# Choose a Linux distribution

> How to pick between Ubuntu LTS, Debian and other distributions for your VPS, and why we suggest an LTS release for most people.

Source: https://vpsnine.com/help/choose-a-distribution · Updated: 2026-10-10

When you order a server, you pick the Linux distribution it's built with. The full list is published at launch.

## The short answer

If you have no strong preference, take the newest **Ubuntu LTS** or the current **Debian stable**. Both get years of security updates, and nearly every guide on the internet is written for one or the other. Ours are written for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS and Debian 12, with the differences called out. They work on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS too.

## Ubuntu LTS

Ubuntu puts out a long-term support (LTS) release every two years, in April, with five years of standard security updates. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is covered until 2029. Ubuntu 26.04 LTS came out in April 2026 and is covered until 2031.

Go with Ubuntu if the tutorial you're following assumes it (most do), if you want newer packages than Debian has, or if you like having `ufw` and unattended upgrades already installed.

Skip the in-between releases, like 25.10, on a server. They're only supported for nine months, which is no time at all.

## Debian stable

Debian changes slowly, and that's the point. It suits a server you set up once and then leave alone.

Debian 13 "trixie" replaced Debian 12 "bookworm" as stable in August 2025. Bookworm still gets security updates through Debian LTS until June 2028, but for a new server, pick the newest stable release we offer. The steps in this help center are written for Debian 12 and generally work on 13.

Debian's minimal images are leaner than Ubuntu's, so you'll install a few things yourself, `ufw` for one.

## Everything else

If the launch list has a Red Hat family distribution such as AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux, pick it when you need compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, usually because some software is only certified there. Our guides use `apt`, so you'll be translating to `dnf` as you go.

## Changing your mind

A reinstall from the panel puts the *same* distribution back on a clean disk. It can't switch you to a different one. To change distribution, order a new server with the one you want, copy your data across, point your DNS at the new addresses and then [cancel the old server](https://vpsnine.com/help/cancel-a-server). If you'd like a hand with the move, [open a support ticket](https://my.vpsnine.com/support/new?category=server).

Moving to the next release of the same distribution (Debian 12 to 13, say) doesn't need a new server; follow the distribution's own upgrade notes.

To see what a server is running:

```bash
cat /etc/os-release
```

Look at the `PRETTY_NAME` line.