NixOS VPS hosting

NixOS VPS hosting is a service that lets you run the NixOS Linux distribution on your own virtual server. Unlike traditional distributions, NixOS is configured declaratively – your entire system is described in a configuration file that can be version-controlled, copied, and reproduced on any other server. Combined with the Nix package manager and its collection of over 100,000 packages, it gives you a server environment that is predictable, reproducible, and easy to recover if something breaks.

NixOS offers several advantages over traditional Linux distributions. Its declarative configuration means your whole server setup lives in one file – you can track it in Git, review changes before applying them, and rebuild an identical server in minutes.

Upgrades in NixOS are atomic: the system either switches fully to the new configuration or stays on the old one, so you never end up in a half-upgraded, broken state. Every change creates a new "generation," and you can roll back to any previous generation instantly, even from the boot menu.

The Nix package manager also eliminates dependency conflicts. Each package is installed in isolation, so you can run multiple versions of the same software side by side – ideal for development, testing, and multi-project servers.

To install NixOS on Hostinger's VPS hosting, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your hPanel account and navigate to VPS at the top bar.
2. Select the server you wish to use for the installation.
3. Under the OS & Panel section, click Operating System.
4. Select Plain OS, and choose the NixOS template from the dropdown menu.
5. Click Change OS to install this template to your VPS.

Once installation is complete, connect to your server via SSH and start defining your system in /etc/nixos/configuration.nix. Apply any changes by running nixos-rebuild switch.

Updating NixOS is as simple as editing your configuration file and running nixos-rebuild switch. The system builds the new configuration in the background and switches to it atomically – your server keeps running the old setup until the new one is ready.

Every rebuild creates a new system generation. If an update causes problems, run nixos-rebuild switch --rollback to return to the previous generation immediately, or select an older generation directly from the boot menu. This makes NixOS one of the safest distributions to run in production, because a broken update never leaves your server in an unrecoverable state.

Yes. Because NixOS is configured as code, migration usually means translating your current setup – web server, databases, runtimes, firewall rules – into your configuration.nix file. Once written, the same configuration can be applied to any NixOS server, making future migrations effortless.

Before migrating your project to Hostinger's VPS, prepare backups of your website files and databases. Then set up your new VPS with NixOS, define your services in the configuration, and import your data. Once everything works as intended, point your domain name to the new IP address, and that's it!

We offer AI Assistant in every VPS hosting solution, so you can easily find answers to your questions without browsing through dozens of forums.

But if you like reading, you can also explore our vast library of VPS Tutorials and knowledge-base articles. Prefer watching? Check out Hostinger Academy; we have plenty of easy-to-follow video tutorials on virtual private server management.

NixOS also has extensive official documentation (the NixOS manual and Wiki), an active Discourse community forum, and a Matrix chat where you can get help from experienced users and contributors.

A couple of notes: I assumed NixOS lands under Plain OS rather than Applications in the hPanel template dropdown – adjust step 4 if it ships as a panel/app template instead. Also, if you want to reference the current release anywhere, the latest stable is NixOS 25.11 "Xantusia" (released end of November 2025, supported until June 30, 2026), though I'd avoid hardcoding version numbers on an evergreen landing page.