Owning your own business in the digital era will inevitably lead to you considering your options with regards to web hosting. On the surface, it might seem like a simple matter: pay a web hosting company to host your website, and the job is done! But then you are faced with the choice between shared hosting and virtual private server hosting (also known as VPS hosting) and you feel overwhelmed by the confusion.
But not to worry! In this article, we will quickly and concisely explain the difference between traditional shared hosting and VPS hosting. The answer is much simpler than you might think!
What is the Difference?
Shared hosting is simply where common server resources are shared with other websites. It is one of the most affordable forms of web hosting service for the web hosting company to offer due to its shared nature. However, like everything else, you get what you pay for, so if your concern is your website getting affected due to other’s websites excessive resource usage, then shared hosting may not be right for you. VPS hosting, on the other hand, carves out a slice of the server for yourself and hands control of that slice to you. It is similar to a dedicated server, except you do not control the hardware itself.
VPS is effectively the same as a dedicated server in practice. Web hosting companies know that some people simply want have a small personal website such as a blog hosted while other people want to promote their business and their products or services online through a more complex website. That is why, as a general rule, personal websites belong on Linux shared hosting servers, and websites of businesses are ideal to be hosted over VPS’s.
Why Choose VPS Hosting?
For business owners, the situation in relation to shared hosting can be summed up in one sentence: it is cheaper, but it is not as advantageous as VPS hosting in every other regard. These other regards include control, security and growth. If you run your own business, you likely want to incorporate complex applications and other features on your site such as online shopping or media.
With VPS hosting this is entirely possible, but with shared hosting your ability to do this is restricted. You will also likely add forms to your website that collect the personal details of your customers. You therefore want to be sure that such data is secure. This is not possible on a shared hosting server where other websites’ potential security flaws could affect your website and, in turn, your customers’ data. VPS hosting comes with Linux and Windows VPS hosting, you can use it as per your requirements.
Features you get with VPS hosting services:
- Complete Control
Gain complete control over your server hosting environment with complete root access to install 3rd celebration software/applications or to resell hosting or merely host multiple websites with ease.
- Host Multiple Websites
Release a single virtual personal server to host numerous websites and customers separately conserving your time, effort and cash.
- Strong Platform
Host servers over which VPSs are based are usually backed with redundant infrastructure in the form of double network connections, RAID disk ranges, dual power supply and generators.
- Private Server Hosting
No more restriction of traditional web hosting with a VPS. With VPS, create your own hosting environment utilizing you PHP.ini files, modules and webserver configuration.
- Remarkable Performance
VPS environment is developed utilizing the latest virtualization platform and equally reliable hardware to deliver exceptional efficiency at all times.
- 24/7 Technical Assistance
A Managed VPS usually consists of 24×7 Technical Assistance and expert support to keep your server running up-to-date with security patches, OS updates, and more.
- Remote Data Backups
With optional R1Soft Backup service, you would have the ability to set up backup when every 15 minutes or an hour depending upon your choices.
- Choice of Control Panel
With VPS hosting, choice of optional cPanel or Plesk control panel is available. Control panels offer a web based interface beneficial in administering numerous websites and their functions in a well-organized way.
But what about price?
It is certainly true that shared hosting is cheaper than VPS hosting, but this debate about the two options is an excellent example of where investment in the short term can lead to profit in the long term. Ultimately, your business will grow because your customers trust it, and therefore investing in a VPS hosting plan is a very wise choice.
Conclusion
Finally, as your business grows, you will have much greater freedom to accept more visitors to your website through VPS hosting. With a shared hosting server, a sudden increase in visitors could lead to your website failing to respond.
