What is a Windows VPS?
A VPS (virtual private server) is a share of a physical server with its own reserved memory, storage and operating system. On a Windows VPS that operating system is Windows Server. Instead of an SSH terminal you get a full Windows desktop over the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), signed in as Administrator, so you can install and run software exactly as you would on an office PC that never switches off.
Windows needs full virtualisation. A KVM VPS runs an unmodified Windows Server image, while container platforms such as OpenVZ or LXC share the host's Linux kernel and cannot run Windows at all. If a cheap "VPS" offer does not say which virtualisation it uses, ask before you pay.
Windows also takes longer to build than Linux. On our platform a Linux server is usually ready in under a minute, while a Windows Server image takes five to ten minutes because it is much larger.
Windows VPS vs Linux VPS: which do you need?
Choose Windows when the software itself demands it, not out of habit. The common reasons are Tally and other Windows-only accounting or business software, desktop applications that several people need to reach remotely, and older ASP.NET applications built for IIS, the Windows web server, whose overview lists ASP.NET integration among its key features.
Modern .NET is a different case. Microsoft documents running ASP.NET Core on Linux (Ubuntu, RHEL or SUSE) behind Nginx as a reverse proxy, so an ASP.NET Core application does not automatically need Windows. If yours is one, test it on Linux first: a Linux VPS has no operating-system licence to pay for.
| Windows VPS | Linux VPS | |
|---|---|---|
| How you log in | Remote Desktop (RDP), full graphical desktop | SSH, command line |
| Operating-system licence | Windows Server licence, plus RDS CALs for multi-user remote desktop | None |
| Typical software | Tally, Windows desktop apps, classic ASP.NET on IIS | PHP, WordPress, Node.js, Python, ASP.NET Core behind Nginx |
| Time to build (our platform) | 5–10 minutes | Usually under a minute |
| Access level | Administrator | Root |
Windows Server 2019 or 2022?
Our VPS images include both Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022. Both follow Microsoft's Fixed Lifecycle Policy, and both are now past the end of mainstream support. What separates them is how long extended support lasts.
| Version | Mainstream support ended | Extended support ends |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Server 2019 | January 2024 | January 2029 |
| Windows Server 2022 | October 2026 | October 2031 |
For a new server, Windows Server 2022 gives you almost three more years before extended support ends, so pick it unless your software vendor supports only 2019. If you already run 2019, plan the move well before January 2029 rather than in the last few months.
Windows Server licensing, RDP users and CALs
Licensing is the main reason Windows servers cost more than Linux ones, and the part that is easiest to overlook. Microsoft licenses Windows Server per core. Its published prices for Windows Server 2025 are $1,176 for Standard and $6,771 for Datacenter, each for 16 core licences, and Microsoft notes that prices vary by country. A Standard licence covers two virtual machines.
On top of the server licence come client access licences (CALs). Microsoft's pricing page says CALs are required for every user or device that accesses a server. Remote desktop has its own: every user or device that connects to a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) session host needs an RDS CAL, sold per user or per device, with a 120-day licensing grace period while you set things up.
In practice this decides how many people can work on the server at once. An answer on Microsoft's Q&A forum (a community reply, not official documentation) says that by default Windows Server 2022 Standard allows only two concurrent RDP connections, and that more users need the RDS role, a licence server and RDS CALs. So a VPS for one administrator is simple; a VPS for an accounts team of six needs RDS licensing in the budget.
When you rent a Windows server, ask what the price covers. Our published Windows prices include the Windows Server licence, with one time limit: our Windows VDS plans include it, adding ₹923 a period on VDS 4 and ₹2,291 on VDS 8 compared with Linux. On Windows dedicated servers the licence is included for the first 180 days, after which you bring your own or pay the SPLA rate.
How to connect to a Windows VPS over RDP
You need three things: the server's IP address, the Administrator user name and password, and a Remote Desktop client. On a Windows PC, the built-in Remote Desktop Connection app (mstsc) does the job. On a Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone or Chromebook, use Microsoft's Windows App, which connects to remote PCs on macOS, iOS and iPadOS, and Android and ChromeOS, so you can reach the same desktop from an office PC, a MacBook or a phone.
RDP listens on port 3389 by default. Some administrators move it to another port; if you do, Microsoft's guidance is to add a Windows Firewall inbound rule that allows traffic on the new port. If a firewall change ever locks you out, use the out-of-band console in the control panel to get back in.
How to secure RDP on a Windows VPS
An RDP port open to the whole internet is an obvious target. These steps, built on Microsoft's own documentation, cover most of the risk:
- Keep Network Level Authentication (NLA) on. With NLA, users must authenticate before a remote session is set up. Microsoft recommends leaving it enabled whenever possible.
- Use strong, unique passwords for every account with remote access, not just Administrator. Remove accounts that no longer need RDP.
- Limit who can reach port 3389. Windows Firewall is on by default and blocks incoming traffic unless it was requested or matches a rule, and rules can filter by source IP address and port. Allow RDP only from your office or home IP addresses. Our managed Tally servers work this way: RDP is accepted only from the IP addresses the customer nominates.
- Add a firewall rule before changing the RDP port, never after.
- Install Windows updates on a schedule, and take a snapshot before large changes so you can roll back.
Windows VPS hosting price in India
A Windows server costs more than the same Linux server because of the licence, so compare providers only after checking what each price includes: the licence, RDS CALs, backups and support. These are the Windows options we publish prices for, before 18% GST:
| Option | Resources | Price | Windows licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows VDS 4 | 4 dedicated cores, 16 GB RAM, 240 GB NVMe, 10 TB | ₹4,499/mo | Included |
| Windows VDS 8 | 8 dedicated cores, 32 GB RAM, 400 GB NVMe, 10 TB | ₹9,199/mo | Included |
| Tally on Cloud, managed | 1–2 users: 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB | ₹1,899/mo | Windows Server and RDP included; Tally licence is your own |
| Windows dedicated server | Whole physical server | From ₹14,499/mo | Included for the first 180 days |
| Windows on a VPS plan | Starter to Power sizes | Ask us for the size you need | Ask us |
Our Linux VPS plans start at ₹674/mo for 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 40 GB NVMe, which is the floor if your software can run on Linux. Each /mo price covers one 30-day period, charged in advance from a prepaid rupee wallet: the first 30 days are paid when you order, and renewals come out of the wallet automatically unless you switch auto-renew off. There is no setup fee and no trial credit. Deleting a server early does not refund the rest of the period, and the 7-day money-back guarantee does not cover servers, so for a short test you still pay for 30 days.
Windows servers at Bigdomainhost
Our VPS servers can be built with Windows Server 2019 or 2022, with full Administrator access over RDP, in Mumbai (BOM-1) or Delhi NCR (DEL-1). Both are Tier III facilities and the price is the same in either, so choose the one closer to the people who will log in. Every VPS gets free DDoS filtering, snapshots (₹5/GB a month), a 99.9% uptime SLA, an out-of-band console, and can be resized in place with one reboot when you need more memory.
If you mainly need Tally, the managed Tally on Cloud service sets up Windows Server, installs Tally and restores your data, usually the same working day, with nightly backups and printer and drive passthrough. If you want dedicated cores with the licence included, a Windows VDS is set up after an enquiry, since VDS cannot be ordered online yet: use Enquire or call, and say which region you want.
Licence prices and support dates are Microsoft's and can change. Check Microsoft's pages, linked below, before you budget for a licence.
Sources (checked )
- Microsoft Learn: Windows Server 2022 - Microsoft Lifecycle
- Microsoft Learn: Windows Server 2019 - Microsoft Lifecycle
- Microsoft: Windows Server 2025 Licensing & Pricing
- Microsoft Learn: License Remote Desktop Services with Client Access Licenses (CALs)
- Microsoft Q&A: I have Windows Server 2022 Standard Edition I have 6 users (community answer)
- Microsoft Learn: Change Remote Desktop listening port on Windows and Windows Server
- Microsoft Learn: Enable Remote Desktop on your PC
- Microsoft Learn: Windows Firewall Overview
- Microsoft Learn: What is Windows App?
- Microsoft Learn: IIS Web Server Overview
- Microsoft Learn: Host ASP.NET Core on Linux with Nginx