Can I run an AI agent on a Windows VPS?

What kind of AI agent runs well on a Windows VPS?

An agent that calls a hosted model through an API runs well, because the heavy computing happens at the model provider. The VPS runs the agent's loop, its tools, its browser and its files.

An AI agent on a VPS is a loop that calls a model API: the model thinks at the provider, the VPS runs the tools.

Good fits, each documented by its own project:

• Coding and admin agents such as Claude Code, which lists Windows Server 2019 or later and 4 GB of RAM.
• Personal assistants such as OpenClaw or Hermes Agent, which both document a native Windows install in PowerShell.
• Browser automation with Playwright, which supports Windows Server 2019 and later.
• Scheduled scripts in Python or PowerShell that sort, summarise or report.
• Trading assistants that watch markets through an API: see can I run a crypto trading bot on a Windows VPS.

Why run an agent on Windows rather than Linux?

Choose Windows when the agent must work with Windows software. A computer-use agent can click through a real Windows desktop, Excel or MetaTrader, which a Linux server does not run natively. PowerShell, Edge and the full Administrator account are there from the first login.

For a pure API agent with no Windows app, a Linux VPS works as well and needs no Windows license. Onyxpane sells Windows only: Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2025, Standard edition, in English. No desktop Windows 10 or 11.

WSL 2 is not a shortcut here. Microsoft Learn states that WSL 2 inside a virtual machine needs nested virtualization, and no Onyxpane plan lists it. Run the agent natively on Windows instead.

Can I run a local LLM on a Windows VPS without a GPU?

Small models can run on the CPU for tests; large models cannot run on any Onyxpane plan. Ollama reports a model held entirely in system memory as "100% CPU", the only case on an Onyxpane server. On a CPU, text comes out far more slowly than on a graphics card, and shared vCPU slow it further.

Size is the hard limit. Ollama's own FAQ shows llama3:70b taking 42 GB of memory, more than the 32 GB of RDP 32. Ollama's Windows page also lists Windows 10 22H2 or newer, Home or Pro, and not Windows Server.

No Onyxpane plan can hold a 70-billion-parameter model: Ollama's own example needs 42 GB of memory, and the largest plan has 32 GB.

For large models, keep the model at an API provider and the agent on the VPS.

Which Onyxpane plan fits which agent?

RDP 4 is the starting point for one agent with a browser; RDP 8 suits a computer-use agent on a full desktop. Microsoft lists 2 GB as the minimum for Windows Server 2025 with Desktop Experience and recommends 4 GB, before the agent uses any.

How much does an agent-sized Windows VPS cost elsewhere?

According to Onyxpane's check of 30 October 2026, 16 of 40 Windows hosts leave the Windows license out of the advertised price. 7 sell it as a paid add-on, and 9 ship trial, evaluation or bring-your-own-license Windows. The Windows Server license is included in the price: no extra license fee.

Every Onyxpane plan costs at least 25% less than the cheapest comparable Windows plan of 17 no-KYC crypto hosts checked on 30 October 2026. Prices for every tier are on how much a Windows RDP costs at Onyxpane, and the method is in the Windows VPS price index.

How do I keep an agent running 24/7 on Windows?

Start the agent at boot and never sign out.

• Disconnect, do not sign out. Closing the Remote Desktop window keeps programs running; signing out deletes the session and stops them.
• Start at boot. Register the agent in Task Scheduler with a startup trigger, so it comes back after a restart.
• Plan for update restarts. In SConfig, option 5 set to Automatic installs updates every day at 3:00 AM server time.
• Keep secrets out of scripts. Store API keys in environment variables, not in files the agent can share.

An agent with an Administrator desktop is a target too. Lock Remote Desktop down first with how do I secure Remote Desktop on a Windows VPS.

What must an agent never do on an Onyxpane server?

An agent follows the same rules as a person. No carding or payment fraud, no use of stolen accounts or identities, no credential stuffing or brute-forcing of other people’s systems, no spam or bulk email, no phishing, no malware or botnet control, no DDoS or other attacks, no booter or stresser services, no child sexual abuse material, no cryptocurrency mining, and no service to sanctioned people or companies. Outgoing port 25 (SMTP) is closed on every server to stop spam, and it stays closed. Ports 465 and 587 to mail providers stay open.

That rules out agents that use stolen accounts, try passwords on other people's systems, send spam or mine coins. Inside those rules, Panamanian law applies. Onyxpane is run by DomaineGoat LLC, a company registered in Panama, and answers only to Panamanian law. The datacenter that houses each server is in its own country and follows that country’s law. DMCA ignored: we do not act on DMCA notices or other foreign copyright notices. We answer only to Panamanian law and to orders of Panamanian courts. No logs: we keep no connection logs, no traffic logs and no IP addresses of visitors or customers, on the website, the dashboard or the server.