Virtual private server (VPS) hosting is a compromise between shared and dedicated hosting, often the logical next step for growing a website. A VPS machine hosts the software and data necessary to run a website using only a portion of a third-party server's physical resources.
A VPS is often used to launch web applications, build test environments, or store secondary data. The best VPS hosting enables users to spend less effort on managing physical servers while expanding the resources available.
VPS Hosting and the Alternatives
The alternatives to VPS hosting are shared hosting and dedicated hosting. When using a shared hosting server, your website shares that server's resources with many others, meaning those websites can affect how your own perform.
Dedicated hosting means buying an entire server for your website's use. While others will not impact your website, the server is usually far too large to make good use of.
VPS hosting separates a server's infrastructure into separate compartments, giving each website its dedicated resources. Other websites won't interfere with your performance, but there aren't as many resources as would be available for a dedicated server. More often than not, however, you don't need them.
Benefits of VPS Hosting
There are several benefits of VPS hosting for both individuals and businesses. They offer increased reliability, which improves performance and uptime, especially when compared to shared hosting.
Many hosting providers will maintain the servers, making it one less thing that businesses have to worry about. In addition, all of the resources in VPS hosting are dedicated to you, which means more RAM and CPU availability. As a result, users will see increased efficiency and improved performance.
Determining Whether to Use a VPS Hosting Service to Scale
Recognizing whether you should switch to a VPS hosting service for any website is essential. If your website grows beyond 2000 to 3000 daily visitors or over 90,000 monthly users, this is a good sign that it would benefit from being on a VPS.
The same goes for cases where you need to install applications not supported by shared hosting services, need root access for advanced configurations, need a virtual environment for software development, your website handles sensitive data, or your website experiences extreme traffic fluctuations.
Of course, you should only switch to a VPS if you can afford it, have the technical skills to make things work, and aren't hosting a low-traffic website.
Ultimately, a VPS hosting service can handle higher quantities of traffic, customize applications to your liking, and reduce server errors. That said, there are three different types of VPS to consider when choosing the right service for you: unmanaged or self-managed hosting, managed hosting, and semi-managed hosting.
Types of VPS Hosting Service
Unmanaged VPS hosting requires a business owner to handle server responsibilities and maintenance tasks directly, and the provider only offers access to the physical server. This is an excellent option for someone with the technical expertise or IT resources to support it, but it can otherwise be a daunting VPS type.
Managed VPS hosting means the server provider will directly handle server responsibilities and maintenance tasks, removing the need to manage the server yourself entirely. Semi-managed VPS hosting services provide core software installation and general support but are largely unmanaged.
The Next Step in Website Scaling
VPS hosting is a lower-cost alternative to a dedicated server but enables greater freedoms and capabilities than a shared server. After considering performance quality, required security, and your website's budget, selecting the right VPS hosting provider is the most crucial step toward scaling your business.
