Before You Proceed
Following the introduction of our third-generation VPS platform, this post looks at the Windows VPS lineup — built on the same clustered Proxmox VE + Ceph architecture as our General Purpose Linux VPS family. Here we focus on what sets the Windows edition apart: licensing, performance policy, and the practical advantages it brings for teams seeking predictable, fixed-price infrastructure.
For those new to the platform, we recommend starting with the previous two blog posts covering our cluster design, node hardware, and the policies that apply across all VPS families.
WGP3 Lineup: Enterprise-grade VPS Hosting for Windows Workloads
ServeTheWorld’s Windows GP3 lineup extends the third-generation platform to Windows Server environments including ASP.NET web applications, SQL Server databases, Active Directory, and hybrid domain setups. The lineup also provides a dependable base for Remote Desktop or application servers and supports virtual desktops for standard office workloads that do not require GPU acceleration. Running on a dedicated HA cluster and designed as a self-managed Windows platform, WGP3 suits IT teams that prefer direct control over their environments while reducing dependence on hyperscale clouds and regaining long-term cost predictability.
CPU and RAM Allocation
Windows workloads exhibit sustained background memory use and handle stateful sessions, so the Windows VPS lineup is tuned for predictable, consistent VM performance rather than top density. To maintain consistent performance under continuous load, CPU oversubscription is capped at 4 vCPUs :1 physical core, tighter than the 5 :1 policy on Linux-based General Purpose VPS clusters. System RAM is never overcommitted.
Windows plans are balanced for general business workloads. Configurations start with an entry-level ratio of 1 vCPU : 3 GB RAM, while the 1 vCPU : 4 GB tiers represent the mainstream balance for most Windows Server applications. Larger vCPU-to-memory ratios can be requested as a custom VM volume orders and may become part of a future memory-optimised lineup if there is sufficient demand.
Storage and Scalability
Each Windows VPS includes 200 GB of enterprise NVMe storage replicated across a Ceph cluster for high availability.
Unlike Linux-based General Purpose VPS plans, storage needs in Windows environments vary widely — a small RDS server can use as much space as a large SQL instance. Setting a flat 200 GB baseline keeps pricing simple and ensures every VM has sufficient space for the OS and application data, while additional capacity can be added as needed without downtime.
Additional block storage can be ordered at any time, with expansion options from 100 GB up to 3 TB, priced at approximately 0.59 NOK per GB per month (590 NOK per TB).
The same hyperconverged storage foundation supports both virtual-machine and containerised workloads, keeping the platform future-ready for hybrid environments.
Windows VPS Hosting vs Cloud VMs
As cloud spending has grown less predictable, many organisations are moving production servers and core services back to fixed-price models for consistent performance and cost control.
Public-cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, and GCP provide flexibility but fragment the bill: compute, storage, IOPS, and traffic are charged separately. Even moderate egress — typically 1–10 TB of outbound data per month — can quietly add 15–25 % to total cost. For many organisations, this isn’t heavy use but ordinary web and file-service traffic that accumulates over time.
To compare our new Windows VPS plans pricing, we chose the latest Microsoft Azure’s general-purpose Windows VMs, based on same-generation AMD “Genoa” processors. Among Azure’s European regions, Norway East offers the lowest pricing and the closest proximity to ServeTheWorld’s Oslo site, making it the most relevant reference location to compare their five Das v6 virtual machines with the equivalent vCPU to RAM ratios. Prices are taken from Azure’s one-year Savings Plan with Hybrid Benefit, which reflects a realistic long-term rate rather than elastic pay-as-you-go billing.
Although both platforms use AMD EPYC Genoa CPUs, their configurations differ in purpose. Azure’s custom 9V74 CPUs are high-density, efficiency-tuned 80-core variants running at 2.6–3.7 GHz and optimised for rack-level throughput. ServeTheWorld’s WGP3 VPS clusters utilize high-frequency 24-core EPYC 9274F processors sustaining over 4 GHz all-core operation, delivering roughly 30–40 percent higher per-core performance and lower latencies.
Azure’s 2:1 vCPU-to-core mapping suits continuously loaded compute tasks, while ServeTheWorld’s 4:1 capping — combined with higher sustained clocks — provides stronger responsiveness and cost efficiency for typical business workloads that are bursty in nature and seldom load all cores fully.
| Plan | vCPU / RAM | Included Storage | Azure Das v6 Equivalent | Azure 1-Year Savings Plan* | STW Monthly Price | Relative Cost |
| WGP308 | 2 / 8 GB | 200 GB NVMe | D2as v6 (2/8 GB) | ≈ 673 NOK + 90 SSD ≈ 763 NOK | 390 NOK | ≈ 2 × cheaper |
| WGP316 | 4 / 16 GB | 200 GB NVMe | D4as v6 (4/16 GB) | ≈ 1 345 NOK + 90 SSD ≈ 1435 NOK | 790 NOK | ≈ 2 × cheaper |
| WGP332 | 8 / 32 GB | 200 GB NVMe | D8as v6 (8/32 GB) | ≈ 2 685 NOK + 90 SSD ≈ 2775 NOK | 1590 NOK | ≈ 1.7 × cheaper |
| WGP364 | 16 / 64 GB | 200 GB NVMe | D16as v6 (16/64 GB) | ≈ 5 370 NOK + 90 SSD ≈ 5460 NOK | 3190 NOK | ≈ 1.7 × cheaper |
| WGP3192 | 48 /192 GB | 200 GB NVMe | D48as v6 (48/192 GB) | ≈ 16115 NOK + 90 SSD ≈ 16205 NOK | 9490 NOK | ≈ 1.7 × cheaper |
- Azure Premium SSD (P20) priced ≈ 0.43 NOK / GB / mo ≈ 90 NOK for 200 GB.
- For Azure pricing visit: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/virtual-machines/windows/#pricing
Legal notice: Prices are approximate and based on publicly available Azure rates (Norway East, February 2025) and ServeTheWorld’s standard WGP3 VPS pricing. Actual costs may vary depending on region, usage patterns, currency fluctuations, or applicable discounts. ServeTheWorld assumes no responsibility for pricing discrepancies or changes in third-party rates.
The comparison shows a clear cost advantage for our Windows VPS plans, which include unmetered 1 Gbit/s traffic, and a pooled enterprise NVMe storage with much higher sustained IOPS in one flat monthly fee. WGP3 VM’s are at least 1,7 to 2,3 times more affordable than their Azure counterparts, even before factoring in network charges. This makes our Windows VMs a practical, cost-efficient choice for businesses aiming to reduce reliance on hyperscale cloud services without compromising performance.
Higher Price Points Over GP3 Explained
Although our general-purpose Linux and Windows lineups share the same clustered architecture, Windows VPS plans are priced higher due to licensing reasons. Each plan includes a Windows Server environment under Microsoft’s SPLA, adding a per-vCPU licensing cost that ServeTheWorld absorbs.
Windows systems also place heavier demands on CPU and memory resources and require additional storage for system images and updates. These factors are reflected in the price — but they also mean customers avoid managing activation keys, CALs, or per-core licensing paperwork.
It is worth pointing out here that dedicated cluster nodes running on 4GHz modern cores can deliver more compute power per vCPU, keeping applications responsive and licensing efficient. The result is stronger per-core performance — our configuration simply does significantly more work per licensed core, compared to many other Windows VPS hosters still using servers with older CPUs.
What’s Next
By investing early in modern hyperconverged infrastructure, we created a foundation built for stability, efficiency, and long-term scalability.
Our Windows VPS lineup represents a practical middle ground for organisations that combine on-premises infrastructure with public-cloud services. It offers a fixed-price, high-performance environment that fits naturally into hybrid strategies while keeping workloads predictable and close to home.
Next, we aim to expand our VPS hosting options further with the introduction of a more affordable Value VPS lineup planned for late Q4 2025, followed by our first VDS family in Q1 2026. The VDS family will feature high-performance VMs with a 1 vCPU to 1 physical core mapping. Please refer to our VPS Plans matrix for a clear, side-by-side overview of current and upcoming tiers.
We welcome businesses to reach out and discuss how we can assist with VPS, bare-metal, or colocation solutions — and to evaluate our virtual machines for free before making a decision.
Aries Atienza
Senior Engineer, ServeTheWorld