Looking for a faster, cheaper and more secure way to pay for servers? If you want to upgrade your server setup and pay for it with crypto, read our handy guide on buying dedicated servers, Virtual Private Servers (VPS) and cloud servers with crypto.
How to pay for servers with crypto
Buying server space with crypto is easier than it’s ever been. There are two main methods to go about it.
- Pay straight from your wallet with a server provider that accepts direct crypto payments
- Use the BitPay Card, which you can use anywhere in the world Mastercard is accepted, including with server service providers
Types of servers you can pay for with crypto
There are several different types of web servers, each geared toward different website needs. How much space, performance and configurability you require will dictate which server option is best for you. The three primary types of servers you’ll encounter in the market include:
Dedicated servers
As the name suggests, dedicated servers are individual physical web servers that support a single website. With a dedicated server, all site data, as well as the hardware itself, remains entirely under the owner’s control. Dedicated servers typically “live” in an offsite data center networked to other servers, but they can also be located on-site. Dedicated servers are highly customizable, and best for users who need a great deal of flexibility, including the ability to choose specific hardware.
VPS
A Virtual Private Server (VPS) combines elements of shared and dedicated hosting. With a VPS, a single, physical web server’s resources are segregated and divided between several VPS instances. Each instance runs concurrently on the hardware and is rented out individually. They inhabit the same physical space but their resources are never shared. Virtual private servers offers many of the benefits of dedicated servers, including plan options that allow for affordable scaling. Though technically “shared” on the same server hardware, VPS is a more secure option than traditional shared hosting.
Cloud Servers
Cloud servers are virtual servers that provide all of a website’s resources and data storage over the internet, without the need for physical hardware. Such services allow companies to outsource their server needs to a third-party service provider, rather than handling things like security, technical support and upgrading hardware themselves. Cloud servers are secure, quick to implement and highly scalable. The service is expensive, but offers high performance and dependability.
Server providers that accept crypto payments
Altus Host
Web services provider offering a range of web services including hosting and domain registration across Europe including in the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Serbia.
HOSTKEY
Web services company offering an array of dedicated web servers, from entry-level options up through high-performance GPU servers and private cloud solutions. Its servers are hosted in TIER III data centers in the U.S. and the Netherlands.
Vultr
Vultr offers standardized, highly reliable, high-performance cloud compute environments to users worldwide, with datacenters strategically positioned at 27 global sites.
Gandi
Web services company providing domains, web hosting, email and SSL certificates with more than 20 years in business and employees spanning 3 continents.
Namecheap
U.S.-based budget domain name and web hosting provider with more than 10 million domains and 11 million registered users.
MonoVM
MonoVM is a fast-growing Web Hosting Industry services provider. They offer a wide range of services, including Domains, SSL and Dedicated Servers.
How to Pay a server invoice directly from your wallet
BitPay makes it easy to pay server invoices from any wallet using Bitcoin and other top cryptocurrencies.
Step 1: At checkout, select BitPay as your payment method.
BitPay is the safest and most secure way to pay online.
Step 2: Select Begin Payment.
Depending on the merchant you are paying or the transaction amount, you may be prompted to verify for BitPay ID. Don't have a BitPay ID? Sign up to get started. BitPay ID is a simple way to manage your payments information with BitPay and simplify logins for multiple BitPay products. All that is required is an email and password. The one-time verification requirement is for people making BitPay merchant or prepaid payments of $3,000+, initiating refund requests for amounts of $1000+, or receiving BitPay payouts.
Step 3: Select your wallet.
BitPay supports over 100 of the most popular cryptocurrency wallets.
Step 4: Select your cryptocurrency.
BitPay supports the most popular cryptocurrencies. We are constantly evaluating and adding more. You may be asked to enter your email address if you did not already sign in with your BitPay ID. Your email will be used to receive payment information and process refunds.
Step 5: Scan the QR code with your wallet app or input the merchant’s receiving wallet info manually into your wallet to complete the transaction.
You'll see the payment reflected on the invoice instantly once you validate the payment in your wallet. Remember to send your payment during the 15-minute payment window.
How to use the BitPay Card to pay for servers
With the BitPay Card, you’ll never have to leave your crypto spending power at home again, opening up a world of possibilities for today’s crypto spender. With it, you can purchase server services from any provider that accepts Mastercard, anywhere in the world. The BitPay Card offers a convenient alternative to paying directly from your wallet, allowing you to pay for server space using crypto even if your service provider doesn’t accept direct crypto payments or doesn’t accept your token of choice. Load the card from your BitPay Wallet and spend the same way you’d use any other debit card.
Which cryptocurrencies can I use to buy servers?
Once you’ve chosen a server service provider you want to work with, check their website to make sure they accept the cryptocurrency you want to spend. You’ll likely find most server companies that take direct crypto payments will accept the big-name coins like Bitcoin and Ether. But you might have to expand your search a bit if you want to buy web servers with smaller or more niche tokens. Currently, BitPay supports the following cryptocurrencies:
Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Dogecoin (DOGE), Shiba Inu (SHIB), Litecoin (LTC), ApeCoin (APE), Polygon (MATIC), Dai (DAI), USD Coin (USDC), Binance USD (BUSD), Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), Pax Dollar (USDP), Gemini Dollar (GUSD) and Euro Coin (EUROC). We are constantly evaluating and adding support for new coins.
Which wallets can I use to pay for servers with crypto?
If you’re buying web servers with crypto, you’ll find you can use virtually any crypto wallet to complete the transaction. BitPay supports a wide range of crypto wallets, including the BitPay Wallet, Trezor, Electrum, Ledger, Coinbase, Kraken, Bitcoin Core, Trust Wallet and nearly 100 others. Check here for a more complete lineup of the wallets BitPay supports.
The best crypto wallet for payments
Benefits of paying for servers with crypto
Today there are a growing number of ways to pay for your server setup with crypto. But you might be asking why you’d want to pay for servers with cryptocurrency in the first place. Some reasons we often hear from crypto users include:
Enhanced privacy and security
For the more privacy minded, you can rest assured that your personal or financial information will be secure when purchasing web servers with crypto. Transactions on the blockchain are anonymous, and it’s nearly impossible to identify the participants or glean any information about either party.
Cheaper and faster payments
Fiat transactions involve intermediaries, especially when paying a provider located overseas. But they aren’t facilitating those transactions out of the goodness of their heart, and you’ll have to pay for the privilege in the form of fees. When you pay for a server with crypto, however, you’ll be able to slash or eliminate entirely those pesky transaction or transfer fees.
No bank account required
Whether you don’t have a traditional checking account or just don’t feel comfortable sharing your banking info with a third party, you can still purchase server space with crypto.
Other web services you can pay for with crypto
Now you know how easy it is to buy your next domain with crypto. But there are many other web services you can also pay for with crypto, including:
Web Hosting
Web hosting services manage site files and provide a platform for businesses or individuals to publish content on the internet. See how to start paying for hosting with crypto.
VPNs
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) allow users to obscure their identity and location by creating a private network within a regular public network. Anonymity is a key feature of both VPNs and cryptocurrency, so naturally there are numerous VPN services that accept crypto payments.
Domain names
Domain names, often called web addresses, are how visitors find your website on the internet. There are many options for paying in crypto when buying your next domain. Learn how to buy domains with crypto. Read about 5 trusted domain registrars that accept crypto payments.
DDoS protection
Protect your website from hacks and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks with an automatic security monitoring service, paid for with crypto.
