Some websites depending on the nature of the business, need resources, some – speed performance, others – may not need anything at all. They need a place to host their website what is usually are straightforward websites with simple design and content. How can you know which hosting plan is the best option for your business? In this article, I want to discuss the fundamental difference between the two most popular hosting types – Shared hosting and VPS hosting, which option is better in a particular case.
Shared vs. VPS main differences
1. Resources
Shared hosting is just what it resonances like. There’s a lot of sharing going on and in many aspects. One of them is resources such as bandwidth and performance materials.
As you host your website using a shared hosting option, you share the data with every website that’s on the same server. So, if your “neighbor” gets more traffic than usual, expect your site to start lagging. While it’s by far the cheapest option, it’s the most dependent on others.
A VPS option, on the other hand, is a far more flexible option than a shared one. In this case, you get to host your website on a server with only a few of the others.
While the price is significantly higher, it’s far better for those looking to have more control over their resource management and having better performance in general.
In summary: a VPS is a more expensive option but can offer more resources and far fewer limitations when it comes to available performance data for use. Then again, if you’re website is small and acts more like a business card (more for presentation than functionality), a shared option will be more than enough.
2. Functionality and Performance
You can probably guess, but more resources mean more flexible performance and functionality. With a shared hosting option, you only get us as much performance as your hosting provider allows you to have. If they have don’t have SSDs or up-to-date caching software, your website might struggle in terms of speed.
Considering that other websites on the same server will consume some resources for their own performance needs, this economical option might not work for you.
With VPS, on the other hand, you’ll get better-optimized resources and more flexibility with your website applications. If a need arises for multiple websites, then a VPS is the only viable option out of these two, that’s without question.
In summary: more dedicated resources for you means more stable performance and functionality, so the VPS option is the way to go. However, if you value ease of management and don’t need much performance, a shared hosting option could be better since it’s much cheaper.
3. Data and Security
While a shared option is excellent for those who don’t need many resources and don’t want to spend much on hosting it can put your website at a security risk. You end up relying entirely on what your hosting provider has set up for security.
Even though shared hosting is a safe option, you cannot count out the risk of a breach. Let’s say one of your neighbors gets attacked or hacked, and your website might suffer from decreased functionality since you all share the same machine.
Most VPS options, on the other hand, offer much better safety features that are only available if you buy this option.
In summary: while shared hosting is reasonably safe, you risk losing functionality in case of a breach, thus resulting in potential business losses. If you have sensitive data that needs additional protection, consider a VPS option.
All in all
Both Shared Hosting and VPS can work in different situations. What you have to do is determine what you prioritize the most, whether it’s cost-effectiveness, additional resources or security.
The article is presented by hostens.com
