Which Windows Server is Best for your VPS? Windows Server 2019 or 2022

Updated on Apr 18, 2026
Mila H
8 MINS READ
Table of Contents
Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 vps hosting

Choosing between Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 VPS hosting depends on your security requirements, performance needs, and support timeline. Windows Server 2022 provides major improvements in network performance, security hardening, and hybrid cloud integration compared to Windows Server 2019.

In this guide, you can explore the key differences, performance benchmarks, compatibility considerations, and security features to make the best decision for your Windows VPS deployment.

Comparison Between Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 VPS

Choosing the right operating system is essential for your server's security and performance. This guide compares Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 VPS to help you decide which version best fits your Windows VPS needs.

Performance Comparison

Windows Server 2022 offers better performance than 2019 in network throughput, file transfer speeds, and remote access responsiveness. The UDP protocol enhancements in Windows Server 2022 reduce latency and increase throughput, which benefits real-time applications like VoIP, video streaming, and gaming servers.

Here is a detailed performance comparison between Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 VPS:

1. Network Performance:

Key network improvements in Windows Server 2022 include:

  • UDP throughput optimization: Better performance for high-traffic applications.
  • TLS 1.3 by default: Reduces connection handshake from two round-trips to one, which decreases latency.
  • SMB compression: Reduces file transfer times by up to 80% for compressible data.
  • Improved RDP responsiveness: Faster remote desktop sessions, especially with NVMe storage.

To verify TLS 1.3 is enabled on Windows Server 2022, you can run the following PowerShell command:

Bash
Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Server' -Name 'Enabled'

2. Storage and I/O Performance:

Windows Server 2022 provides optimized I/O operations for containerized workloads and faster disk performance than Windows Server 2019. The SMB compression feature brings the biggest benefits when transferring files over the network.

To enable SMB compression for file transfers in Windows Server 2022, you can use the following PowerShell command:

Bash
Copy-Item -Path "C:\source\*" -Destination "\\server\share\" -Recurse -CompressionLevel Optimal

For robocopy operations with SMB compression, you can use:

Bash
robocopy C:\source \\server\share /COMPRESS

3. CPU and Memory Efficiency:

Both Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2019 support up to 24 TB RAM and 640 logical processors, but Windows Server 2022 provides better efficiency. However, some benchmark tests show Windows Server 2019 has better CPU scaling under virtualized workloads.

To check your current server version and resources, you can use the command below:

Bash
Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem | Select-Object Caption, Version, BuildNumber, TotalVisibleMemorySize

4. Hardware Requirements:

Both Windows Server 2019 and 2022 share similar minimum requirements, but Windows Server 2022 adds an SLAT support requirement.

To verify hardware compatibility before deployment, check the processor architecture and virtualization support with the command below:

Bash
Get-CimInstance Win32_Processor | Select-Object Name, AddressWidth, VirtualizationFirmwareEnabled

Check TPM version, which is required for secured-core:

Bash
Get-Tpm | Select-Object TpmPresent, TpmReady, TpmEnabled, TpmActivated

Windows Server Security Features

Windows Server 2022 introduces multiple security improvements that make it more secure than Windows Server 2019.

1. Secured-core Server: It uses trusted hardware, Secure Boot, and virtualization-based security to help block firmware attacks. This feature is available only in Windows Server 2022.

To check if Secured-core is supported on your system, you can use the commands below from PowerShell:

Bash
# Check Secure Boot statusConfirm-SecureBootUEFI # Check TPM statusGet-Tpm # Check virtualization-based security statusGet-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_DeviceGuard -Namespace root\Microsoft\Windows\DevGuard

To enable Secured-core features via PowerShell, which requires a reboot, you can use the commands below:

Bash
# Enable Memory Integrity (HVCI)Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard\Scenarios\HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity" -Name "Enabled" -Value 1 # Enable Credential GuardSet-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa" -Name "LsaCfgFlags" -Value 1 # Enable System Guard Secure LaunchSet-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard" -Name "EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity" -Value 1

2. TLS 1.3 Support: Windows Server 2022 enables TLS 1.3 by default, which provides faster and more secure encrypted connections than Windows Server 2019.

To verify TLS 1.3 configuration, you can run:

Bash
Get-TlsCipherSuite | Where-Object {$_.Protocols -contains 'TLS13'}

3. SMB over QUIC: This feature allows encrypted file access over the internet without requiring a VPN. It's only available in Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Azure Edition.

4. DNS-over-HTTPS: Windows Server 2022 supports DoH to encrypt DNS queries and prevent eavesdropping.

To configure DNS-over-HTTPS, you can use the commands below:

Bash
# Add DNS-over-HTTPS serverAdd-DnsClientDohServerAddress -ServerAddress '1.1.1.1' -DohTemplate 'https://cloudflare-dns.com/dns-query' # Enable DNS-over-HTTPSSet-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" -ServerAddresses ("1.1.1.1")

Here is a comparison table for security features between Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 VPS:

Feature Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2022
Secured-core Server Not available Available
Default TLS Version TLS 1.2 TLS 1.3
SMB Encryption AES-128 AES-256
DNS-over-HTTPS Not available Available
SMB over QUIC Not available Available (Azure Edition)
Hardware Stack Protection Not available Available

5. Windows Defender Configuration: Both versions include Windows Defender, but Server 2022 has enhanced Application Control.

To verify Windows Defender status and update Windows Defender definitions, you can use the commands below:

Bash
Get-MpComputerStatus | Select-Object AntivirusEnabled, RealTimeProtectionEnabled, IoavProtectionEnabled Update-MpSignature

Application Compatibility in Windows Server

Windows Server 2022 runs most applications built for Windows Server 2019 and older versions without issues. Most applications run without modification, but legacy software may require specific compatibility settings.

1. Checking Application Compatibility: To verify application compatibility for critical software, use the commands below:

Bash
# Check installed applicationsGet-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Select-Object Name, Version # Check running servicesGet-Service | Where-Object {$_.Status -eq "Running"}

2. Legacy Application Support: For legacy applications, Windows Server includes compatibility features. To enable compatibility mode for a specific application:

  • Right-click the application executable.
  • Select Properties.
  • Navigate to the Compatibility tab.
  • Check Run this program in compatibility mode for.
  • Select the appropriate Windows version, such as Windows Server 2016, Windows 8, etc.

For Server Core installations, you can install the Application Compatibility Feature:

Bash
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name ServerCore.AppCompatibility~~~~0.0.1.0

3. Microsoft Server Applications Compatibility: Microsoft provides official compatibility lists for Windows Server 2022. Applications like SQL Server, Exchange Server, and SharePoint Server are supported with specific version requirements.

Support Lifecycle in Windows Server

How long Microsoft supports each version matters when planning a VPS that will run for several years. Here is the support lifecycle between Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 VPS:

  • Windows Server 2019: Security updates until January 9, 2029
  • Windows Server 2022: Security updates until October 13, 2031

Windows Server 2022 provides an additional 2 years of support, which makes it the better choice for new deployments.

To check your current patch level, you can run this command in PowerShell:

Bash
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 10 HotFixID, Description, InstalledOn

To check for available updates, you can use the following commands:

Bash
# Install PSWindowsUpdate module firstInstall-Module PSWindowsUpdate -Force # Check for updatesGet-WindowsUpdate # Install updatesInstall-WindowsUpdate -AcceptAll -AutoReboot

Hybrid Cloud Integration in Windows Server

Windows Server 2022 includes better integration with Azure than Server 2019.

  • Azure Arc: Full integration in Server 2022 vs. limited support in 2019.
  • Azure Hybrid Benefit: Optimized licensing for hybrid scenarios.
  • Azure Security Center integration: Enhanced monitoring and threat detection.

To install the Azure Arc agent on Windows Server 2022, you can follow these steps:

Bash
# Download and install Azure Connected Machine agent$env:SUBSCRIPTION_ID = "your-subscription-id"$env:RESOURCE_GROUP = "your-resource-group"$env:TENANT_ID = "your-tenant-id"$env:LOCATION = "eastus"$env:AUTH_TYPE = "token" # Download the installation scriptInvoke-WebRequest -Uri https://aka.ms/azcmagent-windows -OutFile AzureConnectedMachineAgent.msi # Install the agentmsiexec /i AzureConnectedMachineAgent.msi /qn # Connect to Azure Arcazcmagent connect --subscription-id $env:SUBSCRIPTION_ID --resource-group $env:RESOURCE_GROUP --tenant-id $env:TENANT_ID --location $env:LOCATION

Container and Kubernetes Support

While both versions handle Windows containers, Windows Server 2022 improves performance with smaller image sizes and better support for Kubernetes networking. This makes it more efficient for running modern and containerized applications on your VPS.

To enable the containers feature, you can use:

Bash
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Containers -Restart

To install Docker on Windows Server, follow these steps:

Bash
# Install Docker providerInstall-Module -Name DockerMsftProvider -Force # Install DockerInstall-Package -Name docker -ProviderName DockerMsftProvider -Force # Start Docker serviceStart-Service Docker

To verify Docker installation on Windows Server, run:

Bash
docker versiondocker run hello-world

Remote Desktop Protocol Configuration

Both versions support RDP, but Windows Server 2022 provides better configuration.

To enable Remote Desktop, you can use:

Bash
Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server' -Name "fDenyTSConnections" -Value 0 Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop"

To configure the RDP security level, you can run:

Bash
# Set to require Network Level AuthenticationSet-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp' -Name "UserAuthentication" -Value 1

Which Windows Server Version Should You Choose? 2019 or 2022?

Deciding between Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 VPS depends on your specific needs for security, performance, and application compatibility. Here is a recommendation to choose the right OS for your VPS:

Choose Windows Server 2022 if you need:

  • Enhanced security features, such as Secured-core, TLS 1.3, and SMB over QUIC.
  • Better network performance for high-traffic applications.
  • Longer support lifecycle until October 2031.
  • Azure hybrid cloud integration.
  • SMB compression for file-heavy workloads.

Choose Windows Server 2019 if you need:

  • Compatibility with legacy applications not yet tested in 2022.
  • Lower resource usage in specific virtualized workloads.
  • Existing infrastructure standardized on 2019.
  • Budget limits and lower licensing costs.

For new Windows VPS deployments, Windows Server 2022 is the recommended choice due to its security improvements, extended support timeline, and performance enhancements.

Conclusion

At this point, you have learned the key differences between Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 VPS. Windows Server 2022 offers stronger security, including TLS 1.3, and faster networking, which makes it the best choice for new servers. Use Windows Server 2019 only if you need specific compatibility for older legacy applications.

We hope you enjoy this guide on Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 VPS. Subscribe to our X and Facebook channels to get the latest updates and articles.

For a secure and high-performance foundation, we recommend deploying Windows Server 2022 with Perlod Hosting for your next Windows VPS project.

Yes, you can upgrade directly without losing your files and settings. Always create a full backup or snapshot first to be safe.

No, the minimum RAM requirements are identical. Server 2022 is optimized to run efficiently on modern hardware despite its new features.

Yes. Improved network protocols and features like SMB compression make file transfers and web applications significantly faster on Windows Server 2022.

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