A coding agent on a server keeps working when your laptop is closed and builds on hardware you don’t mind it breaking. It needs more memory than a chat agent, and much more care.
Plans (8 GB and up)
| Provider / plan | Specs | Intro / mo | Renews / mo | Paid upfront | 36-month total | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger KVM 2VPS | 2 vCPU · 8 GB · 100 GB | $8.79 (24-mo term) | $14.99 +71% | $210.96 | $390.84 | ~$210.96 upfront for 24 months; renews 71% higher. Promo moved between $8.79 and $8.99 in 2026.source, checked 2026-11-04 |
| MC-Node Premium VPS 8 GBVPS | 4 vCPU · 8 GB · 80 GB | €15.30 | €15.30 | monthly | €550.80 | Monthly price is higher than a 24-month promo — but it never jumps.source, checked 2026-11-08 |
| Hostinger KVM 4VPS | 4 vCPU · 16 GB · 200 GB | $12.99 (24-mo term) | $28.99 +123% | $311.76 | $659.64 | ~$311.76 upfront; renews 123% higher — the steepest jump in the range.source, checked 2026-11-04 |
| Hetzner Cloud (cost-optimised)VPS | not published | check current price | check current price | monthly | check current price | Raised cloud prices twice in 2026 (some plans >170%). KYC at signup. Pays no cash commission — listed because it's often the right pick.source, checked 2026-11-08 |
| DigitalOcean DropletVPS | not published | check current price | check current price | monthly | check current price | 1 GB is the documented floor, not a comfortable size.source, checked 2026-11-08 |
EUR prices are shown in EUR and not converted. "Total" includes the renewal price once the promo term ends.
Setup
# as a dedicated non-root user (Claude Code won't skip permission prompts as root)
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
# keep sessions alive across SSH drops
tmux new -s agent
claude
# detach: Ctrl+B then D reattach: tmux attach -t agentLogging in on a headless server: Claude Code prints a login URL; open it on your own computer and paste the code back. tmux survives a dropped connection but not a reboot.
Sandboxing
- Sandboxing is off by default. Turn it on; it needs
bubblewrapandsocat, and on Ubuntu 24.04 bubblewrap also needs an AppArmor profile. - Don’t add the agent’s user to the
dockergroup — that is equivalent to root. Use rootless Docker or Podman. - Only skip permission prompts inside a disposable container or VM with no keys, accounts or internet. Your agent VPS doesn’t count.