There are many things that have to be considered when launching a new website. Most people focus on the design, content, SEO, etc. Yes, these are all significant, but choosing the right web host is crucial. If you don’t go with something that meets your requirements, your website won’t work efficiently. It is as simple as that.
Nowadays, the three most popular web hosting options are shared, dedicated, and VPS hosting. The first one is the most common one, but it is usually used for personal blogs due to its features. In the following article, we will focus on the other two and discuss some of their main differences.
Dedicated vs. VPS hosting
As you can assume by its name, the former type of hosting provides you with an entire server to use as you wish. You get to be in complete control, determine resources, other hosting features, and so on. Because of this, it is usually used for medium and large websites that have over 500,000 visitors every month. Also, since it is pretty complex, you will need a team of people to optimize and conduct regular maintenance of the server.
On the other hand, when it comes to VPS hosting, you get to share a single server with several other websites. It means that the RAM and bandwidth you have at your disposal are limited. Also, you don’t have as many customization options at your disposal. Naturally, you can choose between several VPS hosting plans, and you can learn more about them on the vietnix website. Due to these features, VPS hosting is usually used for small pages that don’t generate too much traffic and post simple content.
How to determine the server?
Now, let’s assume that you are not launching your own website, but instead, you are taking over an existing one. Surely, you have gathered some essential information from the person who used to run it, so you can understand how to successfully manage it in the future.
As already mentioned, one of the main differences between these two hosting types is that VPS poses some limitations. You have to be aware of these since they can determine multiple aspects of your page. It is crucial to follow these down to the last detail to ensure that your website works without any major issues.
The truth is that you can easily determine whether you have a VPS or dedicated server. First of all, there are several tools online, and all you have to do is run them. On the other note, you can choose to do this on your own and inspect several things. You should check the network’s interface, system or devices, and look to see if certain files exist. You can also do a reverse IP lookup to see if any other websites use the same IP address. Finally, you should also inspect the memory of the hosting plan.
What are the differences?
Next, here are some differences between these two servers. If you are looking for a definite answer on which you should choose, unfortunately, that is not something anyone can tell you. Why? Well, there are numerous things you have to consider, and it all comes down to your list of requirements. Here are some things you have to know.
Security
Nowadays, online security concerns us all. However, it becomes even more significant for websites and platforms where crucial business-related information and also clients’ personal data are stored. The truth is that both of these hosting types are secure. Both of them enable you to install and run your security software.
Still, if we had to choose one, we would have to go with the dedicated one as more secure. Why? Well, simply because you have complete control over the server. As you know by now, the VPS server is shared among several users, so if one of the other websites has a security breach, your data may be at risk. Nevertheless, keep in mind that your security software will still be there to protect you.
Configuration
When it comes to the configuration of both of these servers, there are no significant differences. Regardless of the type you go with, you will have to choose between managed and unmanaged plans. What are these? In a nutshell, managed ones are fabricated and maintained for you. As you can assume, this is not the case with unmanaged plans. Considering that the former ones can save them a lot of time and effort, most people opt for getting them, even though they are naturally a bit more expensive than the unmanaged ones.
Performance
Your website’s performance is vital, and it is mostly determined by the server. When it comes to the performance, we are talking about the loading speed of the page. This has to be your primary concern in this day and age. If your website takes too long to load, the chances are that you will gradually lose visitors simply because today, people don’t want to wait for anything.
As already discussed, performance is influenced by the number of the website’s visitors. It is why you have to think about it before choosing a server. VPS hosting is appropriate for pages that do not generate a lot of traffic. If the number of visitors increases, you can always get extra bandwidth from another page. However, if the traffic increases on another site, it will have to borrow your bandwidth, meaning that your performance will decrease. This is the main downside of VPS hosting when it comes to performance, so the dedicated server has an obvious advantage when it comes to this matter.
Scalability
When you go with VPS hosting, you get to determine a plan that meets your current requirements. Naturally, it means that as your website develops, you can upgrade to a new plan that provides you with better features. Simply put, there is always room to expand and grow. On the other hand, this is not an option with the dedicated server, at least not in this sense. Why? Well, when you opt for it, you will immediately get all the resources and features you will need in the future. It won’t be necessary to upgrade. This is by no means a downside. It is just something you have to consider.
