--- title: "How to monitor VPS resources with htop and Netdata | StreetHosting" description: "Watch your VPS CPU, RAM, disk and network in real time with htop and the Netdata dashboard. Learn to read the numbers, spot bottlenecks and when to upgrade." url: "https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata" type: "page" language: "en-US" --- VPS · 3 min · Intermediate Published on Jun 17, 2026 · Updated on Jun 17, 2026 # Monitor VPS resources with htop and Netdata You only know you need a bigger plan once you can see the numbers. htop gives you a quick snapshot in the terminal, and Netdata gives you a full dashboard with CPU, RAM and disk history. By [Equipe StreetHosting](https://streethosting.com.br/en/autores#equipe-streethosting) · StreetHosting infrastructure and support team [Monitoring and alerts](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/monitoring) [Hardware and datacenter](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/hardware) Summarize with: [](https://chat.openai.com/?q=Summarize%20the%20key%20points%20of%20this%20StreetHosting%20guide%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fvps%2Fmonitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata.%20Highlight%20the%20step-by-step%20instructions%2C%20the%20prerequisites%20and%20the%20most%20common%20mistakes. "ChatGPT") [](https://claude.ai/new?q=Summarize%20the%20key%20points%20of%20this%20StreetHosting%20guide%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fvps%2Fmonitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata.%20Highlight%20the%20step-by-step%20instructions%2C%20the%20prerequisites%20and%20the%20most%20common%20mistakes. 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"Perplexity") Share: [](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20to%20monitor%20VPS%20resources%20with%20htop%20and%20Netdata&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fvps%2Fmonitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata "Share on X") [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fvps%2Fmonitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata "Share on Facebook") [](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fvps%2Fmonitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata "Share on LinkedIn") [](https://wa.me/?text=How%20to%20monitor%20VPS%20resources%20with%20htop%20and%20Netdata%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fvps%2Fmonitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata "Share on WhatsApp") For agents: Copy as Markdown [.md](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata.md) In this guide 5 sections * [Why monitor](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#por-que-monitorar) * [htop in the terminal](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#htop) * [The Netdata dashboard](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#netdata) * [Reading the numbers](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#ler-numeros) * [When to upgrade your plan](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#quando-subir) Quick answer To monitor your VPS, use **htop** in the terminal for a quick snapshot of CPU, RAM and processes, and **Netdata** for a web dashboard with CPU, memory, disk and network history. The numbers show bottlenecks before they turn into downtime and tell you when to optimize or upgrade your plan. ## Why monitor[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#por-que-monitorar) Without data, decisions turn into guesses. Monitoring shows whether the slowness comes from a lack of CPU, RAM or disk, and it reveals trends before the service goes down. It is the perfect complement to external uptime monitoring, such as [Uptime Kuma](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/uptime-kuma-vps-monitoring), which alerts you when something goes offline. ## htop in the terminal[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#htop) htop shows, on a single screen, the usage of each core, the memory and a list of processes sorted by consumption. It is the tool for quickly answering which process is eating the CPU right now. Install it and open it whenever something feels slow. In htop, sort by CPU or by memory to find the culprit right away. The process at the top is usually the cause of the problem you are investigating. ## The Netdata dashboard[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#netdata) Netdata goes beyond a snapshot: it keeps history and draws per-second charts of practically everything on the machine. With it, you can investigate a spike that happened in the middle of the night or compare consumption before and after a change. It is the ideal dashboard for anyone who takes operations seriously. ## Reading the numbers[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#ler-numeros) | Signal | What it indicates | Action | | ----------------------------- | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | Swap always in use | Not enough RAM | Optimize or upgrade the plan | | CPU saturated for a long time | Not enough CPU | Optimize the load or get more clock speed | | Disk almost full | Running out of space | Clean up or expand the disk | | Network at the limit | Bandwidth saturated | Review traffic and plan | ## When to upgrade your plan[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#quando-subir) * Swap in constant use because of low RAM * CPU saturated at peak for a sustained period * Disk often close to the limit * Recurring spikes that hurt the experience When the signs show up often, it is time to act. Work out the right size in [how much VPS you need](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/how-much-vps-do-i-need) and explore the lines in [Ryzen VPS](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps/ryzen) and [Xeon VPS](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps/xeon). In this guide * [Why monitor](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#por-que-monitorar) * [htop in the terminal](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#htop) * [The Netdata dashboard](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#netdata) * [Reading the numbers](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#ler-numeros) * [When to upgrade your plan](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/monitor-vps-resources-htop-netdata#quando-subir) ## Frequently asked questions What is the difference between htop and Netdata? htop is a quick view in the terminal, great for a one-off diagnosis. Netdata is a web dashboard with charts and history, better for following trends and investigating past spikes. Is Netdata heavy on a VPS? It uses some resources, but it is light for what it delivers. On small VPS plans, reduce the history retention. The visibility you gain usually outweighs the cost of running the dashboard. How do I know I am running out of RAM? When memory sits close to the limit and the system starts using swap often, performance drops. Constant swap usage is a clear sign that you do not have enough RAM for the current load. Is 100 percent CPU always bad? Not always. Short spikes are normal. The problem is a CPU that stays saturated, with the process queue growing. That is when the service slows down and it is time to optimize or upgrade your plan. Next step See VPS plans Root VPS in Brazil with NVMe and Anti-DDoS. [See VPS plans](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps) [See Ryzen VPS Ryzen 9 9950X VPS in São Paulo with root access, NVMe and gamer Anti-DDoS.](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps/ryzen) [See Xeon VPS Xeon VPS for steady workloads, automation and long-running projects.](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps/xeon) ## Related guides [VPS Intermediate How to install Uptime Kuma on a VPS and monitor sites and ports Uptime Kuma checks sites, APIs, ports and scheduled jobs at set intervals and alerts you when something goes down. Here is how to install it with Docker, serve it over HTTPS, pick the right monitor type and turn on alerts. 8 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/uptime-kuma-vps-monitoring) [VPS Advanced How to automate VPS backups with restic and cron A backup that depends on you remembering does not work. With restic and cron you create encrypted snapshots, send them off the VPS, control retention and test restores without daily effort. 9 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/vps-backup-restic-cron) [VPS Beginner How much VPS do I need for my project A plan that is too small takes your service down, and one that is too big wastes money. Here is how to estimate CPU, RAM, disk and bandwidth by project type and scale up based on data. 3 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/how-much-vps-do-i-need) [← Back to the Guide Center](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides)