VPS is the abbreviation for Virtual Private Server. VPS hosting is one of the most popular hosting services you can choose for your website. Any company is looking for a short-term growth. That’s why the big majority gives itself the services of SEO agency or Magento development to take care of its image thanks to new technologies.
VPS uses virtualization technology to provide you with dedicated (private) resources on a server with multiple users. It’s a safer and more stable solution than shared hosting where you do not have a dedicated server space. However, it’s smaller and cheaper than renting an entire server. VPS hosting is typically chosen by website owners who have medium-level traffic that exceeds the boundaries of shared hosting plans, but still, do not require the resources of a dedicated server. VPS solutions typically offer multiple hosting plans.
How does VPS hosting work?
A server is a computer on which your host stores the files and databases necessary for your website. Every time an online visitor wants to access your website, their browser sends a request to your server and transfers the necessary files via the Internet. VPS hosting provides you with a virtual server that simulates a physical server, but in reality, the machine is shared among multiple users. With virtualization technology, your hosting provider installs a virtual layer over the server operating system. This layer divides the server into partitions and allows each user to install their own operating system and software. Therefore, a virtual private server (VPS) is both virtual and private because you have complete control. It is separate from other server users at the operating system level. In fact, VPS technology is similar to creating partitions on your own computer when you want to run multiple operating systems (such as Windows and Linux) without rebooting. Running a VPS allows you to set up your website in a secure container with guaranteed resources (memory, disk space, processor cores, etc.) that you do not have to share with other users. With VPS hosting, you have the same access at the root level as if you rented a dedicated server, but at a much lower cost. Compare VPS Hosting to Other Types of Web Hosting. Different types of web hosting allow you to perform different levels of customization on your server. They vary in terms of price, performance (for example, page load time), and service availability (for example, availability). Below you’ll find information on how VPS hosting compares to other hosting solutions.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is the solution for website owners with low traffic sites. This is the starting point for most small businesses and bloggers. With shared hosting, you share the same physical server with several other clients of the hosting company. You do not have dedicated resources because your site runs on the same operating system as the others. As a result, the memory and computing power that your site can use is affected by the needs of other users of the service. For example, if there is a sudden spike in traffic on a website hosted on the same server, the loading time of your page may increase. You also can not choose your operating system and other server software because all users use the same configuration. Overall, it’s your hosting provider that supports all aspects of your shared hosting environment. You can think of shared accommodation as a rental where you share the same apartment with a number of roommates. VPS hosting is always a kind of roommate, but everyone has their own room where they can customize the space according to their needs. For example, they choose painting, furniture, decoration, etc.
Cloud Hosting
With cloud hosting, you do not use a single server but rather a cluster that runs in the cloud. Each server in the cluster stores an up-to-date copy of your website. When one of the servers is too busy, the cluster automatically redirects traffic to another. As a result, cloud hosting has no downtime because a server cluster can still respond to requests from visitors to your website. Cloud hosting and VPS hosting are not exclusive to each other. Instead, many hosts offer VPS hosting on a cloud infrastructure. This is also the solution we found that the combination of VPS and cloud technologies led to the highest performance and reliability in a virtual server environment.
WordPress Hosting
WordPress hosting is a service specifically offered to owners of WordPress sites. It comes with several WordPress-related features that you can only use if you have a WordPress site, such as a one-click installation, pre-installed plugins, or a WP command line interface. The servers are configured for the needs of WordPress. As a result, hosting providers are offering WordPress hosting as part of their shared hosting service. Although it is also possible to set up a WordPress site on a virtual private server, you can not access custom servers that have been configured with WordPress in mind. However, if you still choose VPS for your WordPress site, you can configure your hosting environment to suit your business needs.
Dedicated hosting
With dedicated hosting, you rent a complete physical server for your business. If you have a busy website, dedicated hosting may be the best solution for you because the dedicated servers are fast, flexible and fully customizable. However, the service also comes with a price tag, so they are not a good deal for everyone, especially if you have a small or medium website. While VPS hosting allows you to choose and configure your operating system and server applications, dedicated hosting goes further. It does not only allow you to configure the software but also the hardware because the entire server is yours and nobody has a say in the configuration. You can also run a dedicated server on site (for example, in your office), but you lose the support of a professional hosting team in this case.
Advantages and disadvantages of VPS
VPS hosting can be an ideal solution for you if you really need it. Below you will find the advantages and disadvantages of using a virtual private server. Advantages 1. It’s faster and more reliable than a shared hosting server. 2. Because server resources such as memory or processing power are guaranteed, available resources fluctuate from zero to very small. 3. The problems and traffic increases of other server users do not affect your site. 4. You get superuser access (root) to your server. 5. You get better privacy because your files and databases are locked from other users on the server. 6. It’s an easy service to adapt. As your website grows, you can easily upgrade your server resources (RAM, CPU, disk space, bandwidth, and so on). Disadvantages 1. It’s more expensive than shared hosting. 2. This requires more technical knowledge to manage your server. 3. Incorrectly configured servers can lead to security vulnerabilities. When to use a VPS and how to decide it’s time to upgrade? Hosting VPS is generally considered the next step after your website has exceeded the boundaries of shared hosting. If the most advanced shared hosting plan is no longer enough to run your website smoothly, it’s worth it to switch to a VPS plan. In such cases, VPS hosting can offer you the best of both worlds: shared and dedicated hosting. However, there are other use cases where it may be wise to start with a VPS plan from the beginning. For example, eCommerce websites where you have to make sure that payments are secure with a fast and stable environment, they can benefit greatly from a virtual private server. In fact, if you store any kind of sensitive data or need to process online payments, VPS can help you reduce the risk of security breach and identity theft. If you anticipate traffic spikes at certain times on your site, for example in the case of an event planning or ticket sales website, a VPS hosting plan may also be a good solution. Game servers and other resource-intensive sites can also run with much better performance on a virtual private server.
Are there any VPS alternatives? What is a managed VPS?
One of the biggest pitfalls of VPS hosting is managing the entire server environment yourself. If your virtual server is not configured and properly maintained, you may face serious security risks and loss of performance. Managed VPS hosting services have emerged on the market as a viable solution to this problem. You can think of it as an improved alternative to VPS hosting, with full technical support. Managed VPS is still a novelty on the market, but more and more hosts are offering it to their customers. We configure your server to meet your needs, support server uptime and monitoring, support backups and caching, and provide 24/7 dedicated support for all our managed VPS clients.
Conclusion
VPS hosting gives you access to guaranteed resources and total control without having to use your own server. It’s a great solution for medium, high, resource-heavy and eCommerce websites. However, companies expect rapid growth can also benefit from the stability of the service. If you want a reliable and affordable hosting environment, it’s definitely worth considering VPS hosting for your website.