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Kubernetes on a VPS usually means a single-node cluster (k3s or kubeadm) — perfect for learning and small workloads, but RAM-hungry.

What K8s needs

  • Control plane + kubelet — roughly 1–1.5 GB before you run a single pod.
  • 2–4 GB total for a cluster with a few real workloads.
  • Swap disabled — Kubernetes requires it off.

The pick: Hostinger KVM 2

Hostinger’s KVM 2 (8 GB RAM, ~$8.99/mo intro) gives a single-node cluster room for the control plane plus several apps, on NVMe storage. For a minimal learning cluster, KVM 1 (4 GB, ~$6.49/mo) works.

Try k3s for a lighter install

curl -sfL https://get.k3s.io | sh -
sudo k3s kubectl get nodes
  • Disable swap (sudo swapoff -a) and make it permanent.
  • Use containerd (the k3s default) rather than Docker.
  • Back up etcd or use the k3s snapshot feature.

Bottom line: 4 GB is the practical minimum for k3s; 8 GB lets you run a real set of workloads on a single node. Budget RAM first, CPU second.

Check Hostinger's VPS plans