low cost VPS server: where does your SSH public key go?

If you want a key installed before first login, use the provider's documented image-creation flow where it is available; OVHcloud and netcup describe it for VPS/server setup, while the IONOS Cloud Panel guide documents key injection for Cloud Server creation, so confirm the exact VPS order flow before relying on it.

Checked October 10, 2026 · English-language provider documentation · no price comparison · Evidence and number sources

What each control panel documents

Provider	Documented setup point	Where the public key goes	Boundary to check
OVHcloud	VPS OS installation or reinstallation	Paste a key or choose one stored in the Control Panel; the selected compatible OS receives it.	The guide warns that reinstallation formats server disks. Treat this as a rebuild step, not a key-only edit. A
IONOS	Cloud Panel server creation	The guide says the Cloud Panel inserts the public key into `/root/.ssh/authorized_keys`; it also describes disabling SSH password authentication during setup.	The page is titled for Cloud Server creation. The documentation reviewed does not establish that every VPS order flow exposes the same key field. C D
netcup	SCP setup using an official image	Store, view or delete public keys in SCP, then select a stored key during server setup; installation places it on the server.	The image guide says installing a new operating system removes the server disk contents. E F

These are documented setup paths, not a live account test. A listed workflow does not prove that a key is installed on an existing server without reinstalling it.

The key pair has two different destinations

Your public key is the part you give the provider or place in the server's SSH authorization file. Your private key stays on your own computer. The private key is what proves that your client is allowed to use the matching public key; never paste or upload it to a provider panel. C D

The practical question is whether the panel installs the public key while it creates the operating system, or whether you must first sign in and add it yourself. Check that distinction before ordering: the first route can save a first-login password step, while the second requires an existing working access method. That is a workflow distinction, not a security ranking of the providers.

A safe pre-order checklist

Generate a key pair on the computer you will actually use. Keep the private key there and protect it with a passphrase.
Identify the public-key text, commonly the file ending in .pub. Read the provider's field label and submit only that public part.
Check whether the panel attaches the key during new-image setup, during a rebuild, or after first login. Do not assume that a stored key automatically reaches an already running VPS.
Check the operating-system image and login account supported by that key. The selected user can differ by image.
Keep a recovery route available until you have tested a new SSH session with the key. Do not disable password access until the key login succeeds and you know how to regain access.
Before any reinstallation, read the provider's data-loss warning and make a separate backup you can access.

This checklist is operational guidance derived from the provider workflows above; it is not a claim that we created or tested a VPS.

Questions buyers ask

Can I upload my SSH private key to the VPS provider?

No. Give the provider only the public key. Keep the matching private key under your control; the IONOS documentation explicitly describes the private key as local while the public key is stored in the panel and installed on the server. C D

Does adding a key in the control panel update a running VPS?

The pages reviewed describe key selection during setup, OS installation or reinstallation. They do not establish a universal, in-place key update for a running server. Confirm the exact action for your product before treating a saved panel key as active.

How to use this comparison

Match the documentation scope to the product in your cart. For each provider, this page records the documented panel action, where the public key is written, and the important workflow limit. It does not infer an undocumented feature from a different server product.

For OVHcloud and netcup, the cited steps involve OS installation or reinstallation, which can erase server data. For IONOS, the cited key-injection instructions are on a Cloud Server creation page; check your specific VPS purchase flow rather than assuming the Cloud Server screen is identical. No account, key, order or server was changed for this review.

Download the dated check table

The CSV repeats the provider-specific action and scope limits above. Blank or unverified behavior is not treated as a supported feature.

Download the CSV check table

Evidence rows checked October 10, 2026.

Evidence and number sources

A — OVHcloud, VPS — Management from the OVHcloud Control Panel. The VPS guide says a public key may be pasted or selected from a key stored in the Control Panel when installing/reinstalling a compatible operating system; it warns reinstallation formats server disks. Last updated January 21, 2026. Checked October 10, 2026.
B — OVHcloud, How to secure a VPS. Recommends configuring and testing SSH-key access before disabling password login; the page is VPS-specific. Last updated January 21, 2026. Checked October 10, 2026.
C — IONOS, Creating a Cloud Server. The creation workflow permits selecting or importing public keys for Linux and says the public key is entered in /root/.ssh/authorized_keys; it describes Cloud Server creation, so this page does not by itself verify every VPS order screen. Checked October 10, 2026.
D — IONOS, Important security information for your Linux server, part 1. Says the private key stays on the user's computer and describes console access for Cloud Server and VPS; its key-injection note refers to Cloud Server creation. Checked October 10, 2026.
E — netcup, Server Control Panel Home Page. SCP can add, view and delete public keys and make them selectable during official-image server setup. Last updated June 3, 2026. Checked October 10, 2026.
F — netcup, Media. Describes selecting stored SSH keys in SCP when installing an image and warns that installing a new operating system removes hard-drive contents. Last updated July 20, 2026. Checked October 10, 2026.