How to Install WordPress on VPS (With HestiaCP & Nginx)

Install WordPress on a Linux VPS step by step. Covers HestiaCP setup, Nginx, PHP-FPM, MySQL, and free SSL with Let's Encrypt.

2026-01-16 7 min read Amsterdam, Netherlands

What You Need

To install WordPress on a VPS you need: a Linux VPS Netherlands (Ubuntu 22.04 recommended), a domain name pointed to your VPS IP, and SSH access. This guide uses HestiaCP — the best free control panel for VPS hosting — which installs Nginx, PHP-FPM, MySQL, and WordPress in minutes.

Step 1: Deploy and Access Your VPS

After ordering your Netherlands VPS, you will receive SSH credentials by email within 2–4 hours. Connect via SSH:

ssh root@YOUR_VPS_IP

Update your system first:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install HestiaCP

HestiaCP is a free, open-source web hosting control panel that installs Nginx + Apache + PHP-FPM + MySQL in one command:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hestiacp/hestiacp/release/install/hst-install.sh
bash hst-install.sh

The installer asks a few questions (admin email, hostname). Installation takes 5–15 minutes. When complete, you receive login credentials for the HestiaCP web interface at https://YOUR_VPS_IP:8083.

Step 3: Point Your Domain to the VPS

In your domain registrar, create an A record pointing your domain to your VPS IP address. DNS propagation typically takes 5–30 minutes. You can verify with:

nslookup yourdomain.com

Step 4: Add Domain in HestiaCP

Log in to HestiaCP at https://YOUR_VPS_IP:8083. Navigate to Web → Add Web Domain. Enter your domain name and enable SSL (Let's Encrypt). HestiaCP creates the web root directory and Nginx configuration automatically.

Step 5: Install WordPress

HestiaCP includes a one-click WordPress installer. Go to Web → your domain → Quick Install App → WordPress. Enter your site title, admin username, email, and password. WordPress installs in under 60 seconds.

Alternatively, install manually:

cd /home/admin/web/yourdomain.com/public_html
wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
tar -xzf latest.tar.gz --strip-components=1
rm latest.tar.gz

Step 6: Enable Free SSL

In HestiaCP, navigate to your domain settings and click Enable SSL. Select Let's Encrypt. Your free SSL certificate installs and auto-renews every 90 days. Your WordPress site is now served over HTTPS.

WordPress Performance on VPS

Your Netherlands VPS for web hosting with NVMe SSD will already be significantly faster than shared hosting. Boost performance further by:

Enabling PHP OPcache (pre-enabled in HestiaCP)
Installing the W3 Total Cache or WP Rocket plugin
Adding Redis object caching: apt install redis-server php-redis
Using a CDN (Cloudflare free tier) for static assets

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. HestiaCP lets you add unlimited domains, each with its own WordPress installation. The Surge plan (2GB RAM, $7/mo) handles 5–15 WordPress sites comfortably. The Flux plan (4GB, $14/mo) supports 20–50 sites.

Yes. HestiaCP Community Edition is completely free, open-source, and includes Nginx, Apache, PHP-FPM, MySQL/MariaDB, DNS, email, and a web interface. There is a paid HestiaCP Business edition with extra features, but the free version covers all standard hosting needs.

In HestiaCP, click Enable SSL on your domain settings and select Let's Encrypt. The certificate installs automatically and renews every 90 days. You can also use Certbot directly: certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

For 1–5 WordPress sites: Surge (2GB, $7/mo). For WooCommerce stores or 5–20 sites: Flux (4GB, $14/mo). For high-traffic sites or large eCommerce: Titan (8GB, $28/mo). All plans include NVMe SSD which dramatically speeds up WordPress database queries.

Yes. Use the All-in-One WP Migration plugin to export your site, then import it on the new VPS. Alternatively, use WP-CLI: wp db export and wp db import. Update wp-config.php with your new database credentials after migration.