Putting a new website in its place presents itself with many challenging decisions – from choosing the web hosting plan to designing to the promotion and much more. Choosing the right cheapest dedicated server is one of the more confusing tasks of the process. Choosing a shared hosting plan may be a good option for a new website, but with your traffic growing, you will soon need a plan with more features to support your site’s demands. This brings you to the option of choosing between Virtual Private Server (VPS) and Dedicated Server packages. The objective of this guide is to help you get all the useful facts about these two types of web host packages and make the right choice.
VPS hosting and dedicated server hosting are different in terms of the control and flexibility you will have. With VPS, you will control a virtual space on a server that could host many other similar virtual environments. In dedicated hosting, you will have total control over the physical server and access to all the resources. Dedicated server hosting allows you to have sole access to all the allocated resources, thus giving you more computing power than you receive with VPS hosting. Considering all these and many other points, you will feel that a dedicated server is an ideal option for any website.
However, most sites actually don’t need all the power of a dedicated hosting plan. If your site doesn’t require it, you don’t want to spend more on this expensive package. VPS hosting may not be as “dedicated” and powerful, but it more than meets the requirements of most websites and allows you to optimize the resources as your site’s needs grow.
Virtual Private Server ( VPS )
A virtual private server, as the name suggests, is a virtual server that appears as a dedicated server, but it is actually a section of a server on which other websites are also hosted. A computer can have many virtual private servers, each one having its own operating system. At the basic level, a physical machine is divided into many virtual compartments, with each one having the server software installed separately for each unit. It is this individual unit that is assigned to your website and it is capable of functioning on its own independent of other units.
There could be other sites hosted on the same physical machine, the compartment or unit allocated to you will host only your site. Thus, you will be getting all the resources that you pay for, without any intervention or affect from other websites on the same machine.
How to choose the best Virtual Private Server Hosting?
Getting cheap VPS hosting is not simple! once you decide to buy the best VPS hosting for your website, you should be concerned about the configuration. When you upgrade from a shared hosting account, you don’t want to choose a weak server that goes down after you launch your site. This is possible because virtual servers don’t have clearly defined resources as in the case of shared and dedicated server hosting.
There are different virtual servers based on their parameters. These parameters will mostly depend on the vendors – their capabilities in terms of manpower resources, their commercial interests, and other factors. One of the major differences between the packages is in terms of whether it is managed or unmanaged.
Managed VPS Hosting – As the name suggests, in this type of hosting package, the provider will be installing, configuring, and managing everything, including operating system, applications, and databases, and updating the software, and providing regular backup.
Unmanaged VPS Hosting – In such a plan, you will be managing all the tasks yourself. It can help you save money but must be chosen only if you can manage everything yourself.
Cloud VPS Hosting – Cloud VPS server or Cloud Hosting Solutions has its own set of advantages. If your website’s need for resources cannot be met with a shared server and you cannot afford a dedicated server, Cloud VPS can be the perfect solution. The advantages of this web hosting solution are:
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- It is easy to manage
- You will have dedicated resources
- It offers Secure Shell access to your account
Dedicated Server Hosting
A dedicated server package gives you access to all the resources and functionalities of a server. In this case, the server is not shared with any other website and you will have the entire server “dedicated” to your site(s). You will have more than enough memory and bandwidth for your site to handle all the content (including multimedia) and traffic. A managed dedicated server is considered to be more reliable and secure compared to other hosting plans.
Choosing The Right Dedicated Server Hosting Platform
Operating System – When choosing a dedicated server hosting for your website, you will have two options in terms of the operating system – Windows and Linux. Some hosts also offer Apple OS X Server, which is usually based on UNIX. Linux is the most popular choice but Windows Servers are also gaining popularity because of their widespread use in home computers.
RAM and CPU – The choice of the best dedicated server hosting is always based on the RAM and CPU configuration depends on many factors. The size and type of your website will determine how much power you need from the server. For example, you will need higher RAM and CPU configuration if your site runs a number of .Net based forums where the pages are generated dynamically from an SQL Server database, as compared to having a static brochure website.
Bandwidth – Usually, an average dedicated web host plan can meet the requirements of your website, but if your site has more traffic and heavier content, it will be important to consider the bandwidth when making the choice. If you have a website with lots of graphics and multimedia content, choose a dedicated server with more bandwidth.
Managed Server – Similar to VPS, dedicated servers can also be managed and unmanaged. Choose an unmanaged dedicated server only if you have the expertise in setting up and running the system.
Pros & Cons of Dedicated Servers & Virtual Private Servers
Both virtual private and dedicated servers have their pros and cons because, like all other systems, each one is designed to meet the demands of a specific client. The following list of pros and cons of the two packages can help you make a faster choice between the two types:
Virtual Private Server Hosting
Pros & Cons
Both virtual private and dedicated servers have their pros and cons because, like all other systems, each one is designed to meet the demands of a specific client. The following list of pros and cons of the two packages can help you make a faster choice between the two types:
Pros:
- Cost-Effective – It is a cost-effective hosting package that can grow with your needs.
- Customized Software – You can have total control with software with admin access.
- Instant Upgrades – It can be upgraded instantly and usually there is no need for reboots.
- Instant Migration – It is easy and fast to move from the current VPS to another VPS server.
Cons:
- Shared Resources – Although your virtual server is mostly isolated, there are two resources that are usually shared between all the VPS instances – disk input/output and host network connection.
- Regular Maintenance – Requires regular maintenance in the form of system updates and security patches.
- Uncertain Specifications – It is complicated to know the volume of space allocated to you.
- Limitations – If other servers consume too much RAM or CPU power, it can slow down the entire server.
Dedicated Server Hosting
Pros:
- More Power – You will have access to all the resources, which means more power at your behest. No hardware is shared with any other website.
- Customized Hardware/Software – You will have total control over the hardware and software components.
- Higher Security – Because you are the only one with access to the dedicated server, you will be provided higher security.
- Technical Assistance – A dedicated server means dedicated technical support.
Cons:
- Costly – Dedicated server is quite expensive.
- Inflexibility – The resources are relatively static and the downtime is higher.
- More Complicated – It is more complicated to set up compared to other types of web host plans.
- Advanced – Managing a dedicated server requires the user to have advanced knowledge.
Conclusion:
Making the right choice between a VPS and a dedicated server could make a big difference in your website’s success. VPS is powerful, but it may not be enough for all the websites. A dedicated server is quite powerful and expensive, but you don’t want to spend more than what you need. The choice will eventually come down to your website and what you need from it.
This guide has given you valuable insights into what VPS and dedicated server stand for and why and how you must make the choice. There are as many web host plans out there as the number of web hosting providers. If you want to add to the information provided here or want to share some useful information with others, please feel free to give your feedback in the comments. We will love to gain your valuable feedback, whether it is a suggestion or another guide that helps everyone who comes here in search of useful information about web hosting.
