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A Lightning node has one job that a laptop does badly: stay online. Rent a server for it, pick the Bitcoin backend that suits your budget, and pay without a card. A small node starts at $9.50 a month, a full routing setup is $23.75.
Prices are for Romania on a one-month term; a 12-month term takes 50% off. Both include the Bitcoin backend on the same server.
or $4.75/mo on a 12-month term (−50%)
Smallest setup that is still fully self-validating. Old blocks are not kept, so rescanning very old history needs a peer and some patience.
Configure and orderor $11.88/mo on a 12-month term (−50%)
Bitcoin Core with all blocks plus LND on one server. This is the usual routing-node layout.
Configure and orderLND is light. Lightning Labs lists 2 GB of RAM, a 1 GHz quad core and 5 GB of storage as the floor for LND itself. The heavy part is the Bitcoin backend it asks for blocks and transactions, and you have three choices:
Whatever you choose, three habits matter more than the hardware.
Channels rely on you noticing a force-close within the timelock window. A node on a home connection that drops for a weekend is a real risk. A server with a datacenter connection is why people move their node here.
Your seed phrase restores on-chain funds, not your channels. LND writes a static channel backup (channel.backup) that lets a peer help you close channels if the disk dies. Copy it somewhere else every time it changes. Never restore an old full channel database: that can be punished as a cheating attempt.
Funds in channels sit on a server that is online. Keep only what you are willing to risk there, and keep the rest in cold storage.
Check each key against the current LND documentation before you use it; options move between releases.
server=1
zmqpubrawblock=tcp://127.0.0.1:28332
zmqpubrawtx=tcp://127.0.0.1:28333
# pruned backend: also set prune=10000 (see the Bitcoin node page)[Application Options]
alias=my-node
listen=0.0.0.0:9735
[Bitcoin]
bitcoin.active=1
bitcoin.mainnet=1
bitcoin.node=bitcoind
[Bitcoind]
bitcoind.rpchost=127.0.0.1
bitcoind.rpcuser=CHANGE_ME
bitcoind.rpcpass=CHANGE_ME_TOO
bitcoind.zmqpubrawblock=tcp://127.0.0.1:28332
bitcoind.zmqpubrawtx=tcp://127.0.0.1:28333[tor]
tor.active=true
tor.v3=true
tor.streamisolation=true
# with Tor-only, remove the listen= line abovelnd &
lncli create # writes your seed phrase: store it offline
lncli getinfo # synced_to_chain should become true
sudo ufw allow 9735/tcp # peers only. Keep 10009 (gRPC) closed| Full Bitcoin Core | Pruned Core | Neutrino | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extra disk | ~780 GB today | 12 to 22 GB | Small (headers and filters) |
| Validates blocks itself | Yes | Yes | No, trusts peers for filters |
| Old-history rescans | Fast | Fetches from peers | Via filters |
| Best for | Routing nodes, BTCPay | Small personal nodes | Light setups, testing |
| Build here | 4 vCPU · 8 GB · 1 TB | 2 vCPU · 4 GB · 120 GB | 2 vCPU · 4 GB · 60 GB |
| Price here (Romania, 1 month) | $23.75 | $9.50 | $8.50 |
Neutrino and pruned-backend behaviour follows the LND documentation. Prices are the catalogue price of the build named in the row.
A public Lightning node announces its public key and IP address to the gossip network, and its channels are visible on-chain. Nobody can hide that. What you can control is whether the server behind it is tied to your identity.
Be realistic about the limits. Opening and closing channels are on-chain events. If you fund them from an exchange account in your name, that link exists regardless of where the node runs.
LND itself needs at least 2 GB of RAM, a 1 GHz quad core and 5 GB of storage, according to Lightning Labs. The disk you actually buy is decided by the Bitcoin backend: about 12 to 22 GB for a pruned Core, about 780 GB for a full one.
Yes. The LND documentation allows a pruned backend and warns that very aggressive pruning can affect performance. It is the cheapest setup that still validates the chain itself. Rescanning for old transactions is slower because missing blocks have to come from peers.
It is safe if you treat the node as a hot wallet. Keep only the funds you can afford to lose in channels, secure SSH with keys, never expose the gRPC port and store your seed phrase and channel backup offline. Our 15-minute hardening guide covers the server side.
Your channels stay open, but you cannot respond to a peer that tries to close with an old state until the node is back. That is why uptime matters. LND also supports a watchtower client that asks a third party to watch for you while you are offline.
No. You create an account with a generated login, top up with Bitcoin, Monero, USDT or other coins, and deploy. See no-KYC VPS hosting.
Any implementation that runs on Linux: LND, Core Lightning, Eclair or LDK-based nodes. The sizes on this page were worked out for LND and Core Lightning, which have similar needs.
Yes, and most routing nodes do. The full build above has 8 GB of RAM and a 1 TB NVMe disk so both fit comfortably. Give Bitcoin Core a 2 to 4 GB dbcache during the first sync, then lower it.
Checked 19 October 2026. Chain sizes and software requirements change, so confirm against the source before you order.
Pick a size, pay in crypto, log in as root within minutes. No ID, no card.
