Best VPS for MongoDB in 2026

MongoDB is the most popular NoSQL database — powering everything from startups to Fortune 500 apps. Self-host it on a VPS and skip the $57-200+/month MongoDB Atlas fees.

Why Self-Host MongoDB?

Factor	Managed (Atlas)	Self-Hosted VPS
2 vCPU, 4GB RAM	$57+/mo	~$7/mo
4 vCPU, 8GB RAM	$170+/mo	~$15/mo
Control	Limited	Full
Config tuning	Restricted	Full mongod.conf
Backups	Extra cost	Free (you manage)

Self-hosting costs 85-90% less for equivalent specs.

VPS Requirements

MongoDB is RAM-intensive and benefits heavily from fast storage. Here's what matters:

RAM (Critical)

• MongoDB's WiredTiger cache should hold your working set
• Default: 50% of (RAM - 1GB) for cache
• 4GB total handles small apps, 8GB+ for production
• More RAM = fewer disk reads = faster queries

Storage (Critical)

• NVMe SSD is essential — MongoDB's storage engine relies on fast random I/O
• Size: 3-4x your data size (for indexes, journal, oplog, backups)
• WiredTiger compression reduces on-disk size by ~60%

CPU

• MongoDB 7+ uses multiple cores for aggregation pipelines
• More cores = better for concurrent operations
• 2 vCPU for dev/small apps, 4+ for production

Network

• Low latency to your application servers
• High bandwidth for replica set sync
• Same datacenter as your app whenever possible

Best VPS for MongoDB

1. Hostinger KVM2 (Best Overall) ⭐

$5.99/mo | 2 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 100GB NVMe

8GB RAM gives WiredTiger ~3.5GB cache — enough to keep most working sets in memory. 100GB NVMe handles data growth, indexes, and backups comfortably.

Best for: Most MongoDB workloads — web apps, APIs, SaaS backends

→ Get Hostinger VPS

2. Hetzner CX22 (Best Budget)

€5.39/mo | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 40GB NVMe

Solid AMD EPYC performance with enough RAM for a ~1.5GB WiredTiger cache. Perfect for development and small production datasets.

Best for: Small apps, prototyping, development

→ Get Hetzner VPS

3. Hetzner CX32 (Best for Growth)

€10.49/mo | 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 80GB NVMe

4 cores handle concurrent aggregation pipelines well. 8GB keeps your indexes and hot data cached. Great price-to-performance ratio.

Best for: Growing apps, moderate traffic APIs

→ Get Hetzner VPS

4. Vultr High Frequency (Best Performance)

$48/mo | 4 vCPU (3GHz+), 16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe

Highest single-core performance available. 16GB RAM for large working sets. When MongoDB is your performance bottleneck.

Best for: High-traffic production, complex aggregations, real-time analytics

→ Get Vultr VPS

5. Contabo VPS M (Best Value)

€10.49/mo | 6 vCPU, 16GB RAM, 200GB NVMe

Maximum RAM per dollar. Perfect for large collections that need to stay cached. 200GB handles serious data volumes.

Best for: Large datasets, analytics, logging infrastructure

→ Get Contabo VPS

Quick Comparison

VPS	RAM	vCPU	Storage	Price	Best For
Hostinger KVM2	8GB	2	100GB NVMe	$5.99/mo	Overall best
Hetzner CX22	4GB	2	40GB NVMe	€5.39/mo	Budget
Hetzner CX32	8GB	4	80GB NVMe	€10.49/mo	Growth
Vultr HF	16GB	4	256GB NVMe	$48/mo	Performance
Contabo M	16GB	6	200GB NVMe	€10.49/mo	Best value

How to Install MongoDB

Ubuntu 22.04/24.04

# Import MongoDB GPG key
curl -fsSL https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-7.0.asc | \
  sudo gpg -o /usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-7.0.gpg --dearmor

# Add repository
echo "deb [ signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-7.0.gpg ] \
  https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu jammy/mongodb-org/7.0 multiverse" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-7.0.list

# Install
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y mongodb-org

# Start and enable
sudo systemctl start mongod
sudo systemctl enable mongod

Key configuration in /etc/mongod.conf:

storage:
  dbPath: /var/lib/mongodb
  journal:
    enabled: true
  wiredTiger:
    engineConfig:
      cacheSizeGB: 3.5  # ~50% of RAM minus 1GB
      journalCompressor: snappy
    collectionConfig:
      blockCompressor: snappy

net:
  port: 27017
  bindIp: 127.0.0.1  # Only local access

operationProfiling:
  slowOpThresholdMs: 100
  mode: slowOp

security:
  authorization: enabled

sudo systemctl restart mongod

Docker (Recommended)

# docker-compose.yml
version: "3.8"
services:
  mongodb:
    image: mongo:7
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME: admin
      MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD: your-strong-password
    ports:
      - "27017:27017"
    volumes:
      - mongo_data:/data/db
      - mongo_config:/data/configdb
    command: >
      --wiredTigerCacheSizeGB 3.5
      --setParameter diagnosticDataCollectionEnabled=false

volumes:
  mongo_data:
  mongo_config:

docker compose up -d

Performance Tuning

WiredTiger Optimization

# mongod.conf
storage:
  wiredTiger:
    engineConfig:
      cacheSizeGB: 3.5
    collectionConfig:
      blockCompressor: zstd  # Better compression than snappy
    indexConfig:
      prefixCompression: true

Index Strategy

// Find slow queries
db.setProfilingLevel(1, { slowms: 50 });
db.system.profile.find().sort({ ts: -1 }).limit(10);

// Check index usage
db.collection.aggregate([{ $indexStats: {} }]);

// Create compound index for common queries
db.orders.createIndex({ userId: 1, createdAt: -1 });

// Check if working set fits in cache
db.serverStatus().wiredTiger.cache;

System Tuning

# Disable Transparent Huge Pages (critical for MongoDB)
echo "never" > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/enabled
echo "never" > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/defrag

# Make persistent
cat >> /etc/rc.local << 'EOF'
echo "never" > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/enabled
echo "never" > /sys/kernel/mm/transparent_hugepage/defrag
EOF

# Increase file limits
cat >> /etc/security/limits.conf << EOF
mongod soft nofile 64000
mongod hard nofile 64000
mongod soft nproc 64000
mongod hard nproc 64000
EOF

# Swappiness
echo "vm.swappiness = 1" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p

Backup Strategy

Automated Backups with mongodump

#!/bin/bash
# /usr/local/bin/mongo-backup.sh
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M)
BACKUP_DIR="/backups/mongodb"
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR

mongodump --uri="mongodb://admin:password@localhost:27017" \
  --gzip \
  --out="$BACKUP_DIR/$DATE"

# Keep last 7 days
find $BACKUP_DIR -maxdepth 1 -type d -mtime +7 -exec rm -rf {} +

# Run daily at 3 AM
echo "0 3 * * * /usr/local/bin/mongo-backup.sh" | crontab -

Point-in-Time Recovery

Enable the oplog with a replica set (even single-node) for continuous backup capability:

replication:
  replSetName: rs0
  oplogSizeMB: 2048

// Initialize single-node replica set
rs.initiate({ _id: "rs0", members: [{ _id: 0, host: "localhost:27017" }] });

Security Checklist

• Enable authentication (security.authorization: enabled)
• Never expose port 27017 to the internet
• Use firewall rules (ufw/iptables)
• Create app-specific users with minimal roles
• Enable TLS for remote connections
• Set up automated backups
• Monitor slow operations
• Keep MongoDB updated
• Disable diagnostic data collection in production

# Firewall: only allow your app server
sudo ufw allow from YOUR_APP_IP to any port 27017
sudo ufw deny 27017

# Create limited user
mongosh --eval '
  use myapp
  db.createUser({
    user: "appuser",
    pwd: "strong-password",
    roles: [{ role: "readWrite", db: "myapp" }]
  })
'

MongoDB vs Managed Alternatives

Service	4GB RAM	Control	Latency
MongoDB Atlas (M10)	$57+/mo	Medium	~2ms
Atlas (M20)	$170+/mo	Medium	~2ms
DigitalOcean Managed	$60+/mo	Low	~2ms
Self-Hosted VPS	$6-15/mo	Full	<1ms

Self-hosted MongoDB on a VPS in the same datacenter gives you lowest latency, full control, and massive cost savings.

FAQ

How much RAM do I need for MongoDB?

Your WiredTiger cache should hold your working set (frequently accessed data + indexes). Start with 4GB total and monitor cache hit ratio. Upgrade when eviction rate increases.

Is MongoDB safe to run on a VPS?

Yes. Enable authentication, bind to localhost or specific IPs, use firewall rules, and never expose port 27017 publicly. Automated backups protect against data loss.

MongoDB or PostgreSQL?

MongoDB excels for flexible schemas, document-oriented data, rapid prototyping, and horizontal scaling. PostgreSQL wins for relational data, complex joins, and ACID transactions. Choose based on your data model. Check our PostgreSQL VPS guide too.

Can a $6/month VPS handle production MongoDB?

Yes. For small-to-medium apps (under 10GB data, moderate traffic), a 2 vCPU / 8GB RAM VPS runs MongoDB smoothly. WiredTiger's compression and caching make it efficient on modest hardware.

Should I use a replica set on a single server?

Yes! Even a single-node replica set enables the oplog for point-in-time recovery, change streams, and transactions. It's a free upgrade with no downsides.

Our Pick

Hostinger KVM2 at $5.99/month gives you 8GB RAM and 100GB NVMe — enough for a well-tuned MongoDB server handling real production traffic. That's less than one month of MongoDB Atlas M10.

→ Get started with Hostinger