Shared Hosting vs. VPS – Which One Is the Right Choice for You?

Imagine you want to create a website or an online store and get your business online. You have the idea, and you have the products and services; now, all you need is web hosting. There are a few different web hosting types you can choose from to host your website. They all allow you to get online and drive traffic but differ in the number of resources, power, and other similar things they offer.

Two of the most popular types of web hosting include shared and VPS hosting. But which one is the right choice for you? This article can help you decide what kind of web hosting you need, so if you want to find out, read on to do so!

What Is Shared Hosting?

Shared Hosting is one of the most commonly used types of hosting. It is especially common amongst those who want to host a personal website or something small for a low price.

If you get a Shared Hosting plan, that means that your website will share and “live” on one server with many other users. So, you share the same resources with others, including bandwidth, storage, etc. It is the cheapest option you can get and is easy to maintain.

However, since it is the cheapest form of hosting, it does come with its limitations. Namely, it is not really suitable for handling high volumes of traffic or instant spikes. Also, such hosting can limit your website’s performance, and you can be impacted by other sites on the server. So, if another site on your server suddenly experiences spikes in traffic, your site can be affected by that and experience downtime or lag.

On the bright side, Shared Hosting services are great for beginners and are an excellent place to start for up-and-coming individuals and businesses. Also, Shared Hosting can come in different forms. Namely, if you look at Visual Web Technologies, you will find that it offers services like Business Hosting, WordPress Hosting,  cPanel Hosting and DirectAdmin Hosting. Those are all types of Shared Hosting that are tailor-made for certain purposes, like hosting a WordPress site. Also, you can find that the provider includes quite a few excellent features in its hosting plans, like a free domain, SSL, a website builder, and much more.

What Is a VPS?

VPS is an acronym for “Virtual Private Server.” When you compare it to Shared Hosting, you can see that a VPS offers much more power, resources, security, and better performance. In other words, it’s bigger and better than Shared Hosting, yet still affordable.

With a VPS Hosting plan, you will still share a physical server with other users, but you will be isolated from them, and they won’t affect you as they would with Shared Hosting. So, with a VPS, you will get your own private resources and much more power as well. Furthermore, many of the best VPS Hosting providers offer additional features in their already-powerful plans, like high-quality hardware, enhanced security, and more.

The downside of a VPS is that you might have to maintain and manage your server by yourself. Also, it comes at higher prices than Shared Hosting plans, which not everyone can afford. However, there are many providers that offer fully managed VPS Hosting services via which the provider takes care of the setup and maintenance of your server. But, usually, fully managed services come at a higher price than unmanaged ones.

Which One Is for You?

Deciding if Shared or VPS Hosting is better for you mostly depends on what you need and how much money you can spare for web hosting.

Shared Hosting is the better option in the following circumstances:

• If you are new to hosting and have recently opened a business;
• Hosting a personal website for your family and friends;
• You want to host a website for your small business and don’t plan on expanding anytime soon;
• You don’t need much storage or bandwidth for your website or project;
• You are on a limited budget and need something cheaper;

VPS Hosting is more suitable in the following circumstances:

• You want to create a website or online store that already has a loyal customer base;
• If you run a medium-sized business or larger;
• Your website generates larger traffic volumes and needs more storage and bandwidth to handle it;
• You want to have complete control over your resources and website;
• If you need enhanced security and privacy for your company’s sensitive information;
• You plan on growing your online business quickly.

Last Few Words

In the end, when deciding which option is better for you, you have to take into account what your website needs and what you want to do with it. Also, your budget can play an integral part in the decision-making process.

In shorter terms, Shared Hosting plans are best for individuals and smaller businesses that have tighter budgets and don’t need many resources to function. VPS Hosting plans are best for medium and larger businesses that want to grow online quickly or want to host larger, more content-rich sites. Also, VPS Hosting is suitable for sites that have larger amounts of traffic and visitors per month.