Both VPS and shared hostings provide users with an area on a server that’s used by other clients. Yet the price of these services differs. What’s the difference between VPS and shared hostings, and which one should you pick for your project? This article will answer your questions and clarify the features of these two services.
What is a shared hosting?
A shared hosting provides a client with some space on a server that’s also used by other customers. This space is not dedicated which means that whatever is happening to all those websites hosted on this server will impact yours. The number of resources is also rather limited.
The perfect analogy for a shared hosting would be a public pool that’s not divided into sections. Everyone can swim around it freely, and, of course, this might create inconveniences for some swimmers. Say, if some kids decide to play actively in the water, and you’ll become irritated with the splashes they create, there won’t be much you can do about that.
The same situation is with shared hostings. If one of the other websites hosted on your server experiences any issues like a DDoS attack or just a spike in traffic, other sites might experience a downtime, too. And if some website gets infected with malware, all the other sites hosted on this server are exposed to this threat as well.
Yet, it’s a cheap solution, and the low price attracts many novice webmasters who own small sites. Also, this option doesn’t need much technical knowledge, and some providers would even preinstall content management systems on their hostings. That’s convenient, but does it cost all the risks one has to agree to when choosing a shared hosting?
For now, let’s summarize the pros and cons.
Shared hosting pros
- It’s cheap
- Easy to manage
- Might come with a preinstalled CMS
Shared hosting cons
- It’s not reliable
- The number of resources is very limited
- Other websites hosted on your server impact yours
- You don’t have much control over the hosting
- You can’t install additional protection
What is a VPS hosting?
A VPS hosting is a service that also provides a user with a place on a shared server. However, the difference is that this space is dedicated. VPS stands for Virtual Private Server — this means that you receive your private area on a server if you’re using this service.
The suitable analogy would be an apartment building where you have your own flat with everything you need. But you also still have neighbors you share the building with. Their activity doesn’t really impact your life (let’s imagine your building has really soundproof walls), and you don’t feel limited in any way. The only limit you have is the size of your apartment.
That’s just what a VPS hosting looks like. It provides you with a dedicated place on a shared hosting, and your area remains untouched by anyone for as long as you’re renting it. The amount of resources always is left unchanged, and whatever is happening with the neighboring websites doesn’t bother yours at all.
Moreover, you have full control over the software you want to be installed on your hosting. Thus, you can implement and set up the protection you want, and overall treat a VPS hosting like your very own server. At the same time, you don’t need to worry about the hardware part of the server maintenance.
And while all of it sounds expensive, in reality, VPS hostings are rather affordable. Depending on the number of resources you need, King Servers can supply you with this service for as little as $2.50 per month.
Pros of a VPS hosting
- Affordable prices
- Full control over the software
- Improved security
- Better reliability
- Highly scalable
Cons of a VPS hosting
- Requires some technical knowledge
- Might be complex for new webmasters at the beginning
So what should you choose for your project?
Usually, new businesses and owners of small websites tend to choose shared hostings because they’re cheap. Since these customers understand that they don’t need many resources now, they consider this service to be a good choice because it costs a couple of bucks and still provides them with a place to host the website. Another reason why people choose shared hosting is that it’s easy to manage, and those who are working on their first website will likely be able to figure out how to use this service without much help.
Although the risks are significant. Users of shared hostings often experience downtimes and other issues related to sharing the server with lots of other customers. And no matter how hard a provider tries to protect its servers, it simply can’t force all the clients to be responsible and take care of safeguarding their own sites. Therefore, your website is always exposed to a potential threat.
Shared hostings are often advertised as a solution for small websites while VPS hostings are considered to be a more complex service only medium and large projects might need. But that’s far from reality. As you already know, VPS hostings are dedicated areas of a large server. This means that a provider can create both large and small areas to cater to the needs of clients with websites of different sizes. Therefore, you can get a VPS hosting with the resources you need for your small projects — thus you will pay not much more than you would for a shared hosting, but you’ll have all the benefits of a VPS one.
Another concern about VPS hostings is that they require some tech knowledge and experience. While that’s true, it doesn’t mean you’re left alone. King Servers will help you with all the issues you face. However we should say that our control panel is very intuitive and simple, and even novice webmasters tend to figure it out quite fast. Still, we are ready to help you if you struggle to manage your VPS hosting by yourself. Additionally, we offer an automated anti-DDoS system we can install on your hosting by your request. Then your website will be protected without any of your efforts.
