---
title: FAQ
url: https://docs.vultr.com/products/compute/instances/bare-metal/faq
description: Frequently asked questions and answers about Vultr's products, services, and platform features.
publish_date: 2024-09-23T20:20:20.486185Z
last_updated: 2026-05-26T18:49:28.291246Z
---

# Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Bare Metal

These are the frequently asked questions for Vultr Bare Metal instances.

???+ note "How do Vultr Bare Metal instances differ from Vultr Cloud Compute instances?"

    Bare Metal instances offer direct access to dedicated servers without any virtualization layer while Vultr Cloud Compute instances are deployed in a virtualized cloud environment. Bare Metal grants you unrestricted access to the underlying physical servers making the instances suitable for most resource intensive workloads.

??? note "Can I install custom software and drivers on a Vultr Bare Metal instance?"

    Yes, you can install custom software and drivers on a Vultr Bare Metal instance. You can use Cloud-Init to enable the automatic installation of specific packages during the initial boot phase.

??? note "Can I upgrade a Vultr Bare Metal instance?"

    No, you cannot upgrade a Vultr Bare Metal instance.

??? note "Does a Vultr Bare Metal instance incur any charges when stopped?"

    Yes, a stopped instance incurs normal charges as it would while running. However, the instance does not incur any charges when destroyed which may lead to data loss.

??? note "What operating systems are supported for Vultr Bare Metal instances?"

    All operating systems except for OpenBSD and FreeBSD images are supported on Vultr Bare Metal instances. Use the iPXE boot feature to install a custom operating system on your instance.