Starlight™ Virtual Machines updates

July 2025

New Prepaid billing option for Starlight™ Virtual Machines

We’ve added a prepaid billing option for Starlight™ Virtual Machines, giving you more predictable costs and greater control over your budget.

This new prepaid billing option is up to 28% cheaper than pay-as-you-go, and lets you select a fixed rate at a billing cycle of your choice, whether that’s monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Prepaid billing lets you plan ahead and avoid unexpected charges with no change to technical functionality. 

May 2025

Launch cPanel on Starlight™ VMs. You bring the license, we handle the setup

You can now add cPanel during deployment or reinstallation of your Starlight™ Virtual Machine, giving you an easier, faster path to launching and managing hosting environments, websites, or client accounts.

The cPanel bundle includes all necessary software pre-installed for cPanel and WebHost Manager — no manual setup required. You can add it to your Starlight™ Virtual Machine in just one click. 

To start using cPanel, you’ll need an active license, which you can bring with you or purchase directly from cPanel or your preferred provider.

Skip the manual setup

Get up and running with cPanel and WHM pre-installed — no manual setup or configuration required. Everything you need is ready to go, so you can focus on launching websites, managing hosting environments, or serving your clients faster.

Full server control

Access WHM directly from Starlight™ Manager after deployment. Configure your server, create cPanel accounts, manage DNS, and monitor usage.

Built-in guidance

Need help activating your licence or sending an email? You’ll get clear instructions right in your panel, so nothing slows you down.

Integrate your email

Native cPanel email isn’t supported yet. But you can start sending emails immediately using third-party tools like SendGrid and Mailgun.

Clean, compatible setup

Available for AlmaLinux 9 and supported VM configurations only. If your VM doesn’t meet the requirements, you’ll see exactly why. No confusion, no broken installs.

How it works

1. Install the cPanel bundle with a single click during VM deploy or reinstallation.
2. Installation takes 10–15 minutes and is tracked live in Starlight™ Manager.
3. Once done, access WHM and follow the built-in guides.

Launch with confidence

Whether you're managing a single app or dozens of websites, installing cPanel on your Starlight™ Virtual Machine gives you the flexibility of a dedicated hosting panel — without the technical overhead.

Start faster. Scale smarter. Stay in control.

April 2025

Starlight™ VMs land in Singapore – your gateway to Asia

Starlight™ Virtual Machines are now available in our Singapore Data Center, making It easier than ever to reach global audiences. 

With this new deployment region, you can have low latency and high speeds for Asia-based visitors, all while enjoying the same experience you’re used to.

It’s 100% powered by renewable energy and ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certified, reflecting our commitment to energy efficiency.

• Unified configuration — your VM settings stay consistent across all data centers, no extra setup needed.
• Same pricing, everywhere — deploy in Singapore at the same price as your US data centers.
• Simplified management —  manage all your VMs from a single account, no matter the location.

Whether you're scaling your app or optimizing global delivery, get the reliability, power and security your workload demands. Grow faster, without complexity.

March 2025

Monitor your Virtual Machine’s resources

We’re excited to announce a new feature for Starlight™ Virtual Machines (VMs) – real-time monitoring within Starlight™ Manager.

This enhancement provides detailed insights into your VM’s resource consumption, helping you track performance and optimize usage. Now, you can track CPU, RAM, Network Traffic, Disk Usage, and Disk I/O directly from your dashboard.

To access this feature:

• Open Starlight™ Manager and click on your VM.
• Choose Monitoring from the split panel.
• In the ‘Monitoring’ menu, click on Explore monitoring graphs.
• View your VM's resource usage.

This update helps you better control your VM’s performance by optimizing resources and making decisions based on real insights. Stay tuned for more improvements! 

Track your current VM usage cost

We’re excited to introduce “Month to date” usage in Starlight™ Manager, giving you real-time cost tracking. It shows the total cost of your services from the beginning of the current billing cycle up to the present moment. 

This update gives you more control over your spending, helps you avoid unexpected charges, and ensures full transparency in your billing. Simply go to Starlight™ Manager, click Manage in the Virtual Machines Manager section, and instantly view your current month-to-date usage cost:

To help you plan ahead, we also include an estimated usage amount based on your current month-to-date spending in the renewal email notification, which is sent five days before your payment date.

November 2024

Additional software packages

We’re pleased to introduce additional software packages, that simplify software installation during Virtual Machine (VM) deployment or reinstallation.

With additional software packages, you can:

• Choose compatible software packages based on OS and VM specs.
• Automatically install chosen software packages during VM deployment or reinstallation.

The first software package available is OpenLiteSpeed WordPress on MariaDB for Ubuntu, which allows you to easily configure your WordPress in Starlight™ Manager after VM deployment or reinstallation.

September 2024

We’re very happy to introduce Starlight™, which brings our next-generation Virtual Machines (VMs) — empowering users with control and flexibility over virtual private servers. 

In the initial release, choose from nine configurations designed for every requirement, offering the chance to prioritize CPU, RAM, or power. Enjoy pay-as-you-go billing that allows you to pay after you use your VM, for how much you used. 

In Starlight™ Manager, you can find these features in the initial release:

1. Server management:

• Switch off/on: Turn your VM on or off as needed.
• Reboot/reset: Reboot your VM, or reset (force restart) for immediate troubleshooting.
• Root password: Reset/update your root password when you need to.
• Destroy: Stop billing by removing your VM when it’s no longer in use.
• Reinstall: Start your VM from scratch at any time. 

2. Access and security:

• SSH keys: Use for secure and convenient access to your server.
• Remote console/connection: Connect to your server remotely.

3. Available operating systems:

• Ubuntu
• AlmaLinux
• Fedora
• RockyLinux
• Debian
• CentOS

4. Feedback form:

• Leave feedback on your experience using your VM
• Request new features

Our planned features for future releases:

1. Access and security:

• Command line (terminal): Get direct access for advanced control.

2. Server customization:

• Change hostname: Update and customize the hostname of your VM.
• Volume: Expand your storage capacity by adding volume.
• Location: Deploy your VM in multiple geographical locations for improved performance and redundancy.

For more updates and enhancements — watch this space. We are committed to providing powerful, flexible, and user-friendly virtual private servers that support growing business needs.