Windows Server 2016 VPS — Host4Fun
180-Day EVAL License Included Free — Full RDP Access

Legacy-compatible.
Still supported. Still powerful.

Windows Server 2016 VPS with free 180-day EVAL license. Legacy .NET Framework, Nano Server, Storage Spaces Direct, Windows Containers v1. AMD Ryzen, DDR5, NVMe SSD, 10Gbps. 35+ global locations. Supported until January 2027.

180
Day EVAL license
2027
End of support
35+
Global locations
NVMe
SSD storage
$5/mo
Starting price
AMD Ryzen CPU
DDR5 RAM
NVMe SSD
10Gbps network
180-day EVAL license
Full RDP access
Legacy App Ready
Crypto accepted
Why Host4Fun

Why choose Host4Fun for Windows Server 2016 VPS?

Legacy .NET, Nano Server, Windows Containers v1. EVAL license included, full RDP from day one, 35+ global locations on AMD Ryzen hardware.

180-day EVAL license included free

Every Windows Server 2016 VPS at Host4Fun includes a 180-day evaluation license at no extra cost. This is the full, unrestricted version of Windows Server 2016 — all features, all roles, no limitations. Perfect for legacy app testing, migration projects and staging environments without any upfront licence cost.

Full RDP access from day one

Connect via Remote Desktop Protocol within minutes of deployment. Use any Windows, macOS or Linux RDP client with the administrator credentials provided automatically. Windows Server 2016 supports RDP with Network Level Authentication and TLS encryption for secure, encrypted remote connections to your VPS.

Best platform for legacy .NET applications

Windows Server 2016 is the ideal VPS platform for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7.x applications that cannot be migrated to .NET Core or .NET 5+. ASP.NET Web Forms, WCF, WWF and legacy COM-interop applications run with maximum compatibility. Also the preferred host for SQL Server 2012 and SQL Server 2014.

Windows Containers — the original release

Windows Server 2016 introduced Windows Containers natively — the first Windows Server version to support Docker Engine. Run containerised .NET Framework applications that cannot run in Linux containers with process isolation or Hyper-V isolation. Ideal for teams that specifically need the 2016-era container baseline for compatibility.

35+ global locations

Germany Windows Server 2016 VPS, Singapore Windows Server 2016 VPS, New York Windows Server 2016 VPS, UK Windows Server 2016 VPS — deploy where your users or your broker's matching engine is. Low-latency RDP sessions and fast application responses from 35+ worldwide data centres.

Pay any way, including crypto

Credit card, PayPal, Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT and 50+ cryptocurrencies accepted. Monthly or annual billing — save 40% on annual plans. No long-term contracts, no setup fees and no cancellation penalties. Scale your Windows Server 2016 VPS plan as your workload grows.

EVAL license explained

The 180-day Windows Server EVAL license — everything you need to know

A Windows Server EVAL (evaluation) license is a fully functional copy of Windows Server 2016 that is valid for 180 days from first boot. There are no feature restrictions whatsoever — every server role, every feature, every management tool and every capability is available from day one. Host4Fun includes this license with every Windows Server 2016 VPS plan at no extra charge.

The EVAL license is the smartest way to get a Windows Server 2016 VPS running immediately. It is ideal for developers and teams who need a Windows Server 2016 environment for legacy app testing, migration compatibility checks, older .NET Framework development and short-term project work — all without any upfront licence cost.

Day 1

Full access begins

Your VPS is live with the full EVAL license active. All Windows Server 2016 features, roles and capabilities are available immediately with no restrictions.

Day 90

Halfway reminder shown

Windows Server Manager displays a notification that 90 days remain on the evaluation. No service interruption — everything continues running normally.

Day 150

30-day warning begins

Windows displays licence expiry notifications more frequently. Your server continues to run without any interruption. Time to decide on your next step.

Day 180

EVAL period ends

The server enters reduced-functionality mode — it will shut down every hour. Convert to a full licence, redeploy with a fresh EVAL, or migrate your workload to a newer server.

What is included in the EVAL license

  • Full Windows Server 2016 — zero feature restrictions
  • All server roles: IIS, RDS, DNS, DHCP, AD DS, Hyper-V, File Services
  • Windows Admin Center for browser-based management
  • Windows Containers and Docker Engine support
  • Nano Server deployment option
  • Full RDP and PowerShell remote access
  • 180 days from first boot — no credit card for the licence

Your options when EVAL expires

  • Convert to a full retail or volume licence key via SLMGR command
  • Redeploy a fresh VPS with a new 180-day EVAL period
  • Activate with a KMS server for volume licence environments
  • Migrate your workload to Windows Server 2019, 2022 or 2025

Best uses for the 180-day EVAL

  • Testing legacy .NET Framework applications before committing
  • SQL Server 2012 or 2014 compatibility validation
  • Windows Server 2008/2012 migration path testing
  • Short-term project or contract work environments
  • Microsoft certification and exam study labs
  • Pre-production staging for legacy application deployments
Key features in 2016

Windows Server 2016 key features for VPS deployments

Windows Server 2016 introduced the foundation for modern Windows Server. Here is what matters for your VPS deployment on Host4Fun.

📦

Windows Containers — first native release

  • First Windows Server to support Docker Engine natively
  • Process isolation for high-density container workloads
  • Hyper-V isolation for stronger per-container security
  • Run containerised .NET Framework apps that cannot use Linux containers
  • Windows Server Core as the default container base image
🧪

Nano Server — minimal footprint OS

  • Headless, GUI-free installation mode with tiny disk footprint
  • Designed for container hosts, cloud-native apps and DNS/file roles
  • Much smaller attack surface compared to Server Core
  • Fewer patches required — faster update cycles
  • Note: only available as container base image in later versions
💿

Storage Spaces Direct (S2D)

  • Software-defined storage using local NVMe or SSD drives
  • Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) without SAN hardware
  • Fault tolerance via mirroring and parity across nodes
  • Scalable from 2 nodes to large clusters
  • Ideal for SQL Server and Hyper-V high-availability setups
🛡

Windows Defender ATP — first integration

  • Windows Defender ATP introduced natively in Server 2016
  • Advanced threat protection at the OS level
  • Credential Guard isolates domain credentials from theft
  • Device Guard prevents unauthorised code execution
  • Control Flow Guard (CFG) mitigates memory-based exploits
🧩

Legacy .NET Framework compatibility

  • Full support for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7.x
  • Best platform for ASP.NET Web Forms and WCF applications
  • COM+ and DCOM interop for legacy enterprise middleware
  • MSMQ, BITS and legacy IIS 10.0 ISAPI extension support
  • SQL Server 2012 and 2014 certified and fully supported
🔑

Active Directory and networking

  • Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) improvements
  • Privileged Access Workstations (PAW) and Just Enough Admin (JEA)
  • SMB 3.1.1 with pre-authentication integrity
  • Datacenter Firewall — SDN-based distributed firewall
  • Network Controller for Software Defined Networking (SDN)
Use cases

What to run on Windows Server 2016 VPS

From legacy .NET applications and older SQL Server versions to Forex trading bots, RDS, IIS and Windows Containers — Windows Server 2016 handles legacy and transitional workloads on fast AMD Ryzen hardware.

Legacy .NET Framework apps

Run ASP.NET Web Forms, WCF services, Windows Workflow Foundation and legacy COM-interop applications that cannot be migrated to .NET Core. Windows Server 2016 provides maximum compatibility for .NET 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7.x — the last Windows Server generation before .NET 5+ became mainstream.

.NET 3.5 / 4.x / WCF / COM

SQL Server 2012 & 2014 hosting

Host SQL Server 2012 and SQL Server 2014 workloads that require the Windows Server 2016 compatibility matrix. NVMe SSD provides high IOPS for demanding SQL workloads. Ideal for businesses running legacy database applications where an upgrade to SQL Server 2019 or 2022 has not yet been possible.

SQL 2012 / 2014 / 2016 / MSSQL

Forex trading & MT4/MT5

Run MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and Expert Advisors 24/7 on Windows Server 2016. MT4 was built for this era of Windows Server and runs with maximum compatibility. Deploy close to your broker's matching engine — New York, Frankfurt, London or Singapore — for the lowest possible latency.

MT4 / MT5 / EA / Forex

Windows Server 2008/2012 migration

Use Windows Server 2016 as a transitional platform when migrating from Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2. The compatibility with older software stacks means you can migrate in stages, testing each application on 2016 before deciding whether to continue upgrading to 2019 or 2022.

2008 R2 / 2012 R2 migration

Remote Desktop Services (RDS)

Multi-user RDP sessions, RemoteApp streaming and remote desktop for teams. Windows Server 2016 RDS is a mature, stable platform for providing Remote Desktop access to legacy Windows applications. Deploy an RDS session host with the 180-day EVAL license and full RDP access from day one.

RDP / RemoteApp / Multi-user

IIS and older ASP.NET hosting

Host ASP.NET 4.6/4.7 Web Forms, MVC and Web API applications on IIS 10.0 in Windows Server 2016. Ideal for web applications that depend on Windows-only COM components, NTLM authentication or Windows Integrated authentication and cannot be migrated to Linux hosting.

IIS 10 / ASP.NET 4.x / MVC

Windows Containers (v1)

Run Docker Windows Containers on the platform that introduced them. Windows Server 2016 is the baseline for Windows container images and is required for organisations that maintain container images built specifically for the 2016 base image for maximum legacy application compatibility.

Docker / Windows Containers / .NET FX

Automation & scheduled tasks

Run Python, C# and PowerShell automation scripts, crypto trading bots and scheduled background jobs 24/7. Windows Server 2016 supports Windows Task Scheduler, PowerShell 5.1 and Python for unattended automation — with full RDP access for monitoring and debugging.

PowerShell / Python / Task Scheduler
Version comparison

Windows Server 2016 vs 2019 vs 2022 vs 2025 vs 2012 — full comparison

Compare all five Windows Server versions side by side — support status, features, security and best use case for each.

Windows Server 2016 end of support: January 12, 2027. Security updates continue until that date. Planning an upgrade? Host4Fun offers Server 2019, Server 2022 and Server 2025 — all with 180-day EVAL license.
Feature
⭐ 2016 (this page)
2025
2022
2019
2012
Support status
Until Jan 2027
Until Oct 2034
Until Oct 2031
Until Jan 2029
EOL Oct 2023
180-day EVAL license
Included
Included
Included
Included
Included
Windows Containers
Yes (v1 — original)
Yes (latest)
Yes
Yes
No
Nano Server
Host OS option
Container only
Container only
Container only
No
Hotpatching
No
Native — no reboot
Azure only
No
No
Secured-core server
No
On by default
Available
No
No
TLS 1.3
No
Native
Native
Partial
No
Storage Spaces Direct
Yes (original)
Yes (enhanced)
Yes
Yes
No
Legacy .NET 3.5/4.x
Maximum compatibility
Supported
Supported
Supported
Supported
SQL Server 2012/2014 support
Certified & optimal
Limited
Limited
Supported
Supported
Best for
Legacy .NET, older SQL, migration path
New deployments, cloud-native, RDS
Production standard, IIS, SQL
RDS, legacy .NET, file servers
EOL — migrate now

All versions available at Host4Fun — Server 2025Server 2022Server 2019Server 2012 (EOL guide)

Simple process

Deploy Windows Server 2016 VPS in 3 steps

From order to live RDP session in under 5 minutes.

1

Choose your plan and location

Select a VPS plan from $5/month. Pick from 35+ global locations — Germany, Singapore, New York, UK, France and more. Choose the vCPU, RAM and NVMe storage that fits your legacy application workload. All plans include 10Gbps networking and AMD Ryzen cores.

2

Select Windows Server 2016

Choose Windows Server 2016 as your operating system. The 180-day EVAL license is automatically included at no extra cost. Administrator credentials and RDP connection details are provisioned automatically — no manual setup required.

3

Pay and connect via RDP

Complete payment by card, crypto or any supported method. Your Windows Server 2016 VPS provisions automatically and RDP credentials are emailed instantly. Open Remote Desktop Connection and you are logged in within minutes of ordering.

Transparent pricing

Windows Server 2016 VPS plans — from $5/month

All plans include Windows Server 2016 with 180-day EVAL license, full RDP access, NVMe SSD and AMD Ryzen on every tier.

Spark
Dev, testing and legacy app exploration
$5/mo
✦ Windows Server 2016 • 180-day EVAL
 
  • 1 vCPU AMD Ryzen core
  • 1 GB DDR5 RAM
  • 15 GB NVMe SSD
  • 2 TB bandwidth
  • 1 Gbps port
  • Full RDP access
  • 180-day EVAL license
  • IIS / ASP.NET ready
Deploy Now
Flux
Legacy .NET apps and SQL Express
$7/mo
✦ Windows Server 2016 • 180-day EVAL
 
  • 2 vCPU AMD Ryzen cores
  • 2 GB DDR5 RAM
  • 30 GB NVMe SSD
  • 4 TB bandwidth
  • 10 Gbps port
  • Full RDP access
  • SQL Server Express ready
  • Remote Desktop Services
Deploy Now
Most popular
Nova
SQL Server 2016/2019, RDS and production
$14/mo
✦ Windows Server 2016 • 180-day EVAL
 
  • 4 vCPU AMD Ryzen cores
  • 4 GB DDR5 RAM
  • 60 GB NVMe SSD
  • 8 TB bandwidth
  • 10 Gbps port
  • Full RDP access
  • SQL Server 2016/2019 ready
  • Priority support
Deploy Now
Titan
Enterprise, Hyper-V and high-load RDS
$28/mo
✦ Windows Server 2016 • 180-day EVAL
 
  • 6 vCPU AMD Ryzen cores
  • 8 GB DDR5 RAM
  • 120 GB NVMe SSD
  • 16 TB bandwidth
  • 10 Gbps port
  • Full RDP access
  • Hyper-V and AD DS ready
  • Priority support
Deploy Now
Server locations

Windows Server 2016 VPS in 35+ global locations

Deploy your Windows Server 2016 VPS close to your users or broker for fast RDP response times. All locations include the 180-day EVAL license.

USA & North America — Windows Server 2016 VPS
Europe — Windows Server 2016 VPS
Asia & Oceania — Windows Server 2016 VPS
Other Windows Server versions

Explore all Windows Server VPS options at Host4Fun

Windows Server 2025Hotpatching • Oct 2034 Windows Server 2022Production standard • Oct 2031 Windows Server 2019RDS & legacy .NET • Jan 2029 Windows Server 2012EOL — migration guide AlmaLinux VPSRHEL compatible • cPanel ready Rocky Linux VPSCommunity RHEL • from $5/mo Ubuntu VPSUbuntu 24.04 LTS • from $5/mo Debian VPSDebian 12 Bookworm • from $5/mo
Frequently asked questions

Windows Server 2016 VPS — your questions answered

Everything about Windows Server 2016 VPS hosting, EVAL licenses, legacy .NET, Nano Server, RDP, SQL Server and locations at Host4Fun.

Windows Server 2016 VPS hosting is a virtual private server running Microsoft Windows Server 2016 — the release that introduced Windows Containers, Nano Server as a host OS, Storage Spaces Direct and Windows Defender ATP. Host4Fun includes a 180-day EVAL license free with every plan, starting from $5/month on AMD Ryzen, DDR5 RAM and NVMe SSD across 35+ global locations. Full RDP access is included from the moment your VPS is deployed.
A Windows Server EVAL (evaluation) license is a fully functional copy of Windows Server 2016 that is valid for 180 days from first boot. There are no feature restrictions — every server role, feature and management tool is available. After 180 days the server enters a reduced-functionality mode where it shuts down every hour. You can convert to a full retail or volume licence key, redeploy with a fresh EVAL period, or migrate your workload. Host4Fun includes the EVAL licence with every Windows Server VPS plan at no extra charge.
Yes. Windows Server 2016 remains in extended support until January 12, 2027. Microsoft continues to release security patches and cumulative updates until that date. If you are running legacy applications that require Windows Server 2016, you have time to plan your upgrade path. After January 2027, Microsoft will not release further security updates unless you purchase Extended Security Updates (ESU). Host4Fun recommends planning a migration to Windows Server 2019, 2022 or 2025 before the end of support date.
Nano Server is a minimalist, headless installation option that was introduced as a host OS in Windows Server 2016. It has an extremely small footprint — no GUI, no local login — and was designed for container hosts, cloud-native microservices and lightweight DNS or file server roles. Nano Server has a much smaller attack surface and requires far fewer patches. Note: starting from Windows Server 2019, Nano Server is only available as a container base image, not as a host operating system. Windows Server 2016 is the only version where Nano Server can be used as the actual server OS.
Yes. Windows Server 2016 is the ideal platform for legacy .NET Framework applications. It provides full support for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.7.x. This makes it the best choice for ASP.NET Web Forms applications, WCF services, Windows Workflow Foundation (WWF), legacy COM+ interop and older MSMQ-based middleware that cannot be migrated to .NET Core or .NET 5+. If your application was built for Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016 provides the smoothest compatibility upgrade path.
Windows Server 2016 supports SQL Server 2012, SQL Server 2014, SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2017 and SQL Server 2019. It is the recommended platform for workloads that specifically require SQL Server 2012 or SQL Server 2014 certification. For newer deployments, SQL Server 2022 is also supported. SQL Server Express edition is free to download and install for smaller database workloads on any Host4Fun Windows Server 2016 VPS plan.
Yes. Every Host4Fun Windows Server 2016 VPS includes full Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) access. Administrator credentials are emailed as soon as your VPS is deployed. Connect using the built-in Remote Desktop Connection app on Windows, Microsoft Remote Desktop on macOS, or any compatible RDP client on Linux. Windows Server 2016 supports Network Level Authentication and TLS encryption for secure remote connections.
Windows Server 2016 was the first Windows Server release to support Windows Containers natively with Docker Engine integration. Windows Containers allow you to run containerised .NET Framework applications that cannot run in Linux containers. Two isolation modes are available: process isolation (shared kernel, high container density) and Hyper-V isolation (separate kernel per container for stronger security boundaries). Windows Server 2016 includes the original container runtime that all subsequent Windows Server versions build upon.
If your workloads can be migrated, planning an upgrade before January 2027 is recommended. Host4Fun offers all Windows Server versions — you can deploy a Windows Server 2019, 2022 or 2025 VPS alongside your existing 2016 instance, test compatibility, then migrate. However, if you have specific legacy software that only runs correctly on Windows Server 2016 and cannot be updated, you can continue running it on a Host4Fun VPS. Microsoft offers Extended Security Updates (ESU) after end of support for organisations that cannot immediately migrate.
Host4Fun Windows Server 2016 VPS is available in 35+ locations. In the USA: Atlanta, New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, San Jose, Ashburn, Phoenix, Las Vegas, North Carolina, Oregon and Utah. Canada is also available. In Europe: Germany (Frankfurt), UK (London), France (Paris), Netherlands (Amsterdam), Poland, Norway, Finland, Spain, Italy and Romania. In Asia-Pacific: Singapore, Japan (Tokyo), Malaysia and Australia (Sydney). All locations include the 180-day EVAL licence and full RDP access.
Your Windows Server 2016 VPS provisions automatically within minutes of completing payment. There is no manual provisioning queue — the deployment is fully automated. RDP credentials are emailed to you instantly once the VPS is live. In most cases you can open Remote Desktop Connection and be logged in to your new Windows Server 2016 VPS within 5 minutes of ordering.

Prefer Linux over Windows?

Host4Fun also offers high-performance Linux VPS — Ubuntu VPS, Debian VPS, AlmaLinux VPS and Rocky Linux VPS — all on the same AMD Ryzen, DDR5 and NVMe hardware. No licensing costs, full root access, cPanel and Plesk ready. Starting from $5/month across 35+ locations.

Linux VPS
Get started now

Deploy your Windows Server 2016 VPS today

From $5/month — 180-day EVAL license included, full RDP access, legacy .NET ready, Nano Server, Windows Containers. AMD Ryzen, NVMe SSD, 10Gbps. 35+ locations. Live in under 5 minutes.

Deploy Windows Server 2016 VPS now Choose location