In the world of the internet, the hosting industry is expanding day by day, and this gives users more information about different types of hosting solutions to host their websites. If we look at the hosting solution, it starts with Shared hosting and follows by Reseller, VPS, Dedicated, and Cloud. Each hosting solution has distinctiveness and advantages that help users develop their business worldwide. They only need to know the exact hosting requirement and plan accordingly. This article is for those interested in learning about VPS – Virtual Private Server. After reading this article, you should understand VPS hosting and quickly select the best hosting provider.
A few points are covered in this VPS hosting guide:-
1) What is VPS hosting, and How VPS works?
2) Difference between VPS and other hosting solutions.
3) What is the right time to switch to VPS?
4) How to choose the best VPS hosting provider?
5) Pros and Cons of VPS.
What is VPS hosting?
VPS hosting is a virtualized server. It is the isolation of physical server hardware into multiple virtual servers. As soon as you get the entire access root for managing your virtual server, you can change your server according to your requirements. It shows that a physical server divides into tricky and smaller parts. A virtual private server consists of its operating system, storage system, CPU, and dedicated RAM. You can say that this is the difference between dedicated hosting and shared hosting. If you are seeing for faster page speed, security, and full service at a reasonable cost, then VPS hosting is the ultimate choice.
How does VPS hosting work?
All websites are hosts on a virtual private server powered by superior hardware in VPS hosting. The virtual machines divide into multiple virtual sections, and server software is structured separately to make all units work individually.
Even if we host another website on the same VPS node, your website will host on the given virtual section with the given price of server resources like RAM, CPU, and more. But, if the other websites are hosts on the same server, it would not affect your website’s performance. So basically, you will get what you have paid for, with complete root access to the server, which will reduce your cost. It’s like you are taking an affordable experience of dedicated server hosting.
Difference between VPS and other hosting solutions:-
1) VPS Hosting v/s Shared Hosting:-
Here we can see the example of the real estate industry where you purchase or sell flats, rowhouses, and bungalows. Similarly, you get a house for rent in the shared hosting environment, and there is only one owner of that house (your hosting provider) who owns the whole house. That landlord gives the home on lease and allows you to use other facilities like a parking garden (in hosting terms CPU, RAM, and Disk space). But, in VPS hosting, you get your server and other necessary things like CPU, disk space, and RAM. But it is different from other hosting. In shared hosting, you get root access to manage your virtual server, handle the issues, and customize as needed.
2) VPS Hosting v/s Dedicated Hosting:-
VPS is like your townhouse that gives you complete control, But if we see in dedicated hosting, you are the owner of a big house or a bungalow. Technically, you get the whole server, dedicated hosting, and the management responsibility and not shared with any other user. In terms of pricing, a dedicated server is a costly server, and it is helpful for those websites that expect high traffic and deal with a massive amount of data daily.
When is the correct time to switch to VPS?
There are a lot of users who prefer VPS hosting because of the availability of sufficient resources and the ability to manage the server. Besides, if a user has a technical background, then VPS hosting is the right option. On the other side, it is generally observed that shared hosting prefers at the initial stages, but later, you need to update the plan to VPS for better performance and smooth functioning. If you have any questions regarding when to switch to VPS hosting, check the below-mentioned parameters. It will help you understand it better.
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Reliability and security:-
Your sites may get hacked in shared hosting, or it may be possible that you have to face some other issue. Your website can be insecure, and it requires secure resources for superior website reliability. But, in VPS, it is 100% guaranteed that you get security because you own a private server where you can manage your server separately.
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Heavy traffic:-
If you are getting the right traffic on your website, you have to upgrade your current hosting plan. It indicates that you are over-consuming your existing hosting plan, and you might get a message from your hosting provider to upgrade your plan to VPS hosting.
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Server root access:-
Shared hosting provides limited access, which sometimes irritates a lot because you cannot change the server. At some point, you acquire that you need full access to your web host to perform advanced functions. In such cases, you can go for VPS hosting to take advantage of the feature called “server root access.”
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Operating an eCommerce website:-
When running an eCommerce website, you have to go for VPS, Dedicated, or Cloud hosting instead of using shared hosting. Most eCommerce websites incorporate the credit card payment process on their website, and they require a PCI compliance certificate. It is noticed that most shared hosting plans are not successful in getting a PCI. Whereas in a VPS, you get an individual operating system for your website, it proves that you will meet the requirement of the PCI test compared to shared hosting.
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Website loading time increases:-
If any sites start consuming extra bandwidth, all other websites hosted on the same server may be affected. Because of this, you have to face some issues like slow loading speed, downtime, network failure, and more. Moreover, if your website takes time to load multiple plugins making PHP and SQL database requests, you can consider VPS to host your website.
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“Service unavailable” error on your website:-
A 503 “service unavailable” error informs that your server is unavailable to meet the requirements. It usually occurs when the site overreaches to the assigned application space in the Windows hosting or reaches maximum concurrent connection restriction in the Linux hosting.
How to choose an excellent VPS hosting provider?
There are many factors that you should capture in mind while choosing the VPS hosting provider, which is:-
Factor #1: Managed Vs. Unmanaged:-
If we talk about shared hosting, you don’t get full-fledged access to your server as per your requirements. But in VPS hosting, you get a dedicated portion of the server that you should handle. If you are not tech-savvy, you should go for a managed VPS hosting service where your hosting provider accepts all the responsibilities to manage your server.
But, if you know how to handle technical terms, then you can manage your server issues on your own, then unmanaged hosting is the best option to start.
Factor #2: Windows Vs. Linux:-
Before buying hosting, it is essential to know which kind of VPS you need for your website, whether Windows or Linux? Linux is more prevalent than Windows as it offers multiple features that make it easy for the user to access accordingly. But, if you are looking to run your website on ASP or ASP.NET, you will need Windows. If we see the price factor, Windows is costly compared to the Linux platform.
Factor #3: Price:-
When buying anything, the first thing that comes into our mind is whether we can afford it or not. Same in the hosting plan, while purchasing hosting, you may get confused because many competitors are available in the market. Price can vary significantly due to the variability and nature of the hosting environment. VPS hosting costs depend on many factors, such as support, customization options, different hardware specs, service levels, and more.
Factor #4: Server specifications and Configurations:-
With VPS hosting, server configuration plays a crucial role in enhancing the website’s performance. You should undertake a few points before finalizing the provider, which is listed below:-
- i) Data transfer
- ii) Ram and storage
iii) Choice of OS
- IV) IP address
- v) Backup
- vi) CPU Core
Factor #5: Customer support:-
Customer support is another significant factor usually ignored by users because of the price factor. The support service is the only factor that makes the hosting provider best for the customers. It doesn’t matter how many features your hosting provider is offering. Still, if they fail to provide quality support service, then it can say that you are wasting your time and money, and you should think to switch to the other if you face any issue. The provider is not there to fix the problem, so your website traffic may get affected, resulting in the loss of potential customers. It is crucial to ensure quality support and service from the provider.
Factor #6:- Trial period
It is a valuable factor for you because you get a chance to use the services. But if you don’t like it, you can go for others without any charges. You will get many hosting providers who offer free trial services or a free demo of the service for a specific period. You can select your best VPS hosting provider and check its function. Once you tale the trial and are satisfied with their service, you can sign up with the respective provider based on your experience.
Pros and Cons of VPS:–
Pros:-
#1 Stability:-
If you are sharing the server with other members, then the activities of other members will not affect your performance.
#2 Performance:-
If you choose VPS, there will be an improvement in your experience, and your website will excel in performance.
#3 Flexibility:-
If you are using VPS, you get options to select the operating system and software to install on the server.
Cons:-
1) You cannot scale your resources once you reach the limit.
2) You will need technical knowledge to operate the server
3) Heavy traffic websites can’t consider VPS hosting.
Conclusion:-
After reading the guide on VPS hosting, I assume that you are no longer a newbie. There are some pros and cons of VPS hosting. It is 100% sure that VPS is an excellent option over shared hosting.