VPS for Business: Which Company Systems to Run on It, and on Linux or Windows?

A VPS suits business systems that several employees or branches need to reach from anywhere: accounting, ERP, CRM, internal web apps and secure remote access. The operating system is chosen by the application, not by preference: Windows-only programs and older .NET applications need a Windows VPS, while most open-source web systems run best on Linux. This guide maps common business systems to the right choice.

What companies actually run on a VPS

• Accounting and ERP: either a web-based ERP such as the open-source Odoo or ERPNext, or a desktop accounting program that staff open over Remote Desktop instead of relying on a server in the office.
• CRM and helpdesk: browser-based systems for sales pipelines and support tickets, used by the whole team.
• Internal web apps and APIs: custom systems for orders, inventory, HR or field teams, written in PHP, Python, Node.js or .NET.
• File sharing and collaboration: self-hosted tools such as Nextcloud when files must stay under the company's control.
• Development infrastructure: a Git server, build runners and staging copies of the company website.
• A VPN gateway: WireGuard or OpenVPN, so remote staff reach internal systems without exposing them to the internet.

One thing usually does not belong on a general-purpose VPS: company email. Running your own mail server means handling spam filtering, blacklists and deliverability yourself. Dedicated business email hosting is normally the better fit, as explained in why your company needs email on its own domain.

Linux or Windows: let the application decide

Some notes behind the table. The classic .NET Framework and IIS-based ASP.NET applications run only on Windows, while modern .NET (version 5 onwards) is cross-platform. Microsoft SQL Server also runs on supported Linux distributions, but many accounting and ERP vendors only support it on Windows, so follow the vendor's stated requirements rather than what is technically possible. If the company uses both kinds of systems, two smaller servers are often cleaner than forcing everything onto one operating system.

Windows-specific points: users and licences

• Simultaneous users: Windows Server allows two simultaneous Remote Desktop sessions for administration. If more employees need to work inside the server at the same time, Microsoft requires Remote Desktop Services client access licences, which you should budget for before planning a team of accountants on one VPS.
• Application licences: many desktop accounting programs are licensed per user or per device. Ask the vendor whether running the program on a remote server is allowed under your licence.
• Database edition: SQL Server Express is free but limited, including a 10 GB maximum per database. Larger or growing datasets need a paid edition from Microsoft or from your software vendor.

For connection steps and the typical Windows use cases, read when you need a Windows VPS and how to connect by RDP. The Windows VPS page lists full Administrator access and Remote Desktop on every plan.

Linux-specific points

• Most open-source business systems publish official installation guides for Ubuntu, Debian or RHEL-compatible systems; the Linux VPS page lists Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux.
• Employees use the system through a browser, so there is no per-user licence for the operating system.
• Administration happens over SSH, which needs command-line skills. Start with the first ten steps on a new Linux VPS.

Sizing for business use

Size by the number of people working at the same moment, not by total staff. A Windows server with a desktop, SQL Server and several Remote Desktop users needs noticeably more memory than a Linux server running a web application for the same team. According to the plan pages, both Linux and Windows VPS start at 2 GB of RAM and one CPU core: enough for a small internal tool on Linux or one administrator running light software on Windows. A database-backed ERP for a team usually starts in the middle of the range, around 8 GB of RAM. For a detailed method, see how to size a Linux VPS plan by workload.

Protecting business data

• Do not expose Remote Desktop or database ports to the whole internet; allow only the office IP address or connect through the VPN.
• Give every employee a named account and disable it on their last day.
• Back up the database daily to storage outside the server and test a restore. Under EngHosting's acceptable use policy, a VPS and its backups are the customer's responsibility after delivery.
• Write down who administers the server; if nobody inside the company can, management from the inside is available as a separate service.

For companies that need clean paperwork, EngHosting is registered with the Egyptian Tax Authority, issues official invoices and accepts local payment methods, including bank transfer.

A quick decision

• Your key software is a Windows program, or needs .NET Framework and IIS: choose a Windows VPS.
• Your systems run in a browser and are open source or modern code: choose a Linux VPS.
• You have both: consider one server of each type rather than compromising on one.