Running a Monero node on a VPS (pruned or full)
Host your own Monero node: what full versus pruned means, the hardware each needs, the exact install, remote access with an SSH tunnel, and the reasons to keep your own copy of the chain.
If you pay in Monero, running your own node is the natural closing of the loop: you verify the chain yourself instead of trusting someone else's node to tell you your coins are real. It is a well-trodden path with a slightly unusual remote-access story, which is where most guides get vague.
Full vs pruned
The node's job is validation either way. Pruned nodes store only recent blockchain data for serving; full nodes store the entire chain and can serve historical queries.
| Pruned node | Full node | |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ~8–12 GB | ~60–120 GB and growing |
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB+ |
| Plan | Pulse $10 | Nocturne $25, disk permitting |
| Validates the chain | Yes | Yes |
| Serves historical data | No | Yes |
| Practical for | Your own wallet, ordinary use | Supporting the network fully |
A pruned node is the right choice for almost everyone. It validates the same chain, verifies your own transactions, and fits comfortably on a cheap tier. The full chain is worth the disk only if you want to support the network at full capacity.
Install the node
Add the official Monero repository, install the daemon, then start it. The daemon is monerod — the wallet is a separate program, monero-wallet-rpc, which is what you actually interact with.
- 01.Add the Monero apt repository and its signing key.
- 02.apt install monero — pulls monerod and the wallet tools.
- 03.Create a user and data directory owned by it; never run monerod as root.
- 04.systemctl enable --now monerod so it starts and survives reboots.
Remote access: the part guides skip
Your node's RPC port must not be open to the internet — monero-wallet-rpc is unauthenticated by default and holds your wallet. The correct way to reach it is an SSH tunnel from your machine to the server, which keeps the port bound to localhost on both ends.
On your machine: ssh -L 18081:127.0.0.1:18081 root@YOUR_SERVER_IP, then point your local wallet at 127.0.0.1:18081. The port never touches the public internet. Our SSH guide covers tunnels.
Note · Never expose 18081 or 18082 to the world. An open wallet RPC is how people lose coins.
Keep the chain pruned
Add --prune to the daemon flags. Without it, storage grows with the chain and a $25 VPS's disk fills in a year. Confirm pruning took effect by checking that the data directory is a fraction of full size.
Point your wallet at your own node
Once monerod is synced, tell your wallet to use your node rather than a public one. That is the actual privacy win: your wallet's address history and balance queries go to a machine you control, not to a third party who can log them.
Why run one at all
- ▹You verify your own transactions without trusting a remote node.
- ▹Your wallet's view of the chain is not dependent on someone else's infrastructure.
- ▹You support a network you rely on, in the small way every node does.
- ▹It is a genuinely useful reason to have an always-on server.
FAQ
QHow long does a pruned node take to sync?
ATypically several hours to a day over a fast connection, depending on how far behind you start.
QDo I need a dedicated server?
ANo. A pruned node runs comfortably on Pulse; a full node needs Nocturne's disk and still grows over time.
QIs it safe to expose the RPC to localhost only?
AYes — and it must stay that way. Combine with an SSH tunnel for remote access rather than opening the port.
QCan I use my node for other wallets?
AYes, that is exactly what it is for. Point any Monero wallet at it over a tunnel or on the same machine.