Advantages of Having a VPS Plan
What is VPS Hosting?
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. To illustrate what VPS Hosting is, just imagine having a server and you “virtually” split it into several other servers. It’s like a mixture of having a dedicated server and having shared web hosting service.
With VPS Hosting, you get your own disk space, you choose your own operating system, you have TCP and IP stacks, you do your own processes and everything else that you can get with your own dedicated server. The real difference is really with the size. It’s like a chopped up dedicated server where every slice is equal in all aspects and you get one slice. That slice is completely your own and it is not affected with anything that is added to the other slice. If the other user crashes his Virtual Private Server, you are not at all affected.
There are a lot of web hosting companies that are also offering VPS. This is great for those who don’t want shared web hosting anymore but still can’t afford to get a dedicated server or the capacity of a dedicated server is still too much for them.
What is a Dedicated Server?
Dedicated Servers are for the more serious web designers there is. This is the highest end in web hosting and it’s the most expensive. With dedicated server hosting, the client gets the whole server and it is not being shared with anyone else. With a dedicated server you get to choose what hardware to use, what operating system and many others.
Dedicated servers are kept in data centers for best protection. You will also get support from the hosting providers in case of problems with your own dedicated server.
Dedicated servers can handle very large site traffic. Popular sites usually have their own dedicated servers as no other types of servers can handle their requirements. For those that don’t really require that much from their hosting provider can opt for either shared web hosting or VPS that are priced much less. There are a lot of VPS advantages if compared to dedicated servers for web designers with few managed sites with lesser needs.
What is Shared Web Hosting?
Shared web hosting is a type of hosting service offered wherein a server is divided into several sections and leased to website owners. These sections can affect each other as you are sharing RAM, Operating System, disk space and others. If one site is unfortunately hacked, yours could be compromised.
It is the cheapest web hosting plan there is and this is very appealing to many site owners who don’t really require much in running their sites. It’s also appealing to those who are still new in website designing and don’t want to risk on the more expensive hosting types such as VPS and dedicated servers.
What are the Advantages of going for VPS Hosting?
VPS Hosting vs. Shared Web Hosting:
- Better security with VPS Hosting than Shared Web Hosting. TCP/IP is not shared with other users and disk space is also not shared. You have your own designated disk space, TCP/IP and others.
- Predictable Environment. With Virtual Private Servers you can choose what Operating System you want, what type of control panel you want, etc. You are not affected with downtime when another site is having problems.
- Backup and Restore. With a VPS hosting, you can set your own backup with your own backup drives.
- Lastly, you get full control. With your own virtual private server, you get the full control just like what users with dedicated servers enjoy. This is something you can never get with a shared web hosting.
VPS Hosting vs. Dedicated Servers:
- VPS is more cost effective than a dedicated server
- A dedicated server has a lot more resources than the VPS thus it is more powerful, perfect for large sites.
- Dedicated servers are isolated. You have your own CPU that is dedicated just for you in a data center. It is not shared with anybody else.
- VPS lets you migrate into another VPS without much fuss. This is not an easy task in moving from 1 dedicated server to the next.
- VPS has pricing that you can easily afford while the dedicated servers can cost hundreds of dollars a month.
- Peak times can cause minor inconveniences for VPS users as each one share their resources with each other. Though completely virtually separated yet network connection is split with each one.
Conclusion
When looking at site response times, overall security, and reliability, shared web hosting ranks lower than Virtual Private Servers while Dedicated Servers are ranked the highest. If you have minimal needs with a website that doesn’t require a lot of resources (like a very popular WordPress blog or popular forum) then a good shared web hosting is for you. If you want superior hosting then having your own dedicated server is the best, although, most dedicated servers are well over $100 a month, often reaching $200+.
If you want reliable hosting that isn’t shared amongst thousands of website owners therefore providing better response times, better reliability, and better security, a VPS is your best choice. The best part about a VPS is the fact you aren’t on a shared IP address used by hundreds (or thousands) of websites. With a VPS, you’ll get 2 dedicated IP addresses with the ability to purchase more.
