Would you like to run a node for the Ethereum blockchain, or maybe some other blockchain? Which VPS will give you the best prices with the best speeds and the best software? I have taken a look upon some of the most famous VPS services, and I will try to give you some solid answers based on my research, my own testing, and general information coming from the different websites out there.
First of all, the nodes are vital to the security, the speed, and everything that deals with blockchain. Without the nodes, it would all be lost. The more nodes, the more secure, the more witnesses, which again gives credibility. Do you know why? If there would be only one node, then it would be possible to hack it. It is just like having one witness to a conversation. You can for sure make the witness change their mind if you force them. But, if there are 1000s of other witnesses testifying, then it is hard to alter the truth. As a result, the blockchain is built on the foundation of nodes, and the more, the better! That is why people have been running nodes for a long time. Recently, a project like StrongBlock has also tried to reward node keepers through their project, making it more interesting to run a node.
Maybe you want to run a node for fun, or maybe you want to support your favorite cryptoproject? Or are you dreaming of validating transactions in Ethereum 2 and staking to earn an income? Or maybe you just want to register your node with StrongBlock and earn in that way? No matter what your inspiration might be, here I will give you some information about different VPS-options for running an Ethereum node (or nodes on any other blockchain).
It is important to run your node on a VPS with enough power
The Ethereum blockchain is extremely big, making it heavy and with lots of transactions needed to be recorded. And it has a long history, making the list of transactions you need to synchronize before you can start your present-day syncing quite long and big. Depending on the memory, the CPU, the internet connection, and the SSD, this can take anything from a couple of hours to several weeks.
But, if you are looking for a place to run your Ethereum node, make sure to meet these specs:
- 6 CORE CPU (or more)
- 4-8 GB RAM
- 400-500 GB SSD drive
These are the main specs. I would recommend 500 GB SSD, and there is no problem to run it on bigger hard drives. Since the number of transactions is growing, a lot of disk space is needed, and if you suddenly outgrow your SSD, the node will stop, which can cause problem for your earnings and for the stability of the node.
It is also vital to understand that you need to use a SSD drive. A normal HDD will not get the job done, as it is simply to slow to process all the transactions.
Which VPS to choose for our node?
There are hundreds of VPS providers out there, and I have had no chance to try all of them. That is why I have mentioned the specs needed to run such a node above, and based on those, you can easily search for and try all sorts of VPS providers yourself. The price level for such VPS-services are extremely big, meaning that you can find VPS services meeting those requirements that will cost you 20 USD per month, while other VPS providers will require you to pay 160 USD per month for exactly the same service. What is causing this price difference? Who knows! Sometimes there is a big difference between the equipment, even though it might look the same on paper. I have also noticed that even though I have bought the same package from the same provider, there can be a quite big alteration when it comes to speeds and synchronizing times, meaning that nothing is 100% for sure in the industry.
Here I have some recommendations when it comes to VPS providers for running an Ethereum node
Let me start with the provider that I prefer and like the most, not only because of their prices, but also because it actually works VERY well. The name of the provider is Contabo, and it is located in Germany. You can find the Contabo website at www.contabo.com.
Contabo – www.contabo.com
This is a VPS provider with brilliant prices, and they actually give you what you pay for. The speeds are good, and with such brilliant prices, you can actually get an Ethereum node up and running for only 15 Euro per month. You can purchase a cheaper package as well, but it will only give you a 400 GB SSD drive, which might get full within a few weeks, so I do recommend purchasing the more expensive package. Here you can take a look at their list of packages.
When you visit the Contabo website, you might be tempted to purchase an SSD-boosted plan, but forget about it. You will need the 100% SSD options. Here you can see the six-core option with 400GB SSD drive. It might be enough for the first month of your node, but after that, you will need the eight-core option with 800GB SSD included. As a result, I would buy the more expensive option from the first second.
The price for this package is 15 Euro per month which is exceptionally low compared to all other offers on the market.
Strato – a similar VPS
In my search for a similar cheap and good VPS I also tried to use Strato (strato.de). I bought a package similar to the 15 Euro package from Contabo (with similar specs). I did everything in the same way, but from the first second I noticed that everything was slower. I was very correct, because after more than 1 week my node still hadn’t synced, and I canceled my VPS. This might be bad luck, but for me, that was the end when it comes to running a node with Strato.
VPSServer – vpsserver.com
This was what I thought to be the best option, until I discovered Contabo. Here they had a plan with 400 GB SSD costing 80 USD per month. The advantage was more diskspace, because most other VPS services gave you only 320 GB for the monthly price of 80 USD per month. So, if there wouldn’t be a Contabo, this would be my favorite. But, since there is Contabo, I am not using this anymore.
Linode – linode.com
This is a great option if you want to spend a lot of money. You will need to purchase the plan costing 160 USD per month to get a fast enough server with a large enough SSD drive available. It is superfast, and you might get to synchronize your server faster than with the other VPS solutions, but still – the difference is so small compared to Contabo that I would never pay 10 times more in order to use it.
Vultr – vultr.com
I could simply copy and paste my information from the information about Linode. Everything is similar, the prices are the same… and everything else.
These are just some options when it comes to finding a VPS that is suitable for running your Ethereum node or any other node. If you have read through the article, you will for sure know more about the requirements for running such a node, and where to go to actually purchase a VPS for the purpose.
If you want to run a node for some other blockchain, be aware that the system requirements might be different. If you run a node for a new and/or smaller blockchain with less data to store, you might not need such a big SSD drive, and not as fast equipment. But, you will most likely find the information you need if you speak to some representative of that given blockchain or by speaking to other people running a node for the same blockchain.
I hope you have found this article to be useful. If you know of other VPS services that are good for running an Ethereum node, please let me know as I am always out looking for new and other options.
Want to read more articles dealing with nodes? Check some of these:
