Short answer: Both are Windows machines in a data centre that you reach by RDP. A cloud desktop is a place to work. A VPS is a place to run things — a website, a database, an application other people connect to. The technology overlaps almost completely; the intent does not.
Applies to: Infosaic VPS and cloud desktops · choosing between them
People often ask which one they need, and the honest answer is that the two products are more similar than different. You connect the same way, install software the same way, and manage both from the same control panel.
The distinction that matters is who else depends on the machine. A desktop serves you. A server serves your customers.
What is a VPS?
A virtual private server is a whole Windows Server installation of your own, running on shared physical hardware but isolated from everyone else on it. You get administrator rights, your own IP address, your own disk and your own memory allocation.
“Virtual” describes how it is delivered, not what you can do with it. Software installed on it cannot tell the difference from a physical machine sitting in a rack.
What people typically run on one: a website under IIS, a database, an application server, a file or FTP service, or a piece of business software several staff connect to.
How is it different from a cloud desktop?
- What you do on it. A cloud desktop is where you open Word and answer email. A VPS is where something runs whether or not you are signed in.
- Who connects to it. You connect to a desktop. Your visitors, your staff or your application connect to a server — usually over ports 80 and 443 rather than by RDP.
- What matters if it stops. A desktop going down interrupts your afternoon. A server going down interrupts your customers.
- How much you tune it. A desktop is fine as delivered. A server usually gets roles installed, firewall rules opened and certificates configured.
Everything about connecting is identical — see what you need to connect by RDP. Files, printing, clipboard and sound all behave the same way.
Do not run your business website on your working desktop. It is technically possible and it is a bad idea: the two have completely different needs. You want to restart a desktop whenever it suits you, and never want to restart a live web server unplanned. Keep them separate.
Which do I need?
- “I want Windows I can reach from my Mac / iPad / old laptop.” Cloud desktop.
- “I need to host a website with a domain name.” VPS — see how to add a website to IIS.
- “Our accounting software needs a server everyone connects to.” VPS.
- “Three of us need the same Windows applications.” Usually a cloud desktop each, or one sized for several users. Ask and we will size it.
- “Both.” Common, and the right answer more often than people expect.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a VPS and a cloud desktop?
Both are Windows machines you reach by RDP. A cloud desktop is where you work; a VPS is where you run services that other people or systems connect to.
Can I use a VPS as a desktop?
Technically yes, and it will feel much the same. But mixing your daily work with a machine that hosts a live service makes both harder to manage.
Do I get administrator rights on a VPS?
Yes. It is your own Windows Server installation, with full administrative access.
Does a VPS have its own IP address?
Yes, which is what makes it possible to point a domain name at it and serve a website.
Is a VPS a physical machine?
It runs on shared physical hardware but is isolated, with its own disk, memory and operating system. Software cannot tell the difference.
Can I host a website on my cloud desktop instead?
Possible but inadvisable. A desktop is something you restart whenever it suits you; a live website is not.
Do I connect to a VPS the same way?
Yes. Same RDP clients, same connection details from the control panel, same redirection options.
Can I have both?
Yes, and many customers do — a desktop for daily work and a VPS for whatever they host. Both appear in the same control panel.
Related articles
- How to add a website to IIS on your VPS
- What you need to connect to your cloud desktop by RDP
- A tour of your control panel: what everything does
- How to open a support request (and get it solved faster)
Not sure which you need?
Open a support request from your control panel describing what you want to run — that is the fastest route, because it reaches the team who can already see your account. You can also email [email protected].