How to Get a Free VPS (Step-by-Step Guide)

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If you're looking to host websites, run applications, or experiment with Linux servers without paying a cent, a free VPS is a perfect place to start. Oracle Cloud offers one of the most generous always-free tiers, giving you the ability to spin up a virtual machine that’s powerful enough for real workloads.

Below is an easy, step-by-step walkthrough to get your free VPS running and ready for use.

Step 1 — Sign Up for Oracle Cloud Free Tier

Head over to https://oracle.com/cloud/free.
You’ll see the option to begin with the free tier — click Start for Free.

Oracle will ask for your personal details and account setup information, similar to any other cloud service provider.

Step 2 — Provide a Payment Method (You May See a $1 Charge)

As part of verifying your identity, Oracle requires a valid credit or debit card.
A temporary authorization of $1 may appear, but it isn’t an actual charge and will disappear automatically. This is simply to confirm that you’re a real user and not a bot attempting to exploit the free tier.

Once verified, you can access the Oracle Cloud dashboard.

Step 3 — Install a Control Panel (We’ll Use CloudPanel)

A control panel makes server management easier — especially for hosting websites, managing databases, and installing services without diving deep into command lines.

There are several free and paid options available (CyberPanel, Plesk, Webmin, etc.), but CloudPanel is lightweight, fast, and perfect for a small VPS.

We’ll install it later once the server is online.

Step 4 — Create an Ampere & Ubuntu Server

From the Oracle Cloud dashboard:

  1. Go to Compute → Instances.

  2. Click Create Instance.

  3. Choose the Ampere (ARM) shape — this is crucial because Ampere is part of Oracle’s always-free offering.

  4. For the operating system, select Ubuntu (20.04 or 22.04 LTS recommended).

After confirming configuration, launch the instance. You now have your free VPS!

Step 5 — Add Firewall Rules for Port 80, 443, and Control Panel Port

Before installing CloudPanel or hosting websites, you’ll need to open the necessary ports.

Inside the instance’s Virtual Cloud Network (VCN):

  • Allow Port 80 (HTTP)

  • Allow Port 443 (HTTPS)

  • And optionally the CloudPanel port: 8443

Your inbound rules should now let web traffic reach your server properly.

Step 6 — Point Your Domain Name to Your VPS IP

Get the public IP address of your Oracle instance (found in the instance details).
Next, open your domain’s DNS manager (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) and add:

  • An A record pointing your domain to the VPS IP.

Within a few minutes to a few hours (depending on DNS propagation), your domain will connect to your server.

Final Thoughts

By following these steps, you now have:

  • A free VPS running on Oracle Cloud

  • An Ubuntu server ready for deployments

  • Open firewall ports for website traffic

  • A domain name connected to your server

  • The ability to install CloudPanel for easy management

This setup is powerful enough to host websites, test applications, or simply learn server administration — all for free.

If you'd like, I can also write:

✅ A guide on installing CloudPanel
✅ A tutorial for hosting WordPress or other apps
✅ Security hardening steps for your new VPS

Just let me know!

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