub Actions runner, Azure DevOps agent, GitLab Runner, or Jenkins agent and connect it to your pipeline. Windows-specific builds — MSBuild, NuGet restore, .NET publish, Windows installer packaging — run natively without the workarounds required on Linux agents.

PowerShell scripting on Windows Server provides native access to IIS management, Windows services, registry manipulation, and COM automation. Automate deployments with PowerShell scripts triggered by your CI/CD pipeline, or use Octopus Deploy, Azure DevOps Release, or custom deployment tools.

Task Scheduler handles recurring automation: nightly builds, database backups, log rotation, certificate renewals, and health checks. Combined with PowerShell, it provides a robust automation framework without installing additional tools.

Solo Developer: 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 50 GB NVMe — $25/mo. Runs Visual Studio Code, basic .NET builds, lightweight IIS testing, and SQLite or SQL Server Express. Suitable for individual developers working on small to medium projects.

Team Developer: 4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 200 GB NVMe — $55/mo. Handles Visual Studio with ReSharper, full SQL Server instances, Docker Desktop for container testing, and concurrent build/test workloads. Ideal for professional developers and CI/CD agents.

Enterprise Developer: 8 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, 400 GB NVMe — $99/mo. For large solutions with many projects, extensive unit test suites, integration testing against full databases, and running multiple services simultaneously. All plans include full Administrator access, offshore privacy, and payment via Bitcoin or credit cards.