Difference Between VPS and Dedicated Server Hosting

If your website is doing well and garnering a lot of traffic, then it’s the right time to upgrade your web hosting. If you had started out with shared hosting, then you need to move to either a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or a dedicated hosting.

If your business growth is rapid, then there are two types of hosting you need to consider.

Now:

A VPS and dedicated hosting are unique and cater to different needs. Let us now look at VPS and dedicated hosting closely and draw a comparison between the two. Let’s get to it!

Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting

VPS is when multiple websites use the same server, just like shared hosting. It provides a valuable solution if your website has outgrown your shared hosting plan. But, in a VPS you will have your own set of dedicated resources like RAM and bandwidth. Another important aspect of a VPS is that it uses a hypervisor. A hypervisor is a software used to create individual virtual machines that help to borrow resources from other sites on the server.

Yes. You have guessed it right!

A VPS is a hybrid server having qualities that of shared and dedicated web hosting. Virtual private servers provide root access to the server by keeping it easy and simple just like a shared hosting account. VPS is affordable and won’t burn a hole in your pocket.This way you will enjoy benefits that of shared and dedicated hosting.

Generally, this type of hosting suits small to medium size business websites that need a decent amount of resources. If your business is on the brink of expansion, then you would want a fast loading speed for your site to avoid crashing. Furthermore, the resources are allocated evenly so that one website cannot take advantage of another’s resources. VPS hosting is flexible, affordable and can handle high traffic better. Also, you don’t have to worry about server maintenance and security as that will be taken care of by the hosting company.

Dedicated Web Hosting

As the name implies dedicated hosting means a server that is dedicated to your own personal use. You’ll be able to configure the hosting environment and have access to all the resources. You can opt for a dedicated hosting plan if your website visitors are over 500,000 visitors per month. As this type of hosting can be very expensive.

Not to forget you will need technical staff to maintain and optimize your server. With a dedicated server you will get complete control to all hardware and software resources. A dedicated web hosting will best suit a medium to big business sites.

Difference between VPS and Dedicated Server Hosting

There are a lot of similarities between VPS hosting and dedicated servers. They both offer you increased control with regards to the software installed. VPS and dedicated hosting will give you an option to purchase specifications that you need when it comes to hardware.

A VPS hosting plan comes across as a light version of a dedicated server. Now let us look at the differences between a VPS and a dedicated web hosting.

#1 Cost

If a hosting company can accommodate more people on the same server then they can make the hosting plans cheaper as the cost per customer will be lower. This will further make the VPS server option cheaper compared to a dedicated server.

Take a note:

Dedicated hosting is costlier than VPS which deter many people from opting for it. So, the champion here is VPS.

#2 Security

Dedicated servers are more secure than VPS. As VPS servers have a weakness that of a hypervisor. The hypervisor helps to create and manage virtual machines on the server. There is a tendency that most viruses only affect one virtual machine i.e. single user account. But in some rare cases, they may bypass the hypervisor and spread to all the other accounts on the server. Therefore, dedicated servers are more physically secured than VPS.

#3 Configuration

With regards to configurations dedicated servers really stand out. As you’re the only user on the system, you have total control over everything.

By having full control over the server, you will be able to configure your site the way you want it. For those who need a specific configuration to run a highly specialized application, a dedicated server will be a good choice.

#4 Performance

In VPS hosting you can scale your hardware as per your needs and setup add-on tools. Whereas dedicated hosting servers are not as easy as VPS to scale and maintain.

VPS hosting is well suited for high traffic websites and will be cheaper than a dedicated server. But if VPS is not able to satisfy your needs then dedicated hosting is a perfect solution for you.

Performance is based on the server’s hardware specifications. Between the two servers, dedicated servers will have a better performance advantage over VPS servers. The sole reason behind this is that a dedicated server doesn’t share the resources between users.

Conclusion

All in all, if your business cannot afford a dedicated server then a VPS hosting will be a good choice. If your main business concern is security, then consider a dedicated server.

It is worth noting that there is no server in the world which is safe. Nevertheless, the choice boils down to configuration and performance.