RHEL and CentOS compatibility
AlmaLinux aims for 1:1 binary compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), so packages, scripts and control panels built for RHEL or CentOS run unchanged. It carries no operating-system license fee.
Linux · AlmaLinux
AlmaLinux VPS with full root, binary-compatible with RHEL
An AlmaLinux VPS is a virtual server running AlmaLinux, a free, community-run Linux that is 1:1 binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), which you control as root over SSH. At RyzenRDP it runs on high-clock AMD Ryzen or AMD EPYC cores with Gen4 NVMe SSD storage, set up within minutes of your order. You get the same dnf packages, RPM base and SELinux that RHEL and CentOS software expects, so anything built for those distributions runs unchanged. Install your stack with dnf, Docker, Podman or systemd, and it keeps running after you log out.
- Full root access over SSH
- Binary-compatible with RHEL and CentOS
- dnf packages with SELinux enabled
- Set up within minutes
What makes AlmaLinux different: RHEL compatibility, dnf and SELinux
AlmaLinux is the choice when you need Red Hat compatibility without a license fee. It is community-run, open source and built as a 1:1 replacement for CentOS.
dnf and yum packages
Software installs as RPM packages with dnf (the older yum command still works as an alias). Updates come from AlmaLinux mirrors that track the matching RHEL point release, so dnf update keeps the system current.
SELinux enabled by default
SELinux ships enabled and enforcing, adding a mandatory-access-control layer on top of normal file permissions. It is the same security model RHEL and CentOS administrators already know.
Your first SSH session: full root and a dnf update
You sign in as root over SSH using the server's IP address and the root password from your
details in the console (or an SSH key you add). On Windows use the built-in ssh command or
PuTTY; on macOS and Linux open a terminal:
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
The first thing to run on a fresh server is a full update, which on AlmaLinux uses dnf:
dnf -y update
From there you add what you need with dnf install — a web server, a database, a language
runtime — and run long-lived processes as systemd services (systemctl enable --now yourapp) so they start on boot and restart on failure. You have the root account, so you can
open firewall ports, add users and manage services exactly as on a server in your own rack.
Prefer key-based login? Add your public key and switch password authentication off yourself.
Which AlmaLinux VPS plan should you choose?
Shown in Dallas; the same tiers run in every AMD Ryzen and AMD EPYC location at the same price. AlmaLinux is light, so T1 (2 GB RAM) comfortably runs one lean service, such as a single web app, an API or a VPN endpoint. T2 (4 GB) is the pick for a server control panel or several services at once: a web server, a database and a couple of containers. T3 (8 GB) suits heavier container stacks, a control panel hosting many sites, or a CPU-based AI agent that calls an external API.
T1 · Dallas
AMD Ryzen
$14.99/mo
USD per month · billed for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months
- 2 shared vCPU
- 2 GB DDR5 RAM
- 40 GB Gen4 NVMe SSD
- 1 Gbps port · 1 IPv4
Room for a control panel
T2 · Dallas
AMD Ryzen
$24.99/mo
USD per month · billed for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months
- 4 shared vCPU
- 4 GB DDR5 RAM
- 80 GB Gen4 NVMe SSD
- 1 Gbps port · 1 IPv4
T3 · Dallas
AMD Ryzen
$39.99/mo
USD per month · billed for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months
- 6 shared vCPU
- 8 GB DDR5 RAM
- 160 GB Gen4 NVMe SSD
- 1 Gbps port · 1 IPv4
Plan prices do not go up at renewal, and there is no setup fee. Prices and specs from our live catalog, checked .
What runs well on an AlmaLinux VPS
Control panels and RHEL software
Control panels and server software packaged for RHEL or CentOS, such as cPanel or Plesk, install on AlmaLinux unchanged. You run the vendor's installer yourself and bring your own panel license.
Docker and Podman containers
Run containers with Docker Engine, or with Podman, the RHEL family's native daemonless runtime that installs straight from AlmaLinux. Both share the Linux kernel, so no nested virtualization is needed.
Web and database stacks
A LAMP or Nginx stack, PostgreSQL or MariaDB and language runtimes, all from dnf, kept behind your own firewall rules and managed as systemd services.
AI agents and automation
Agents and automation that run on the CPU and call a model through your own API key, so no GPU is needed.
Containers on AlmaLinux: Docker or Podman, installed by you
You build the server yourself and install the container runtime you prefer. Docker Engine
installs from Docker's own repository; Podman, which the RHEL family uses as its native
daemonless runtime, installs straight from AlmaLinux with dnf install -y podman and runs the
same OCI images. Containers share the server's kernel, so there is no nested virtualization to
enable the way Docker Desktop needs on Windows.
Run long-lived containers and services with systemd (systemctl enable --now yourapp, or a
Podman-generated unit) so they come back after a reboot or a crash, and keep tokens and keys in
environment files rather than baked into the images you share. If a container-first server is what
you are after, our Docker hosting page walks through that setup.
AlmaLinux vs Ubuntu or Debian: which should you pick?
All three run on the same AMD Ryzen and AMD EPYC hardware at the same prices. The difference is the software ecosystem each targets, not the cores underneath.
| What matters | AlmaLinux | Ubuntu or Debian |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility target | 1:1 binary-compatible with RHEL and CentOS | Their own Debian-family packages |
| Package manager | dnf (with yum as an alias), RPM packages | apt, .deb packages |
| Security module | SELinux, enforcing by default | AppArmor, enabled by default |
| Best when | You run RHEL- or CentOS-targeted software or a control panel | You want the widest community and the most tutorials |
| Hardware | AMD Ryzen or AMD EPYC, Gen4 NVMe SSD | AMD Ryzen or AMD EPYC, Gen4 NVMe SSD |
Want Ubuntu or Debian instead? Compare the Ubuntu VPS and Debian VPS directly, or the Linux VPS page covers all three distributions. To compare the processors, read Ryzen vs EPYC.
AlmaLinux VPS guides
Workloads
How to make a Minecraft server on a Linux VPS, step by step
Make a Minecraft server on a Linux VPS: install Java and Paper, accept the EULA, edit server.properties, open port 25565, run it with systemd, and connect.
RDP how-to
MSTSC command guide: every switch with examples
A complete guide to the mstsc command: /v, /admin, /f, /w and /h, /multimon, /span, /public and /shadow, with copy-ready examples for Windows Server RDP.
RDP how-to
RDP port 3389 explained: TCP vs UDP and when to change it
Remote Desktop uses TCP and UDP port 3389 by default. See how RDP uses each, how to check the port, and how to change it safely on Windows Server.
AlmaLinux VPS FAQ
What is an AlmaLinux VPS, and is it really free?
An AlmaLinux VPS is a virtual server running AlmaLinux, a community-run Linux built as a free, open-source replacement for CentOS. The operating system carries no license fee; you pay for the server itself, the AMD Ryzen or AMD EPYC cores, RAM and Gen4 NVMe SSD storage, and you get full root over SSH.
Is AlmaLinux binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)?
Yes. AlmaLinux aims for 1:1 binary compatibility with RHEL and tracks each RHEL release. In practice that means software, scripts and control panels packaged for RHEL or CentOS install and run without changes, which is the main reason to choose it over Ubuntu or Debian.
How do I update an AlmaLinux server, and should I use dnf or yum?
Run dnf -y update as root; it pulls from AlmaLinux mirrors that track the matching RHEL point release. dnf is the current package manager, and the older yum command still works as an alias, so either is fine. Install new software with dnf install <package>.
Is SELinux enabled, and can I change it?
SELinux ships enabled and enforcing, the same as on RHEL and CentOS. Because you have root you can set it to permissive or disabled if a package needs it, but leaving it enforcing is the safer default and the one most RHEL-targeted software expects.
Can I run Docker or Podman on AlmaLinux?
Yes. Install Docker Engine from Docker's own repository, or install Podman straight from AlmaLinux with dnf install -y podman. Both run containers natively on the Linux kernel, so no nested virtualization is needed; run them as systemd services so they start on boot.
Can I install a control panel like cPanel or Plesk?
Yes. Control panels that target RHEL and CentOS install on AlmaLinux. You run the vendor's installer yourself on a fresh server and bring your own panel license. Give it room to spare: T2 (4 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 80 GB Gen4 NVMe SSD) is a sensible starting point for a control panel with a few sites.
Can I run AI or machine-learning workloads on an AlmaLinux VPS?
CPU workloads, yes: an AI agent that calls a model through your own API key, or light inference, runs with no GPU. GPU-dependent work, such as model training, image generation or large local inference, is out of scope, because these servers have no GPU.
How do I pay, and does the price change at renewal?
You can pay with cryptocurrency or a credit or debit card. The plan price does not go up at renewal, and there is no setup fee. If we ever change prices, we tell you before your next renewal.
Deploy your AlmaLinux VPS
AlmaLinux with full root on AMD Ryzen or AMD EPYC, binary-compatible with RHEL and set up within minutes. Plans from $14.99/mo.