Almost every cloud provider sells fixed instance shapes: a set amount of CPU paired with a set amount of RAM, in fixed steps. Kamatera’s distinguishing feature is that you configure each resource independently.
Why independent sizing matters
Fixed shapes assume your workload needs CPU and memory in the ratio the provider chose. Many workloads do not.
- In-memory caches and search nodes need a lot of RAM and very little CPU. On fixed shapes you buy cores you will never use to reach the memory you need.
- Video encoding and compilation are the reverse: heavily CPU bound with modest memory.
- Databases often want substantial RAM and disk with moderate CPU.
When your requirements are unbalanced, fixed shapes force you up a tier for one resource and waste the rest. Independent sizing removes that waste, and on a workload that is badly matched to standard shapes the saving is real.
When your requirements are balanced, this flexibility buys nothing and you should choose on price and region instead.
CPU types
Kamatera offers different CPU classes: burstable options for workloads that idle most of the time with occasional spikes, and dedicated options where you get consistent performance without contention.
Choose dedicated for anything with steady load or latency requirements. Burstable is genuinely cheaper for development boxes, low-traffic services and anything that spends most of its life idle, but a burstable core under sustained load will disappoint.
Regions
Kamatera operates data centres across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. As always, pick for user proximity and for any data residency requirement you have, and verify feature availability in the region before committing.
The port 25 configuration
Outbound SMTP on port 25 is restricted by default, as it is nearly everywhere. An account with port 25 open lets a server open direct SMTP connections to receiving mail servers.
Use it when you are running an actual mail server. For application email, relay through Amazon SES or a similar service on port 587 instead and avoid owning IP reputation management. If you are sending directly, set reverse DNS, publish SPF, configure DKIM and add DMARC before your first send, then warm the IP gradually. The port 25 guide covers the sequence.
Where Kamatera fits
Kamatera competes with Hetzner, DigitalOcean and Linode in the straightforward virtual server market. Its advantages are configuration flexibility and region spread; its disadvantage is a smaller managed service catalogue and a smaller community, which shows up when you are searching for answers.
Before you deploy
Change the delivered credentials, enable multi-factor authentication, replace SSH keys with your own, review existing servers across regions, set a billing alert and configure the firewall before exposing services publicly.
Common questions
Can I resize a server after creation?
Yes, resources can be adjusted, typically with a reboot for CPU and memory changes.
Is burstable CPU suitable for production?
For low and intermittent load, yes. For sustained load, use dedicated CPU.
Does Kamatera offer managed databases?
The catalogue is oriented around servers and infrastructure rather than a broad managed data service portfolio.