For any business making its online debut, a reliable hosting solution is the foundation of success. Thus, to make your first impression, you need a fantastic website and the best performance rate. However, this would be incomplete if you didn’t choose a trustworthy hosting provider. Often, when selecting a hosting solution for newbie websites, the choice debates between shared hosting and the cheapest VPS hosting.
Each has pros and cons based on a website’s size, traffic, and particular requirements. In this article, we will analyze these two options: shared servers and the best VPS servers, and outline their features, pros, and cons. So no worries about making your final decision. Read the complete blog and find out which hosting service suits your needs the most.
Table of Contents
What is shared hosting?
Shared hosting refers to a hosting service that allows multiple users to have their websites hosted on the same server, enabling them to utilize the server’s resources among themselves. Thus, even the costs of the resources are shared among the users.
Key features of shared hosting:
- Affordable: Out of all the hosting solutions in the market, shared hosting is the most affordable. It is advantageous to small businesses, personal websites, and blogs, or users seeking to cut down on their expenses.
- Easy to use: A majority of shared hosting providers offer one-click installations along with control panels for easy management and website monitoring. As a result, beginners can manage their websites without significant technical know-how.
Drawbacks of shared hosting:
- Minimal access: You are only provided with minimal access to the server and settings, meaning less flexibility in changes to be made.
- Reduced efficiency: Your site might slow down in case other websites hosted on the same server gain more traffic.
- Hosting security: There are possibilities of having issues on the server in case even one website is hacked.
What is VPS hosting?
VPS (Virtual Private Server) is an advanced hosting environment that is separated by virtually isolated compartments. The provider offers an isolated hosting environment, dedicated, and more. It is a step up from shared hosting, which offers a private server setting for a website. However, like shared hosting, the physical server is still used by different clients. Websites that have moderate to high traffic or that need specific user server settings benefit from VPS hosting.
Key features of VPS hosting:
- Allocated resources: With VPS hosting, the website’s allocated part of the server is powerful and stable. In contrast, shared hosting does not allocate server resources.
- More control: VPS hosting enables users to customize server settings such as software installation, security configurations, and system resource allocation.
- Flexibility: VPS hosting is flexible. It’s possible to easily change plans depending on the size of your website.
- Increased efficiency: Your website will load faster with VPS hosting, especially during a spike in server traffic, as the dedicated resources greatly reduce the chances of slowdown.
- Heightened protection: In VPS’ virtual environment, your website gets protected from being harmed by other websites with security threats on the same server.
Drawbacks of VPS hosting:
- Increased expenses: The cost of VPS hosting is typically much higher than shared hosting—this is especially true for the initial plans.
- High technical assistance: With greater control comes the responsibility of managing your server. If you do not have adequate technical skills, you may have to consult with a server administrator.
- High resource usage: VPS hosting has more control and flexibility, but it also uses up more time and resources. Security patches, regular backups, and maintenance are also expected. Software also needs to be updated and attending to that requires effort. As a result, server supervision is heightened.
When to choose shared hosting:
- Small website or blog: Shared hosting is the most straightforward and inexpensive option if you have a brand-new blog or website and do not expect lots of traffic. Thus, with these requirements, you can choose a shared server for your business.
- Budget constraints: For businesses that are in the initial phase (most commonly SEMs and startups), choose shared hosting services, as they are the most reasonably priced hosting option.
- Low maintenance: If you find taking care of the server tiresome, Shared Hosting does everything server-related. Therefore, you are given more time to strategize and work on your website’s content.
When to choose VPS hosting:
- Growing a website or e-commerce store: VPS hosting provides the necessary performance and security if you are already expecting more traffic and have begun experiencing a rise in it.
- Customization needs: Thanks to the customized software and server settings offered by VPS hosting providers like MilesWeb, you can modify your hosting environment to meet your needs.
- Security and performance: VPS hosting is designed for more secure and stable environments, which are needed for sensitive data sites or websites with higher security requirements. With MilesWeb’s VPS plans, you can host your projects without security concerns.
Conclusion
The choice between shared and VPS hosting largely depends on the specific size, traffic, and requirements of your website. Shared hosting is great for novice users and small-budget websites, while VPS hosting is ideal for expanding websites and those with increasingly complex needs.
If you are still uncertain about the right web hosting solution, it’s recommended that you go with providers like Milesweb. They offer you both shared and VPS hosting plans. As soon as your website outgrows the shared plan limits, you can easily switch to their high-tier VPS plans. Consider your current situation and future needs to determine the best value and performance for your website and enjoy hindrance-free web hosting.
I am an SEO professional and writer at VOCSO Digital Agency. I love to learn and write about digital marketing terms like SEO, social media, and SEM.
