MikroTik CHR VPS Hosting: Deploy RouterOS on a No-KYC Cloud VPS

MikroTik's Cloud Hosted Router (CHR) is the x86-64 virtual-machine edition of RouterOS. It provides the same core routing, firewall, VPN, traffic-management, and administrative capabilities available on MikroTik hardware, minus functions tied to physical components like wireless radios or switch-chip offloading. Here's what actually matters when choosing MikroTik CHR VPS hosting, the real resource and licensing numbers, and how to deploy on Packetra.

What to Look for in MikroTik CHR VPS Hosting

• Compatible virtualization. CHR needs a full virtual machine, not a container. KVM/QEMU, VMware ESXi, Hyper-V (Gen 1), VirtualBox, and Xen Server are all officially supported.
• Console access. A noVNC or HTML5 console matters if networking breaks and the router becomes unreachable over SSH.
• Virtio networking. On KVM, virtio-net interfaces support RouterOS v7's Fast Path; emulated adapters don't.
• Static IP addressing with a clear gateway, subnet, and IPv6 availability.
• CPU headroom. VPN encryption, connection tracking, and high packet rates can become CPU-bound before you hit any bandwidth cap.
• Traffic allowance vs. port speed. Check both the advertised interface speed and whether the plan is unmetered or has a monthly traffic cap.
• BGP policy, separately. CHR supports BGP, but that doesn't include an ASN or IP transit. Those must be arranged separately with the network provider.

CHR License Levels and Bandwidth Limits

CHR licensing is bandwidth-based, not feature-based. Every tier unlocks the full RouterOS feature set. The license only caps upload throughput per interface:

The license cap is only one part of real throughput. A P1 license doesn't guarantee 1 Gbps; actual performance depends on VPS CPU, packet size, firewall/connection-tracking load, VPN encryption overhead, and the virtual NIC in use.

Licenses are purchased and managed through a MikroTik.com account, not the VPS provider. Pricing varies by reseller and region, from roughly €35-45 for P1 up to €170-250 for P-Unlimited depending on where you buy, so check MikroTik's account portal for current rates rather than relying on a fixed number here. A perpetual license can be transferred to another CHR instance under the same MikroTik account, but not to a different account.

A 60-day trial is available at any paid tier, activated from RouterOS with /system/license/renew. If a licensed instance fails to renew before its deadline, it behaves as though the trial expired: existing configuration keeps running, but RouterOS upgrades and package changes are blocked until it's licensed again.

How Much RAM Does CHR Need?

The current MikroTik formula for RouterOS v7 is RAM (MiB) = 512 + [8 × CPU count × (interface count − 1)]. MikroTik recommends allocating at least 1024 MiB to a CHR instance regardless of the formula's output.

Treat that as a floor, not a performance guarantee. A basic VPN gateway, firewall, or lab router runs comfortably on 1-2GB. Full-table BGP, multiple peers, or heavy connection tracking need more. MikroTik doesn't publish one fixed number for this, since peer count, IPv4/IPv6 table size, and routing filters all affect memory use. Size up and monitor after deployment rather than assuming a fixed figure.

A Note on Single-Interface VPS

A standard VPS typically ships with one virtual network interface. That's enough for a VPN hub, tunnel gateway, route reflector, or lab environment. Routing between separate WAN and LAN segments usually needs additional virtual interfaces, private networking, VLAN support, or a routed subnet. Check with your provider if that's the use case.

Security Note Before You Deploy

CHR boots with the default admin user and no password. Set a strong password immediately, ideally create a separate administrator account and confirm it works before removing the default admin.

Disable every management service you don't use under IP → Services (Telnet, FTP, WebFig, unused API endpoints). Restrict remaining SSH/Winbox access to known source IPs, and build input-chain firewall rules that allow established connections and approved management traffic before dropping everything else.

If IPv6 is enabled, mirror those rules on the IPv6 firewall too. Securing only the IPv4 input chain can leave management services reachable over IPv6.

Deploying CHR on Packetra

Packetra's KVM VPS plans in Finland and Switzerland include MikroTik CHR directly in the OS selection list at deployment.

1. Order a full-control KVM Cloud VPS plan (1 Gbit or 10 Gbit line).
2. Select MikroTik CHR from the OS dropdown at setup.
3. Deploy. Console access is available immediately; SSH and Winbox once the instance finishes provisioning.
4. Log in with admin and no password, then set a strong password immediately and lock down unused services per the security notes above.
5. Apply a license through your MikroTik.com account if you need more than 1 Mbps.

Why Run CHR on Packetra

• No-KYC signup for the hosting account. Email and password only, no ID verification at any stage.
• Bitcoin and Monero accepted via a self-hosted BTCPay Server.
• Full-control KVM virtual machine, dedicated IPv4, optional IPv6, and DDoS protection included.
• Finland and Switzerland locations, both strong jurisdictions for network privacy and data protection law.

Note: Packetra's no-KYC signup applies to the hosting account. A separate MikroTik.com account is required to activate a CHR trial or manage a paid license, that's MikroTik's system, not Packetra's.

Cloud VPS Pricing (Switzerland)

The 1 Gbit lines are unmetered; the 10 Gbit lines carry a monthly traffic allowance instead, so a P10 license doesn't mean unlimited 10 Gbps traffic on those plans. Plan #1 suits labs, light routing, and smaller VPN setups. Plan #2 gives more headroom for connection tracking and additional tunnels. For full-table BGP or multiple peers, start larger and size up based on measured CPU and memory use. Finland pricing is lower at every tier with a smaller included traffic allowance; CPU, RAM, and storage specs are identical between the two locations at each plan level. See full pricing on the Switzerland Cloud VPS order page, or the Finland Cloud VPS order page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MikroTik CHR free?
Yes, CHR runs indefinitely on the Free license, capped at 1 Mbps upload per interface. That covers testing and low-traffic labs; production routing or VPN roles typically need P1 or higher.

Does a Packetra VPS include a paid CHR license?
No. CHR boots on MikroTik's Free license by default. P1, P10, and P-Unlimited are purchased and managed separately through your MikroTik.com account. The hosting fee and the MikroTik license are separate regardless of which VPS provider you use.

Can I run CHR on any VPS?
CHR needs a compatible virtual machine, not a container. KVM/QEMU is the most common choice, but VMware ESXi, Hyper-V (Gen 1), VirtualBox, and Xen Server are also supported. Container-based plans (OpenVZ, LXC) don't work.

Does installing CHR give me a public BGP session?
No. CHR includes full BGP protocol support, but an ASN, IP transit, a BGP session, and permission to announce your own prefixes all have to be arranged separately with a network provider.

Is a CHR license transferable?
Yes, between CHR instances under the same MikroTik.com account. It can't be moved to a different account.

Ready to deploy? Order a Switzerland or Finland Cloud VPS and select MikroTik CHR at checkout.

MikroTik, RouterOS, and Cloud Hosted Router are trademarks of SIA Mikrotīkls. Packetra is an independent hosting provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by MikroTik.