AmneziaVPN on a VPS: Self-Hosted VPN Set Up from an App

Order a VPS with one of the operating systems above. When it is ready, we email you its IP address and the root password; the same details are in your client area, under the server’s information.

Download AmneziaVPN for your device from amnezia.org. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.

1. Run the installer and click Next on the welcome screen.
2. Check the summary and click Install.
3. When the installation finishes, open the app and click Let’s get started.

Tell the app how to reach your server over SSH:

1. On the Connection screen, choose Self-hosted VPN.
2. Server IP address [:port]: enter your server’s public IPv4 address, for example 203.0.113.24. Leave the port empty.
3. SSH Username: enter root.
4. Password or SSH private key: enter the root password from the email, or paste your private SSH key.
5. Click Continue.

Pick how the app should set up the server, then click Continue:

1. Automatic installs AmneziaWG 2.0 only: fast and stable even under heavy traffic filtering. Recommended for most people; you can add protocols later.
2. Manual installs one protocol of your choice now.
3. Skip setup creates an empty connection without changing the server. Use it only if Amnezia is already installed there.

Open the connection in the app to manage your server. From there you can:

1. Manage VPN users and their access keys.
2. Add or remove protocols: AmneziaWG, WireGuard, OpenVPN, Cloak, Shadowsocks, XRay and IPsec.
3. Install a SOCKS5 proxy on the server.
4. Set a custom DNS server.
5. Deploy an SFTP service for file storage.
6. Host a site on the Tor network.

To let another device or person use the VPN, open the connection, tap the share icon and create an access key or a configuration file for them.

If the installation stops with “Timeout connecting to server”:

1. Check that the port in the first field is empty (SSH uses port 22).
2. Make sure your current network allows outgoing SSH connections to the server.
3. On restrictive networks, such as public Wi-Fi or some mobile operators, the long SSH session can be cut off. Try again from another network.

When the installation succeeds but the VPN never connects, the network between you and the server is almost always blocking or slowing UDP traffic to the VPN port.