Why would I buy a VPS and not shared webhosting plan?
There may not be much difference between a VPS (Virtual Private Server) and a shared webhosting, but there are many terms of comparison between a shared webhosting plan and VPS hosting!
To be clear to those of you who are interested in virtual private server (VPS) hosting, you must first understand what a shared host is, and why VPS is an advantage.
What is shared webhosting?
Shared webhosting is a very cheap and ideal formula for small entrepreneurs. It is cheap, because on a single VPS or dedicated server, several shared hosting accounts are installed together, and the resources are shared. The problem with shared hosting is that resources cannot be shared equally, and this is done by the hosting provider, to a greater or lesser extent. A shared host does not guarantee that your site will run in any conditions with too many visitors, precisely because it is shared and everyone must share the same server, which involves restrictions on CPU (processor) and RAM consumption. This applies everywhere: no matter if you have unlimited traffic and space, it does not mean that you can do exactly what you want!
What is VPS hosting?
At VPS things are totally different. The advantage of a VPS server is the exact sharing of server resources. Which means you know exactly what you bought, so how many visitors you can trade on the site and what the limits are.
The characteristics of a VPS are:
– CPU (processor) allocation. To better understand, you need to know that a dedicated server (full server, or you can imagine a PC) can be configured to accurately split resources into multiple mini-computers (which are actually called VPS). On a dedicated server you can allocate as many VPS as you want, within the limits of resources, of course. The main feature of a VPS, CPU allocation, is what percentage of the dedicated server’s processor is allocated to you.
– Memory allocation (RAM). Ram memory plays another important role in choosing a quality VPS. All web applications: wordpress, joomla, phpbb etc require ram memory! The more sites (web applications) you have installed, the more RAM you run out of. In addition, a Linux OpenVZ or KVM VPS also offers swap memory (additional memory, which helps the ram memory to do its job better in case of overload)
– Isolated space (HDD). With a VPS, even if you don’t have hundreds of gigs like a dedicated server (in most cases), absolutely all the free space and files present are completely isolated from the other subscribers. Isolation is done either at the software level or using KVM technology, which is much more advanced and secure. What should be mentioned is that, on a VPS, your space belongs entirely to you and has nothing to do with “neighbors”, and access can only be done by you! This feature prevents the risk of spreading viruses or hacker access through poorly designed and used web software by “neighbors” with whom the space is shared.
– Access root (full access to the server). Whether we are talking about a virtual private server (VPS) or a dedicated server, your access to the machine is unlimited, which means that you can install applications, run applications, and even browse the Internet through the server. It’s like sitting on your home computer only the role assigned is to serve potential customers and visitors to your sites. In addition, some more demanding scripts require certain server settings, and in the case of a shared no you have to change, because you are in common with other clients.
– Unlimited number of hosted domains. If you are the owner of a virtual store or large online project and opt for VPS, you probably choose this formula due to a high consumption of resources, but for domainers (domain traffickers) and online investors it is superfluous not to have limits in terms of adding domains to the server. Shared hosting comes with many limitations, including the number of domains allowed. On VPS you can install as many domains as you want, and the only barrier that can prevent you from loading the server at some point is the depletion of resources. Each domain, blog, forum in addition represents a higher consumption of resources!
– Reinstall the operating system at any time! This is another advantage that comes with a dedicated server or Virtual Private Server. Because sometimes we need to reinstall the operating system, for various reasons. Usually, the reinstallation is done in one click or by communicating to the technical department.
– Selling hosting further. Yes! You can also be a hosting provider. In addition to the fact that the VPS will ensure the functionality of some sites that require resources, you can further sell shared host to recover part of your investment. This technique is practiced very often, but you must always be careful not to introduce more clients than the server can handle.
These are some of the advantages that customers choose for a VPS and, of course, arguments that you should think about before making a choice for shared host. But it is true that shared webhosting plans also have advantages and features that you need to pay attention to, things that we will explain in other articles.