Working on OVHcloud: VPS, Dedicated Servers, Web Hosting, Account Security and Billing
The OVHcloud product lines, how the customer code and Control Panel work, security settings to enable, the automatic-renewal billing model and the SMTP policy.
OVHcloud is Europe’s largest cloud hosting provider, with a strong emphasis on data sovereignty and a product range that runs from inexpensive VPS plans to bare-metal dedicated servers and a hosted private cloud. It serves startups, large enterprises and public institutions with segmented offers for each. This guide covers the product lines, how account management works, the security settings to enable, the billing model, and the SMTP setting that affects email sending. For choosing between VPS, Public Cloud and dedicated servers, see our OVHcloud comparison guide.
What you can build on OVHcloud #
| Product line | What it does |
|---|---|
| VPS | Virtual private servers with dedicated resources and full root access, from entry-level to high-performance configurations |
| Dedicated servers | Bare-metal machines in the Rise, Advance, Scale and High Grade ranges, with full control over hardware and software |
| Public Cloud | Flexible, scalable compute instances and related services for development through production |
| Web hosting and domains | Shared hosting packages for single or multiple sites, SSL certificates, and domain registration, renewal and transfer |
| Hosted Private Cloud and qualified bare metal | Solutions for organizations with enhanced security and compliance requirements, including regulated industries |
| Storage and backup | Object and block storage plus backup storage options |
| Networking | vRack private networking, additional IP addresses, load balancers and DDoS protection included with services |
OVHcloud has offered web hosting since 1999, and it remains a core product alongside server hosting, where the price-to-performance ratio of VPS and dedicated servers is the main draw. Developers use VPS plans for isolated environments; businesses use Public Cloud or dedicated servers for production and the private cloud for compliance-heavy workloads.
Understanding your OVHcloud account #
- Customer code (NIC handle): every account has a unique customer code. You need it to place orders, manage services in the Control Panel and identify yourself to support.
- Contacts: each service can have separate administrative, technical and billing contacts, managed from the contact management section.
- Control Panel: the web interface for every service; an API is available for automation.
- Changing the owner of a service: OVHcloud has a formal procedure for transferring a domain or service to another OVHcloud customer, which involves a signed form and supporting documents and is tracked by email. It is intended for legitimate ownership changes such as a business handing a domain to a new owner.
Securing an OVHcloud account #
- Enable two-factor authentication from My account, then Security, in the Control Panel.
- Use a strong, unique password and keep the account email address current, since it receives renewal and security notices.
- Review security settings such as IP restrictions on Control Panel access if your organization uses fixed addresses.
- Monitor account activity for unfamiliar logins or orders.
- Harden the servers themselves: SSH keys, a host firewall and prompt patching. OVHcloud’s DDoS protection covers the network layer, not misconfigured services.
How OVHcloud billing works #
- Automatic renewal by default. Services renew when they reach their renewal date, and the total is debited at the beginning of the month from the default payment method.
- Manual renewal can be set for domains, web hosting, VPS and dedicated servers if you prefer to approve each renewal.
- Payment methods: bank cards, PayPal and SEPA direct debit.
- Prepaid credit: if the account holds prepaid credit, it is used for renewals by default.
- Suspension: if payment is not settled within seven days of the due date, services can be suspended.
- Included extras: vRack private networking and DDoS protection come at no additional cost; extra IPs, backup storage and load balancers are add-ons.
Cost habits that work: set billing preferences and notifications, switch rarely used services to manual renewal, right-size VPS and dedicated plans, and review the renewal calendar so nothing renews by surprise.
Email and the port 25 setting #
For internet access products delivered after October 2024, OVHcloud disables unauthenticated email sending through its outgoing mail server on port 25 by default. The reasoning is protective: if an address is compromised, it can be used to send spam, which damages the reputation of OVHcloud’s network. Where the setting exists, it can be changed in the Control Panel; for servers, the usual advice applies: send through an authenticated submission port with a reputable email service. Our guide to SMTP port 25 on cloud servers compares provider policies.
How teams use OVHcloud #
Developers use VPS plans as inexpensive isolated environments with full root access. Startups and small businesses host production sites on VPS or Public Cloud with backup storage, and use the included DDoS protection as a baseline. Web hosting customers combine shared hosting packages, domain registration, SSL certificates and email hosting under one account. Server hosting customers choose dedicated servers for full hardware control and price-to-performance, connecting them privately with vRack. Enterprises and public institutions use Hosted Private Cloud and qualified bare metal where compliance requires it. Agencies generally have each client hold their own customer account and are added as a technical contact, which keeps ownership and billing with the client.
A first-week checklist #
- Record your customer code and enable two-factor authentication.
- Set billing preferences and decide which services should renew manually.
- Add SSH keys to VPS and dedicated servers, and configure a host firewall.
- Configure backups for servers and web hosting.
- Decide the email sending path (authenticated SMTP or an API provider).
- Put renewal dates in a shared calendar.
Official references #
The OVHcloud help center documents the Control Panel, billing, renewals and security settings. Our OVHcloud platform overview summarizes the platform and how to sign up officially.
Frequently asked questions #
What is my customer code for?
It identifies your account when ordering, managing services and contacting support. Keep it with your account records.
How do I stop a service from renewing?
Set it to manual renewal in the Control Panel before the renewal date, or cancel it from the service’s page.
Can I send email from OVHcloud?
Yes, through authenticated SMTP or an email API provider. Unauthenticated sending on port 25 is disabled by default on newer access products.
