It can be difficult to decide on a provider to host your website, but the decision can impact your website just as much as the developer or designer does. There are two popular options, Virtual Private and Shared, each with its own particular benefits and pitfalls. Which type will work best for you is dependent on what type of site you are hosting and how large it is.
Shared Hosting
Simply put, several different users, or websites, who use shared hosting share a server. The number of different users can vary greatly, from as few as on hundred to as many as several thousands. Try to think of chard hosting as a company who rents out the office space. They have a lot of space that they cut into to different sized chunks for their various tenants. Shared hosting servers are very large serves chopped up for different customers.
The benefits of the shared hosting environment are simple: they are easy to use and inexpensive. It is possible to find a hosting service for under $10.00/month. They are able to offer lower rates because they have multiple users for just one system. These shared hosting services also don’t require a lot of start-up capital for new business. They also do not require a lot of time to set-up. In most cases, the host will do both the management and configuration. Think again about our company renting office space. The companies renting the space do not need to furnish it – the landlord does it for them and the price is included in the rent. Any company that does not need a large amount of special security, space or bandwidth, Shared hosting services is a great choice
There are some pitfalls to the shared hosting route. Servers have a limited amount of resources, and with multiple users, sometimes slowdowns or even outages are possible. This is especially true during ‘high load’ periods. In many cases, the shared servers do not offer all of the features or custom programs a user may need – remember they are trying to streamline the process to keep costs down. – Think about the furnished office – you can’t pick and choose what you want – you get what is there.
Finally, as your business grows, you will likely outgrow the shared system resources. As your traffic increases and your website expands, it may be time to try Virtual Private Server Hosting.
Virtual Private Server Hosting
Under the Virtual Private Server system, users will reap a lot of the benefits they usually see only on a dedicated server, but the system is actually a semi-shared environment. This type of system uses the ‘virtualization’ technology that lets several different servers exist on one actual machine. This means each user has root admin access to their environment and that environment is completely separate from any other users on the same server. Think of it as renting out a whole floor in the office building.
Many of the VPS servers will offer you some degree of support, but because each user has admin privileges and can customize and tweak their server, it is not possible to resolve all issues. There is added security because of the isolation between users and users can further customize their server with security, firewalls or other measures. Multiple sites can be hosted using a single plan – a great benefit if you are sharing data between sites. Finally, VPS lets users run private database and emails servers. This increases performance and decreases the likelihood their email will be noted as spam.
Unfortunately, these systems cost a lot more than shared services. Even cheap VPS service is 3X more expensive. A great deal more time and technical knowledge is needed to successful maintain and administer the service. There is even a downside to running your own server – there are settings and options to choose from and it may make going live with your site more time consuming.
Both of these different environments have strong and weak points. You will need to carefully consider your needs before deciding which method will work best for you. Small business owners may want to chose a shared environment while they launch their first website and larger business will be able to take full advantage of the VPS environment.
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Enjoyed reading your post. Great job of explaining the difference between VPS and shared hosting.