diff --git a/src/agent/application.cpp b/src/agent/application.cpp
index 6d7499676bc..c9a5598f2ff 100644
--- a/src/agent/application.cpp
+++ b/src/agent/application.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ Application::Application(const std::string               &aInterfaceName,
     , mDBusAgent(mNcp, mBorderAgent.GetPublisher())
 #endif
 #if OTBR_ENABLE_VENDOR_SERVER
-    , mVendorServer(mNcp)
+    , mVendorServer(vendor::VendorServer::newInstance(mNcp))
 #endif
 {
     OTBR_UNUSED_VARIABLE(aRestListenAddress);
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ void Application::Init(void)
     mDBusAgent.Init();
 #endif
 #if OTBR_ENABLE_VENDOR_SERVER
-    mVendorServer.Init();
+    mVendorServer->Init();
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/agent/application.hpp b/src/agent/application.hpp
index 9bfeee33e66..4d392c33063 100644
--- a/src/agent/application.hpp
+++ b/src/agent/application.hpp
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ class Application : private NonCopyable
     DBus::DBusAgent mDBusAgent;
 #endif
 #if OTBR_ENABLE_VENDOR_SERVER
-    vendor::VendorServer mVendorServer;
+    std::shared_ptr<vendor::VendorServer> mVendorServer;
 #endif
 
     static std::atomic_bool sShouldTerminate;
diff --git a/src/agent/vendor.hpp b/src/agent/vendor.hpp
index 833072225ed..39912c9c0c5 100644
--- a/src/agent/vendor.hpp
+++ b/src/agent/vendor.hpp
@@ -45,25 +45,21 @@ class VendorServer
 {
 public:
     /**
-     * The constructor of vendor server.
-     *
-     * @param[in] aNcp  A reference to the NCP controller.
+     * Creates a new instance of VendorServer.
      *
+     * Custom vendor servers should implement this method to return an object of the derived class.
      */
-    VendorServer(otbr::Ncp::ControllerOpenThread &aNcp)
-        : mNcp(aNcp)
-    {
-    }
+    static std::shared_ptr<VendorServer> newInstance(otbr::Ncp::ControllerOpenThread &aNcp);
 
     /**
-     * This method initializes the vendor server.
+     * Initializes the vendor server.
      *
+     * This will be called by `Application::Init()` after OpenThread instance and other built-in
+     * servers have been created and initialized.
      */
-    void Init(void);
-
-private:
-    otbr::Ncp::ControllerOpenThread &mNcp;
+    virtual void Init(void) = 0;
 };
+
 } // namespace vendor
 } // namespace otbr
 #endif // OTBR_AGENT_VENDOR_HPP_