Just a few years ago, VPS hosting was a type of service reserved for the wealthiest companies and e-commerce stores. However, as technology evolved by leaps and bounds, virtual servers began to gain more traction. VPS solutions eliminated the increasing risks and hassles associated with shared hosting plans while gradually lowering prices to a point where any website owner could take advantage. That's right, you could too. Today, we'll take an in-depth look at VPS hosting and learn how it works, what types there are, and how to choose the right hosting plan for your site.
What is VPS hosting?
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server, a type of service in which the host divides a physical server into multiple virtual copies and allocates a fixed amount of system resources to each. This is what makes VPS hosting inherently different from shared services: each user gets their own CPU, RAM, disk space, and an account completely isolated from all other clients. This makes the VPS environment a great solution for online stores, business websites, and growing businesses. The pool of dedicated resources allows you to take full advantage of the power of your server, while the isolation of the account guarantees a much more optimal security from the beginning. As if that wasn't enough, many VPS solutions come with some level of scalability – the ability to add or remove system resources as you need them. All of this is made possible by a process called virtualization. It helps hosts to divide the server into as many virtual instances as needed, each with its own operating system and assigned processing power.
Types of VPS hosting
It is no wonder why the VPS niche is becoming so popular. But when looking for a VPS for the first time, you may be overwhelmed by all the options. Don't worry, the answers may be simpler than expected. Although you can find providers offering even more than 10 different plans, when you take a closer look, all VPS services can fit into two main categories: managed and unmanaged hosting.
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Managed hosting in a nutshell
This is the preferred type of VPS hosting for beginners, inexperienced users, and entrepreneurs looking for more help when creating their online projects. In a managed VPS plan, you and the hosting providers share responsibilities when it comes to server administration, management, and optimization. The host will often fully assist with initial server and operating system (OS) setup, as well as basic security setup. What primarily separates managed VPS solutions from their self-managed counterparts is the level of support afterward. The provider takes on many of the tasks that are normally left to the customer: software and plugin installation, server maintenance, service updates. But perhaps most importantly: whenever you have any technical issues, you can always contact your hosting provider's support department for help. Depending on the provider, you may even have options for higher priority and problem escalation. All in all, some of the notable benefits of managed VPS hosting include:
- Low learning curve
- Easy account management
- Optimized performance
- Advanced security practices
- Expert support assistance
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Unmanaged hosting in a nutshell
For users who have real technical experience and find managing a server relatively easy, unmanaged VPS hosting is possibly the best solution for their needs. Self-managed servers are all about user control. After an initial configuration and installation of the operating system, all the operations of the VPS are completely in the hands of the client. We are talking about total control over the machine, comparable to that associated with dedicated hosting plans. Basically, you only pay for the bare-metal server and its resources: RAM, CPU, space and bandwidth. There are no fancy features or add-on services. Whenever the self-managed server owner needs to add a component, they purchase and configure it separately. The benefits of unmanaged VPS hosting for developers and webmasters are self-evident:
- Full server control
- Unlimited customization options
- Affordable price rates
- Improved scalability
How to choose the right VPS plan?
If you are still wondering if a managed or unmanaged VPS plan is right for you, you can ask yourself the following questions:
- Can I manage the management of my own server?
- Can I take care of the maintenance and optimization of the VPS?
- Do I have the time and resources to do it myself?
- Do I have any specific software or operating system requirements?
It's usually pretty simple, if you don't feel experienced enough to run a server and don't have specific hosting needs, managed VPS is the way to go. Similarly, if you intend to tweak every little part of your server machine and have the knowledge to do so, go for a self-managed option and have fun with it. Still not sure? Perhaps the comparison of these factors will help:
- Features - When it comes to the range of features, managed VPS solutions are unrivaled. In fact, you will rarely find ANYONE included by default in a self-managed plan. Unmanaged VPS customers must add the desired features as paid extras.
- Security - This aspect comes down to your cybersecurity expertise. If this is not your strong suit, leave it to your hosting provider and only take care of the protection of your website. However, if you know what you are doing, root access to the unmanaged virtual server gives you the opportunity to strengthen your defenses to perfection.
- Price: At first glance, most providers attract users with more affordable prices on unmanaged VPS offerings, which is logical given the lack of support assistance. But when you consider all the possible extras you may need to add later, a managed server can easily turn out to be more profitable. You can also check out ScalaHosting as one of our top picks for managed VPS hosting.
Worth the upgrade
The best thing about VPS hosting services is that they have become more and more accessible to the average user. You no longer have to be a tech wizard or invest tons of money to rent a virtual server. Also, if you opt for a managed VPS package, you will get all the essential technical help from your hosting provider while you focus on developing and growing your online business.