Home Validator vs VPS vs Dedicated Server: What Are You Actually Using?

One of the first infrastructure decisions for a validator operator is where to run the node.

There are three common approaches.

Home setup

Advantages:

• full hardware control;
• no hosting provider dependency;
• potentially lower long-term cost;
• contributes more to infrastructure decentralization.

Disadvantages:

• residential internet reliability;
• power outages;
• hardware maintenance;
• dynamic IP or networking issues;
• physical security.

VPS / cloud

Advantages:

• fast deployment;
• high uptime;
• easy remote management;
• simple scaling.

Disadvantages:

• recurring costs;
• shared infrastructure;
• potential provider concentration;
• bandwidth or storage limitations.

Dedicated server

Advantages:

• predictable performance;
• more CPU/RAM/storage resources;
• better for heavier nodes;
• easier to run multiple services.

Disadvantages:

• more expensive;
• still dependent on a hosting company;
• less geographically decentralized if many validators use the same providers.

For lightweight validators, a VPS can be enough. For archive nodes or high-throughput chains, requirements can become much more demanding.

I am curious what setups people here are actually running.

Home hardware, VPS, bare metal, or a hybrid setup?

Please include the network if possible, because infrastructure requirements vary massively between chains.