There are many types of hosting available, but the two most common by far are shared and Virtual Private Server, or VPS, hosting.
Many newcomers are curious about the differences between these two hosting plans. You may also want to know if one is better than the other considering your own hosting needs.
This will list their major differences and show you which is best for your website.
Shared Vs VPS Hosting
What is Shared Hosting?
One of the best metaphors for comparing these hosting types would be living arrangements. Shared hosting is like renting a studio apartment in a large complex.
You have your own room to do whatever you’d like, but you have neighbors around you and sharing the same building.
Shared hosting is when many websites are placed on the same server. You are given less resources as everyone must be accommodated, but the hosting price is very affordable and good for new website owners.
What is VPS Hosting?
This is considered a step up from shared hosting. This is more like owning a condo in a community. You have neighbors and you are all sharing the community resources, but you have more room to stretch your legs.
With this hosting a virtual server is placed on the physical server. This gives you many of the same features as a dedicated server, but at a much better price.
This is considered the middle point between shared and dedicated hosting. You get more resources and features than shared hosting, but a better price than a dedicated server. This type of hosting has the power of a dedicated server and the flexibility of cloud hosting.
That’s very true as you are getting both power and flexibility at a reasonable price with VPS hosting. “VPS is a great solution for people who need root access, but don’t need the entire resources of a dedicated server,” said Jason Grasshoff, Director of Marketing with Liquid Web.
Pros and Cons
Both hosting types have their pros and cons. Shared hosting is easily the most affordable, which is its major benefit. At the same time, you have less control of your server space and limited resources. This is best for smaller websites and personal blogs.
VPS hosting is a stronger type of hosting. Its major benefit is that it combines the advantages of shared hosting’s affordability with dedicated hosting’s level of control.
You can do more with your server space and you have a good amount of resources. The disadvantage is that you are still sharing a server with others, though less than with shared hosting.
Specific Situations For Hosting
Both of these hosting types are meant for different users. Shared hosting is ideal for newcomers who have never made a website before and have little administrator experience.
Its low price means that you don’t have to worry about the commercial viability of your website. You can make a website just for fun or you can use this to build up your website and then upgrade as it grows.
Shared hosting is best for new websites, personal blogs, small business websites if you’re just starting out and static pages that rarely change.
VPS hosting is the next step up and it gives you more resources and control. You can often install and use scripts and programs that weren’t allowed with shared hosting. You can also accommodate much more traffic.
This is best for large personal blogs, online stores and established small business websites.
Decide What Hosting Type is Best For You
These hosting types are the most common and it’s easy to see why. Both are affordable and are welcoming to newcomers.
Shared is ideal for those with brand new websites with a VPS is good for those with websites that have gained some traffic or users who need more server control.
Read Also:
- How To Choose Web Hosting For A Small Business In 2021
- A to Z Beginner’s Guide to Web Hosting
- 10 Key Features of Web Hosting Services for Small Business
Author Bio: Jason Grasshoff is the Director of Marketing at Liquid Web. He has over twenty years of experience in the technology industry and has a twelve-year tenure with Liquid Web. He has a wealth of industry knowledge and enjoys creating helpful content for his clients.
