In the world of the internet, the hosting industry is expanding day by day, and this gives the users more information about different types of hosting solutions to host their website. If we look at the hosting solution, then it starts with Shared hosting and follows by Reseller, VPS, Dedicated, and Cloud. Each hosting solution has its distinctiveness and advantages that help its users to develop their business worldwide. The only thing which they need to know is the exact requirement of hosting and plan accordingly. This article is for those who are interested to know about VPS – Virtual Private Server. After reading this article, you should be able to understand the VPS hosting and can easily select the best VPS hosting provider.
Few Points covered in this VPS hosting guide:-
1) What is VPS hosting and How it works?
2) Difference between VPS and other types of hosting solutions.
3) When 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. It shows that a physical server is divided into smaller and tricky parts. As soon as you get full access root for managing your virtual server, you can make changes to your server as per your requirements. A virtual private server consists of its operating system, storage system, CPU, and dedicated RAM. You can say that this is the difference between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. If you are looking for faster page speed, security, and robust service at a reasonable cost, then VPS hosting is the ultimate choice.
How does VPS hosting work?
In VPS hosting, all websites hosted on a virtual private server powered by superior hardware. The virtual machines are divide into multiple virtual sections, and server software is structured separately, to make all units working individually.
Even if we host another website on the same VPS node, then your website will be hosted on the given virtual section with the given amount of server resources like RAM, CPU, and more. But, if the other websites hosted on the same server, then it would not affect your website’s performance. So basically, you will get what you have paid for, with the complete root access to the server it will reduce your cost It’s like you are taking an affordable experience of dedicated server hosting
Difference between VPS and other types of hosting solutions:-
1) Shared Hosting v/s VPS Hosting:-
Here we can take the example of the real estate industry where you purchase or sell the flats, rowhouses, and bungalows. Similarly, in the shared hosting environment, you get a house for rent, and there is only one owner of that house (your hosting provider) who has the ownership of the full house. That landlord gives the home on lease and allows you to avail of the other facilities like 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 another hosting. In shared hosting, you get root access to manage your virtual server and handle the issues and customize as per your need.
2) Dedicated Hosting v/s VPS 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 in dedicated hosting, you get the whole server along with the management responsibility and is not shared with any other user. In terms of pricing, a dedicated server is a highly expensive server, and it is useful for those websites that expect high traffic and deal with a massive amount of data daily.
When is the right 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 belongs to the technical background, then VPS hosting is the right option for him/her. On the other hand, it usually observed that shared hosting is preferred at initial stages, but later, you need to upgrade the plan to VPS for smooth functioning and better performance. In case you have any questions regarding when to switch to VPS hosting, then check the below-mentioned parameters. It will help you understand it better.
1) Reliability and security:-
Your site 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.
2)Heavy traffic:-
If you are getting the right amount of traffic on your website, then 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.
3) Server root access:-
It is the truth that shared hosting provides limited access, and this sometimes irritates a lot because you are not allowed to make any changes to the server. At some point, you realize that you need full access over 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.”
4) Operating an eCommerce website:-
When you are running an eCommerce website, then you have to go for a VPS, Dedicated, or Cloud hosting instead of using shared hosting. The reason behind this is most of the eCommerce websites incorporate the credit card payment process on their website, and they require a PCI compliance certificate. It is noticed that the majority of 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 in comparison to shared hosting.
5) Website loading time increases:-
If any sites start consuming extra bandwidth, then all other websites hosted on the same server may get affected. Because of this, you have to face some issues like slow loading speed, downtime, network failure, and more. Moreover, if your website is taking time to load multiple plugins that are making a PHP and SQL database request, then you can consider VPS to host your website.
6) “Service unavailable” error on your website:-
A 503 “service unavailable” error indicates that your server is not available to meet the requirements. It usually takes place when the site overreaches the assigned application space in the Windows hosting or reaches to maximum concurrent connection restriction in the Linux hosting.
How to choose the best VPS hosting provider?
There are a lot of factors that you should keep in mind while choosing the VPS hosting provider which are:-
Factor #1: Managed Vs. Unmanaged:-
If we talk about shared hosting, you don’t get full fledge access to your server as per your requirements. But in VPS hosting, you get a dedicated portion of the server which you should be able to handle. If you are not tech-savvy, then you should have to go for a managed VPS hosting service where your hosting provider will handle 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 it is Windows or Linux? Linux is more popular, and in comparison to 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, then you will need Windows. If we see the price factor, Windows is costly as compared to the Linux platform.
Factor #3:- Price
While buying anything, the first thing that comes into our mind is that we can afford it or not. Same in the case of hosting plan, while purchasing hosting, you may get confused due to a lot of 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 performance of the website. You should undertake some points before finalizing the provider which are 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 that is usually ignored by users just because of the price factor. The support service is the only a single factor which makes hosting provider best for the customers. It doesn’t matter that how much features your hosting provider is offering. Still, if they fail to provide quality support service, then it can be said 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, then your website traffic may get affected, and this results in the loss of potential customers. Hereupon, it is crucial to ensure that you get quality support and service from the provider.
Factor #6:- Trial period
It is a useful factor for you because you get a chance to use the services. But if you don’t like it, then you can go for others without any charges. You will get a lot of hosting providers who offer free trial service 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 you satisfy with there service, then 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 are not able to 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 of VPS hosting, I assume that you are no longer a newbie. There are some pros and cons of VPS hosting. It is 100% assured that VPS is the best option over shared hosting.
Also, read our previous blog- How To Host A Website? Beginner’s Guide!
