BuyVM vs RamNode (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BuyVM and RamNode share a 1.8 GPA, neither has a free plan, and BuyVM starts cheaper, at $2 a month when paid by the year against $4 a month.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BuyVM grades higher on value for money. RamNode grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BuyVM
Low-cost KVM VPS slices with unmetered bandwidth and block storage
Which one is for you
Pick BuyVM if
- Fits if you want a cheap Linux VPS and can run it yourself
- Works for small projects that need block storage
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want help running the server, as slices are unmanaged
- Watch out: Slice 512 to 2048 share CPU, and only the 4096 slice lists dedicated CPU
- Pricey if you add DDoS protection, managed databases or nightly backups, all paid add-ons
- Skip it if you need many locations, as there are three
Pick RamNode if
- Fits if you want an hourly-billed VPS with an API
- Works for small servers you manage yourself
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a managed server, as these are self-managed
- Skip it if you want a trial, as nothing is free
- Tight if you need cPanel hosting, as that product is mentioned but not priced on the page read
- Watch out: data centers are in Atlanta, New Jersey, Seattle, Los Angeles and the Netherlands only
How we grade them
| 1.8GPABuyVMWeak | 1.8GPARamNodeWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ASlice 512 is $24 a year, or $2 a month, and Slice 1024 is $3.50 a month, both under the $5 cheaper-quarter start. | BA 512 MB Standard VPS is $4 a month or $0.006 an hour, inside the cheaper quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on the pages read, so you pay from day one. | FNothing free and no trial on the pages read, so you pay from day one. |
| Features | CKVM slices, block storage, a free DirectAdmin license and a control panel. Only three locations, and backups and DDoS protection are add-ons. | CStandard, Storage and NVMe VPS and dedicated-CPU VDS, with an API and CLI. The cheapest has 512 MB of memory, so the basics are small. |
| Ease of use | DUnmanaged servers you set up and secure yourself. | DYou set up and secure the operating system yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb panel only, with no integrations listed. | BWeb panel plus an API, CLI and infrastructure tools. |
| Best for | low-cost unmanaged KVM slices | small unmanaged VPS billed by the hour |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: BuyVM and RamNode. How we grade
Price against what you get
BuyVM starts at $2 a month when paid by the year and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. RamNode starts at $4 a month and scores 2.0.
RamNode scores higher, and starts $2 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 8 score higher than BuyVM for less, and 10 score higher than RamNode for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- BuyVM also covers databases.
At a glance
| BuyVM | RamNode | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $24.00 per year (Slice 512) | $4 per month, or $0.006 per hour (512MB Standard VPS) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | BuyVM (a division of Cloudzy) | RamNode (a trademark of InMotion Hosting, Inc.) |
| Price read from | buyvm.net | ramnode.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BuyVM
- The cheapest slice is billed yearly, and the others are billed monthly.
- The Slice 512 to 2048 plans share CPU on a fair-share basis; only the 4096 slice lists dedicated CPU usage.
- DDoS protection, managed databases and nightly backups are paid add-ons.
- The shared hosting page linked from the product list returned a page-not-available message when read, so only VPS pricing is recorded.
RamNode
- These are self-managed servers; the buyer sets up and secures the operating system.
- A cPanel hosting product is mentioned on the site, but its plans were not priced on the pricing page read.
- Data centers named on the site are in Atlanta, New Jersey, Seattle, Los Angeles and the Netherlands.
- RamNode is a registered trademark of InMotion Hosting, Inc., which its legal footer names.
Key features
BuyVM
- KVM slices
- Virtual servers described as dedicated slices, running Linux, BSD or Windows with SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth.
- Block storage slabs
- Add-on block storage is sold from $1.25 a month for 256 GB of HDD and can be attached for backups, media or a self-built object store.
- Free DirectAdmin license
- A DirectAdmin control panel license comes with every service, alongside the Softaculous installer and Blesta billing panel as free software.
- Stallion control panel
- BuyVM's own panel is used to manage servers, and the site lists a wiki and a community Discord for help.
- DDoS protection
- Protection of 3500Gbps and more is sold as a paid add-on, along with managed database servers and nightly backups.
- Three locations
- Servers are offered in Las Vegas, New York and Luxembourg.
RamNode
- OpenStack cloud platform
- Servers sit in a virtual private cloud with private networks, snapshots, custom firewalls and load balancers.
- API, CLI and infrastructure tools
- Servers can be deployed from a dashboard, an API or a CLI, and the vendor lists Terraform and Ansible support and cloud-init.
- Several server tiers
- Standard SSD, Premium NVMe, Storage VPS with up to 4TB of disk, dedicated-CPU VDS and IPv6-only Lite plans, resizable at any time.
- Hourly billing
- Plans list an hourly rate beside the monthly one, and payment is by PayPal, card, crypto or Alipay.
- Included bandwidth and IPv4
- Every plan includes an IPv4 address and a set transfer allowance, with an egress overage of $0.004 per GB on the compared plan.
- Chat and ticket support
- Live chat and tickets are staffed around the clock, according to the vendor.
Plans
BuyVM
Slice 512$24.00
per year
1 core at 3.50+ GHz on fair-share CPU, 512 MB memory, 10 GB SSD, unmetered bandwidth and 1 IPv4 address.
Slice 1024$3.50
per month
1 core on fair-share CPU, 1024 MB memory, 20 GB SSD, unmetered bandwidth and 1 IPv4 address.
Slice 2048$7.00
per month
1 core on fair-share CPU, 2048 MB memory, 40 GB SSD, unmetered bandwidth and 1 IPv4 address.
Slice 4096$15.00
per month
1 core with dedicated CPU usage, 4096 MB memory, 80 GB SSD, unmetered bandwidth and 1 IPv4 address.
High-volume VPS$30.00
per month and up
From 2 cores, 8 GB memory and 160 GB SSD at an unlimited 1000 Mbps; larger sizes are $45 and $60 a month.
RamNode
Standard VPS$4
per month, or $0.006 per hour, for 512MB
SSD compute from 512MB, 1 core, 20GB and 1TB bandwidth up to 16GB, 8 cores, 260GB and 14TB at $80 a month.
Storage VPS$4
per month, or $0.006 per hour, for 512MB
Spinning-disk plans from 512MB with 160GB and 2TB bandwidth, up to 12GB with 4000GB and 150TB at $64 a month.
Premium NVMe VPS$14
per month, or $0.021 per hour, for 2GB
2GB, 2 cores, 80GB NVMe and 6TB bandwidth, up to 32GB, 16 cores and 600GB NVMe at $192 a month.
VDS (dedicated CPU)$50
per month, or $0.074 per hour, for 8GB
Virtual dedicated servers with dedicated cores: 8GB and 2 cores with 200GB NVMe and 10TB bandwidth, up to 64GB and 16 cores at $320 a month.
Ways to pay less
BuyVM
No public discounts listed.
RamNode
- Other savings
Bonus credit on deposits
Deposit tiers from $10 (20% bonus) to $500 (100% bonus) add promotional credit, up to $500 of bonus credit per calendar year.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BuyVM or RamNode?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BuyVM is cheaper to start with: $2 a month when paid by the year, against $4 a month for RamNode. BuyVM starts at $24.00 per year (Slice 512), and RamNode starts at $4 per month, or $0.006 per hour (512MB Standard VPS).
Which has a free plan, BuyVM or RamNode?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither BuyVM nor RamNode has a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.