If you are looking for web hosting for a website you will already know that there are no shortages of choices relating to web hosting services and web hosting plans. For web hosting services we recommend you choose one which is proven to be reliable and has lots of positive reviews. As for the type of hosting you choose this will depend on what your needs are.
For business websites, we would recommend that you choose one of the higher specification hosting plans and two of these are dedicated hosting and VPS hosting. VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. Whenever these two are mentioned side by side, there seems to be some confusion, so we are going to try to resolve that by explaining what they are and how they differ.
What is VPS Hosting?
Virtual private server hosting means that you are sharing a server with others, but unlike ‘Shared’ hosting you not competing for resources as you have your own dedicated resources within that server. As a simple analogy, think of shared hosting as you sharing an apartment with four other people, but with VPS whilst you are sharing the apartment block, you have an apartment that is yours and yours alone.
If you prefer numbers to explain this then imagine a server has 8GB of disk space, then with shared hosting 8 websites will all be vying for that a share of that and if one larger site is using 6GB that mean there is only 2GB left for the other 7 sites to share. With VPS that same 8GB is divided equally, and so you would have 1GB to use and no other site would have access to it.
Advantages Of VPS Hosting
- It is a more affordable option than a dedicated server
- Increased performance and reliability over shared hosting
- You have dedicated resources
- Access to multiple settings and options
- Managed VPS hosting is available
- You have options to upgrade as your website expands
Disadvantages Of VPS Hosting
- Less Secure Than Dedicated Servers
- You Have No Control Over The Server Hardware
- Fewer Resources Than Dedicated
What Is Dedicated Hosting?
If we go back to our ‘apartments’ analogy, dedicated hosting is the equivalent of having occupancy of the entire apartment block. This means the server that your website is hosted on is not used by any other websites. This affords you complete control and optimal performance. However, this does bring greater responsibility for the server including updates and its security.
Advantages Of Dedicated Hosting
- The server is used only by you
- Complete access to all settings meaning you can configure your server in any way you wish to
- Usually more secure than other hosting plans
- Option for managed dedicated hosting
- Highest performance levels of all
- Highest resource limits of all
- No need to upgrade if your website grows
Disadvantages Of Dedicated Hosting
- You are responsible for the server’s security, updates, and maintenance
- Technical knowledge of server hosting is required
- Usually the most expensive hosting option
Dedicated Hosting Or VPS Hosting?
Unless you need the resources of dedicated hosting and have the technical knowledge within your business required for it, we suggest you start with VPS. It provides superior hosting options to shared hosting for businesses including better performance and increased resources. However, if your website grows significantly then eventually dedicated hosting remains an option for you albeit be prepared to pay somewhat more it than you will be for VPS hosting.