It’s a very common question that’s asked or even googled every time one requires to avail of hosting services. We’re breaking it down for you so that you can make a more informed decision while choosing a type of hosting that best suits your website requirements.
Let’s begin by defining what the two terms mean…
What is Shared hosting:
Shared hosting is like sharing the same apartment with others. You can’t customize much but responsibility and expenses are shared among all members. It’s commonly opted for and is very convenient for customers who are looking for a trial or low-cost hosting packages.
There are many users on the same server. This divides the cost, thus making it a cheaper option than dedicated hosting. However, one user’s actions could impact everyone on the server.
Advantages of Shared Hosting
– It is easy to maintain simple websites and blogs with shared hosting
– It is economical
– Professional and technical maintenance of the server is not required which is why you can handle your website with ease
Disadvantages of Shared Hosting
– The performance of your website could be affected by the other websites that share your server
– Because of a common server there is a possibility of security issue
VPS hosting or Virtual Private Server is like owning a condo. Although you share things on the property you are responsible for maintaining the space and the things inside it that are yours. There are also fewer users on one VPS network as compared to a shared server. There is more flexibility with VPS hosting too.
VPS hosting is also a shared network but it is a more sophisticated environment. Every user on a VPS network has a predetermined set of resources. How much they use it is up to each user but it is available to them. This is in contrast to shared servers wherein resources are owned on a first come first serve basis where one user can acquire all of the server space if he wanted to. It is a much more stable and predictable environment and the best takeaway is that your website will not be affected by other users on the VPS network.
Advantages of VPS Hosting
You can configure anything on the server as you own it
Complete control of your server environment ensures you have 100% resources of the server at your disposal
You are free to configure your own security parameters like firewall, access, etc.
Disadvantages of VPS Hosting
A special system administrator is required to look after your server
You need to ensure all services are running all time and all monitoring and alerting need to be configured and maintained by you
Your overall cost of ownership is higher as you need specialized resources to maintain and monitor the VPS instances in the long run
When and why to move from Shared to VPS hosting
As your business grows or your audience expands, you will soon feel the need to upgrade. Upgrading means giving your website perks like increased disk space, better CPU and RAM resources, better control, access to customizations and stability.
Summary
| Shared Hosting | VPS Hosting | |
| Resources | Limited | Greater availability |
| Security | Less Secure | Secure |
| Flexibility | Limited | Extremely Flexible |
