A VPS is a virtual server with full root access. There is rarely a free tier, but a few euros a month buys an always-on machine with no sleep, build caps or per-request billing.
A virtual private server (VPS) is a slice of a physical machine that you control completely. You choose the operating system, install what you need and keep it running around the clock. That is the main difference from free PaaS tiers: a VPS does not sleep, does not count build minutes and does not bill per request. You pay a fixed monthly price for fixed resources.
The cheapest European VPS plans now offer 2 vCPU and 4 GB of RAM for roughly four to six euros a month. That is enough for a Docker Compose stack with a web app, a database and a background worker. Look closely at what the entry price includes: some providers require an annual commitment for the lowest price, some cap bandwidth, and some charge extra for an IPv4 address.
The trade-off is operations. You are responsible for security updates, firewalls, backups and deploys. If you would rather keep a PaaS workflow, install a self-hosted PaaS such as Coolify or Dokku on the server. For teams with GDPR or sovereignty requirements, choosing a European provider with EU data centers keeps both the data and the contract under European law.
Hetzner Cloud offers low-cost virtual servers from Germany, with 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM from €5.99/month and 20 TB of traffic included in the EU.
No free tier
OVHcloud VPS is a low-cost virtual server from France's largest cloud provider, with 2 vCores and 4 GB RAM from €3.81/month and unlimited traffic.
No free tier
A PaaS builds and runs your app for you, but free tiers sleep, cap hours or expire. A VPS stays on and runs anything, including databases and workers, for a fixed monthly price. In exchange you manage the operating system, updates and backups yourself.
Very few, and most are trials or one-time credits. Plan on paying a few euros per month. European providers such as Hetzner and OVHcloud are among the cheapest for 4 GB of RAM.
Yes. Self-hosted PaaS tools such as Coolify, Dokku or CapRover install on a VPS and give you Git deploys, HTTPS and app management on your own server.