How to Set Up Nginx on a VPS

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Nginx powers a large share of the web, and on a VPS you get full root control with no shared-hosting limits. This guide assumes a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 server.

Step 1: Install Nginx

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y nginx

Then allow web traffic through the firewall:

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'

Step 2: Add a server block

Server blocks (like Apache virtual hosts) let one VPS serve multiple domains. Create a config file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;
    root /var/www/example.com;
    index index.html;
}

Step 3: Enable it and reload

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com
sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx

Point your domain’s A record at the VPS IP address and the site is live. Next step: add free HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt.

Any KVM VPS with full root access runs this easily. RackNerd’s 1 GB plan at $21.99/yr is plenty for a static site or small PHP app, with a dedicated IPv4 included.