Hardware-level KVM virtualisation on bare-metal servers in Zurich. Dedicated vCPU, reserved DDR4 RAM, NVMe SSD — fully isolated. Custom kernels, Docker, nested VMs, any OS. Swiss IP. Linux & Windows. Full root. From $8/mo.
Why Full KVM Matters
Not all VPS hosting is equal. KVM virtualisation provides hardware-level isolation and a fully independent kernel — the technical foundation that enables Docker, custom kernels, Windows OS, and nested virtualisation that OpenVZ and container-based solutions cannot support.
Each KVM VPS runs as an independent virtual machine with its own kernel. Other VMs on the same host cannot affect your VPS — a kernel panic, misconfigured module, or resource spike on another VM is fully contained. This isolation level is impossible with OpenVZ or container-based virtualisation.
Docker, Docker Compose, Docker Swarm, K3s, and Podman work out of the box on any SwitzerlandVPS.com KVM plan. KVM gives your VPS full control over Linux kernel namespaces, cgroups, and iptables — the primitives that container runtimes depend on. No special host configuration, no blocked syscalls.
Compile and boot any Linux kernel. Load kernel modules for WireGuard, custom network drivers, eBPF programs, real-time patches (PREEMPT_RT), or security-hardened kernels. On KVM your kernel is yours — changing it has no effect on other VMs or the host. Essential for advanced networking and security workloads.
KVM's hardware emulation runs any operating system: all Linux distributions, Windows Server (2012–2025), FreeBSD, and custom ISOs. OpenVZ is Linux-only. Windows Server licences are included in the SwitzerlandVPS.com price — KVM is the virtualisation layer that makes Windows VPS possible.
Run VMs inside your Swiss KVM VPS — nested virtualisation for Vagrant, VMware Workstation testing, Proxmox labs, or virtualisation research. KVM supports nested virtualisation via the Intel VT-x nested flag. Useful for testing VM configurations without physical hardware.
Your vCPU cores, DDR4 RAM, and NVMe SSD allocation are dedicated to your KVM VPS — not shared with other tenants. On oversold or container-based platforms, RAM and CPU are shared pools. KVM hypervisor enforces hard resource limits so your VPS performs consistently regardless of neighbour activity.
KVM vs OpenVZ
| Feature | KVM (SwitzerlandVPS.com) | OpenVZ / LXC |
|---|---|---|
| Virtualisation type | Hardware-level (Type-1) | Container-based |
| Kernel isolation | Own kernel per VPS | Shared host kernel |
| Docker support | Native | Limited / broken |
| Custom kernels | Yes | No |
| Windows OS | Yes | No |
| Nested VMs | Supported | No |
| Resource isolation | Hard limits enforced | Shared pool |
| WireGuard (kernel) | Native | Depends on host |
Pricing
All plans: full KVM hardware virtualisation, NVMe SSD, 1 Gbps, Swiss IP, Linux & Windows. No setup fees.
Swiss IP • IPv4 + IPv6 • Free OS reinstall • VNC console • 50+ crypto. Entry-level from $5/mo.
FAQ
KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is hardware-level virtualisation built into the Linux kernel. Each KVM VPS is a fully isolated virtual machine with its own kernel — completely independent from other VMs on the same host. OpenVZ is container-based: all containers share the host kernel, meaning one customer's misconfigured module or kernel panic can affect others. KVM supports any OS (including Windows), custom kernels, Docker natively, nested VMs, and all kernel modules. OpenVZ cannot do any of these.
Yes — Docker works natively on all SwitzerlandVPS.com KVM plans. KVM gives your VPS full control over Linux kernel namespaces, cgroups, and iptables, which Docker requires. Install Docker with: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh. Docker Compose, Docker Swarm, Podman, and K3s also work without any additional configuration. OpenVZ often blocks Docker entirely or requires special host-side configuration to partially enable it.
Yes. KVM provides a fully independent kernel for each VPS. You can compile and boot any Linux kernel version, load custom kernel modules (WireGuard, eBPF, custom network drivers), apply real-time patches (PREEMPT_RT), or install security-hardened kernels. Changes to your kernel have no effect on other VMs or the host server. This is essential for advanced networking, security research, and specialised application requirements.
Yes. KVM's hardware emulation supports any operating system including all Windows Server versions (2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025). Windows Server licences are included in the VPS price. OpenVZ cannot run Windows at all because it uses Linux container virtualisation. Full KVM is the technical requirement for Windows VPS support.
A KVM VPS shares physical hardware with other VMs but has guaranteed, dedicated resource allocations — your vCPU cores, DDR4 RAM, and NVMe SSD partition are reserved exclusively for you. A dedicated server gives you the entire physical machine. KVM VPS is cost-effective for most web, application, and development workloads. A dedicated server is better when you need the full raw CPU performance of a single physical machine or specific hardware features. For the vast majority of use cases, KVM VPS at $8–$32/mo is the right choice.
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Full KVM — Switzerland
Hardware isolation • Docker ready • Custom kernels • Any OS • NVMe SSD • Swiss IP — from $8/mo.