A VPS server has some dedicated resources, but users still share the rest of them. It is a step up from shared hosting.
If you choose VPS, your portion of the server will be partitioned off from the others. For instance, your VPS might get 2 GB of the server’s 8 GB of random access memory, but you don’t share that 2 GB with anyone else.
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Isolation and independence
Providers of reliable VPS hosting use what’s called a hypervisor to divide these resources. This device creates virtual machines for each user on the server. Understanding how the technology works exactly is not that important – all you need to know is that every VPS user is isolated from the others.
On the other hand, dedicated hosting is where your website has the entire physical server. You don’t only get a portion of it. Obviously, this comes with a higher price tag. This option has two considerable advantages, however. Not only do you get more resources, but you also have complete control over the server’s physical hardware and the software running on the server.
Dedicated servers offer more control
If you’d rather use an AMD processor instead of an Intel processor, you can choose to do so when your site is on a dedicated server. You also have full control over the software on the server.
Managed vs. unmanaged servers
All you have is the basic hardware with a dedicated or unmanaged VPS server. You need to set up and maintain everything else yourself. This includes installing a content management system and the underlying technology.
WordPress is created using PHP (for the most part), so if you choose this CMS, you will have to set up this programming language as well as a web server such as LiteSpeed, Nginx, or Apache.
Unmanaged hosting is far more complicated. It’s a good option only for technically advanced users.
If you opt for managed VPS or dedicated hosting, the hosting provider will be responsible for maintaining, managing, and configuring the server. You’ll still use the dedicated resources for your site, though.
The price
Obviously, managed hosting is more expensive than unmanaged, but it’s a price worth paying if you lack the technical knowledge to run and maintain your server. The technical details can overwhelm a novice.
VPS vs. dedicated server: pluses and minuses
VPS server pros
VPS servers are more affordable, and you have dedicated resources even without the full physical server all to yourself. You can adjust your hosting as needed, particularly if you opt for cloud VPS. All you need to do is adjust the virtual partition to upgrade your VPS.
Dedicated server pros
You have full control over the server’s hardware and software, and your site is independent of other accounts as it runs on its own server. On a VPS, it’s virtually isolated, but not physically.
VPS server cons
Users don’t have full control over the hardware.
Dedicated server cons
Dedicated servers can be quite expensive. In addition, it can be difficult to assess the required resources accurately. The resources are physically divided, so adjusting them is harder than if you had opted for a virtual private server.
The bottom line
The majority of users should find VPS hosting the better option, particularly cloud VPS, which shares many dedicated servers’ benefits. It offers the added benefits of flexibility and affordability. In 2023 and beyond, more and more businesses will choose VPS hosting.
On the other hand, if your website has unique hosting needs or very high traffic, only a dedicated server would make sense for you. A cloud VPS is more suitable for all other sites.
If you are considering starting a small business, shared hosting is the cheapest option. Should you decide to scale up with time, you’ll need more resources, and VPS hosting would be a logical step up. A large ecommerce operation requires a dedicated server.
