HivePods vs VMs and VPS

A VPS hands you a whole machine to secure, patch and pay for around the clock. A HivePod is a lightweight, isolated cloud environment that is ready in seconds, locked down from the start and billed only while it runs.

Launch a HivePod See the comparison

Side by side

A HivePod next to a typical virtual machine or VPS you run yourself.

Safer

  • Network isolation

    HivePods
    Can't reach other pods, the host or internal services
    Typical VM / VPS
    Whatever your firewall rules allow

  • Exposure to the internet

    HivePods
    No public ports; only your HTTPS web address
    Typical VM / VPS
    Public IP with a login port open by default

  • Privileges and limits

    HivePods
    Minimal privileges, hard CPU, memory and process limits
    Typical VM / VPS
    Locking it down is your job

Cheaper

  • How you pay

    HivePods
    $0.05 per vCPU-hour beyond your plan, only while running
    Typical VM / VPS
    A fixed fee for every hour of the month

  • Getting started

    HivePods
    Free Tier with no card; Developer Plan $3/month
    Typical VM / VPS
    Paid from the first day

  • When idle

    HivePods
    Stopped pods record no compute time
    Typical VM / VPS
    Still billed

Thinner

  • Time to a shell

    HivePods
    Seconds
    Typical VM / VPS
    Minutes to provision and boot

  • Upkeep

    HivePods
    No kernel, boot disk or host to maintain
    Typical VM / VPS
    You patch the OS and kernel

  • Smallest size

    HivePods
    0.5 vCPU, 512 MB memory
    Typical VM / VPS
    Fixed plan sizes, billed monthly

Durable

  • Your files

    HivePods
    Data and projects folders survive restarts and rebuilds
    Typical VM / VPS
    One disk you look after yourself

  • Crash recovery

    HivePods
    Restarts on its own; startup command kept running
    Typical VM / VPS
    Services and monitoring you configure

  • Backups

    HivePods
    One command to back up, one to restore as a new pod
    Typical VM / VPS
    Snapshots or scripts you set up

Convenience

  • Terminal

    HivePods
    In the browser, nothing to install
    Typical VM / VPS
    SSH client and keys

  • Command line

    HivePods
    hivepod CLI: create, connect, exec, logs, backup
    Typical VM / VPS
    Varies by provider

  • Web address

    HivePods
    name.dockhive.sh with HTTPS
    Typical VM / VPS
    An IP address; DNS and certificates are on you

  • Custom domains

    HivePods
    Up to 5 per pod, HTTPS issued automatically
    Typical VM / VPS
    Install a web server and certificate tool yourself

  • AI-agent control

    HivePods
    Built-in MCP server: list, create, run commands, delete
    Typical VM / VPS
    Not built in

  • Operating systems

    HivePods
    16 Linux distributions, from Ubuntu to Arch
    Typical VM / VPS
    Varies by provider

Safer

Locked down from the first second.

A new VPS starts life with a public IP and an open login port, and hardening it is your job. A HivePod starts isolated, with nothing exposed except its HTTPS web address.

Walled off from everything else

Each pod sits on its own isolated network path. It can't reach other pods, the machine it runs on, DockHive's internal services or the cloud metadata endpoint.

No open ports to scan

Pods have no public IP and no login port facing the internet. Visitors reach only your web address over HTTPS; you get in through the signed-in browser terminal or the hivepod CLI.

Minimal privileges

System-level powers are stripped back to the few that ordinary server work needs, such as owning files and binding ports 80 and 443. /tmp is mounted so programs can’t be run from it.

Hard limits on every pod

Each pod has a fixed CPU, memory and process budget (up to 512 processes), with no swap beyond its memory, so a runaway job stays inside its own pod.

With a typical VPS

  • A public IP that internet scanners start probing right away
  • You harden SSH, set up keys and disable password logins
  • You write and maintain the firewall rules

Cheaper

Pay for the hours you run, not the month.

A VPS bills every hour of the month whether you use it or not. HivePods meter compute per vCPU-hour, only while a pod is running.

Start on the Free Tier

One pod (1 vCPU, 1 GB memory, 10 GB disk) with 365 vCPU-hours a month included. No card required.

Developer Plan, $3/month

Up to 5 pods sharing 4 vCPU, 8 GB memory and 100 GB disk, with 730 vCPU-hours a month included: enough for one vCPU running all month.

Stopped means not billed

Stopped and suspended pods record no compute time, and they free their CPU and memory from your plan. Stop a pod at night and those hours cost nothing.

Simple overage

Beyond your included hours, compute is $0.05 per vCPU-hour and memory is included. Prefer no monthly fee? Pay as you go uses prepaid credits, topped up from $5.

With a typical VPS

  • Billed around the clock, idle or busy
  • You size for peak load and pay for it all month
  • Certificates, backups and monitoring are often extra work or extra cost

Thinner

All environment, no machine to babysit.

A virtual machine is a whole computer you look after, from the boot disk up. A HivePod is just the environment you work in: DockHive runs everything underneath.

Ready in seconds

Pick an OS and a size, and a Linux pod is up in seconds with a shell signed in as root. No installer, no boot wait.

Nothing underneath to maintain

No kernel, bootloader, drivers or host to patch or monitor. Apply new settings and the pod is rebuilt fresh from its OS image, keeping your data and projects folders.

Right-sized, from tiny up

Sizes start at Nano (0.5 vCPU, 512 MB) and go to custom sizes of up to 8 vCPU, 16 GB memory and 200 GB disk per pod.

No idle overhead

There is no separate operating system to boot and feed, so the memory you choose goes to your programs. Stop the pod and it uses no CPU or memory at all.

With a typical VPS

  • Minutes to provision and boot
  • You patch the OS and kernel and reboot for updates
  • A full operating system uses part of the RAM you pay for

Durable

Your work outlives restarts and rebuilds.

HivePods keep your files on persistent storage, come back on their own and can be backed up and restored with one command.

Persistent folders

/home/hivepod/data and /home/hivepod/projects survive restarts, stops, suspends and rebuilds. Keep your work there and it stays put.

Comes back on its own

A running pod restarts automatically if it crashes or the host reboots. Its startup command runs on every start and is restarted 5 seconds after it exits.

Backups you can restore

hivepod backup create saves the data and projects folders plus the pod’s OS, size, environment variables and startup command. Restore it as a new pod with one command.

Settings saved, not scattered

Environment variables and the startup command are stored with the pod, so a rebuild or restore comes back configured the same way.

With a typical VPS

  • Recovery depends on the services and monitoring you set up
  • Backups are a snapshot add-on or a script you maintain
  • Rebuilding means reinstalling and reconfiguring by hand

When a VM is still the right choice

HivePods cover most dev, test and small hosting work. A few jobs still call for a machine of your own:

  • You need your own kernel Custom kernels, kernel modules or low-level system tuning need a machine of your own.
  • You need raw network access Pods serve web traffic on their HTTPS address. If you need a public IP, arbitrary open ports or inbound SSH today, use a VM. SSH access and public IPs for pods are on the way.
  • You need full control of the machine Running your own virtualization, privileged system services or anything that needs root over the hardware is VM territory.
  • One huge box A single pod goes up to 8 vCPU, 16 GB memory and 200 GB disk. Bigger single machines are better served by a dedicated VM, or talk to us about the Scale Plan.

Try it from your terminal

Install the CLI, run hivepod login, then create and connect to a pod:

Install the hivepod CLI
$ curl -fsSL https://dockhive.io/install.sh | sh
Create a pod
$ hivepod create web1 --os ubuntu-24.04 --size small
Open a shell in the pod
$ hivepod connect web1

Read the HivePods docs →

Questions about HivePods vs VMs and VPS

What is a HivePod?

A HivePod is a lightweight, isolated cloud environment on DockHive. Pick a Linux OS and a size and it is ready in seconds, with a browser terminal, the hivepod CLI and its own HTTPS address at name.dockhive.sh.

Is a HivePod the same as a VPS?

Both give you a Linux environment with root access in the cloud. The difference is what you look after: with a VPS you run the whole machine, including the OS, kernel, firewall and login setup. With a HivePod, DockHive runs everything underneath, the pod starts isolated, and you only look after your own work. Pods don't have a public IP or SSH access yet; you connect through the browser terminal or the hivepod CLI.

Is a HivePod cheaper than a VPS?

Usually, because you pay for running time instead of a flat monthly fee. The Free Tier includes one pod and 365 vCPU-hours a month with no card. The Developer Plan is $3/month for up to 5 pods and 730 vCPU-hours. Beyond that, compute is $0.05 per vCPU-hour with memory included, and stopped or suspended pods record no compute time. Pay as you go uses prepaid credits from $5.

How is a HivePod kept secure?

Each pod is isolated on the network: it can't reach other pods, the host, DockHive's internal services or the cloud metadata endpoint. Pods have no open ports on the internet, run with a minimal set of system privileges and have hard CPU, memory and process limits. Your web address and custom domains are served over HTTPS.

What happens to my files when a pod stops, restarts or is rebuilt?

Files in /home/hivepod/data and /home/hivepod/projects are kept through restarts, stops, suspends and rebuilds. Software installed elsewhere is reset when you rebuild a pod with new settings, so keep your work in those two folders.

How do HivePod backups work?

Run hivepod backup create to save a pod’s data and projects folders together with its OS, size, environment variables and startup command. You can keep up to 3 backups per pod, each up to 20 GB, and restore any of them as a new pod. Backups are taken with the CLI today; automated backups in the console are coming. Deleting a pod also deletes its backups, so restore first if you need the data.

Can I use my own domain with a HivePod?

Yes. Add the domain on the pod’s page in the console, create the CNAME and TXT records shown, and DockHive issues the HTTPS certificate automatically. Each pod can have up to 5 custom domains.

Which operating systems can a HivePod run?

Sixteen Linux distributions, including Ubuntu 24.04, 22.04 and 20.04, Debian 12 and 11, Fedora, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, CentOS Stream, openSUSE, Arch, Alpine and Kali. Run hivepod os --all to see the full list.

Can an AI agent manage my HivePods?

Yes. The hivepod CLI includes an MCP server with tools to list, create and delete pods and to run commands in them. Deleting a pod needs an explicit confirmation.

When should I still pick a VM?

When you need a custom kernel or kernel modules, a public IP with arbitrary ports or inbound SSH today, full control over the machine, or a single machine larger than 8 vCPU and 16 GB of memory.

Start with a free HivePod

One pod on the Free Tier, no card required. Move to the Developer Plan for $3/month when you need more.

Launch a HivePod HivePods docs See pricing