This proof of concept article shows how to run BTCPay Server (full Bitcoin and Lightning node) with WooCommerce on a single VPS for around $4/month.

The goal is to showcase the cheapest possible way you can have a small self-sovereign e-store and earn Bitcoin by selling products or services.

Please understand that we’re using the most cost-effective solution that will work only if you have a tiny store with a few products to sell.

You can replicate the setup without using a trusted full node (Full sync) on a slightly more powerful VPS. If you already have BTCPay server, skip the bottom.

More robust stores should go with higher specs servers which will cost from $10/mo, depending on the hosting provider of your choice. Take a look at our documentation for ways you can deploy BTCPay, from deployment to a cloud to Raspberry Pi.

The dirty-cheap setup featured here is just a proof of concept. Treat it as an experiment.

This tutorial assumes you have basic command line and WordPress knowledge. If you’re a complete beginner and want to create an online store from scratch with no coding skills, check this video series.

Creating a virtual machine

We are going to use the M1s plan on LunaNode as our VPS provider. The setup should work on any other VPS with the following minimum specs:

1 GB RAM

RAM 1 Virtual Core

Virtual Core 35 GB SSD Storage (15GB+ 20 GB attached additionally)

SSD Storage (15GB+ 20 GB attached additionally) 1000 GB Bandwidth

The price is $3.5/month + $0.03 for additionally attached GB to our storage, which brings the price around 4.1$/month.