Selecting the appropriate host is not that easy. You would initially feel overjoyed, a bit confused and at times lost. Don’t worry. They are pretty normal when you are on your way to choosing the correct and perfect level of service.
Even though you are experienced, it still can trouble you as you have to select one among so many perfect options available to you.
In this article, we’ll take a look at shared hosting (a natural starting point for small websites) and VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting with their pros and cons.
Shared hosting: Shared hosting is one of the methods for web hosting providers to put a large number of websites on the same server. A server is merely like your very own hard computer with a processor, memory, and a hard drive.
Small or medium sized websites with visitors in hundreds do not need the complete server to themselves. Obviously. So for such kind of websites. It is all the more convenient regarding the cost to host on a shared server with other same size sites.
You can relate this shared hosting plan with renting of room in a house where you will have to share the main utilities with other roommates in the house like the kitchen, Bathroom etc. but at the same time. You have your private room also.
Who should go with Shared Hosting?
1. Those who only want a personal/business site.
2. A startup company is seeking to establish an online presence.
3. Those that do not have much technical experience.
Let’s have a look on Shared Hosting Pros & Cons:
Benefits of Shared Hosting
1. Easy to setup and manage
2. Inexpensive
3. Scalable to accommodate your needs (up to a limit)
Disadvantages of Shared Hosting
1. Restrictions on what software applications you can operate
2. Restricted ability to configure firewall and security settings
3. Limited access to system administration features
4. Scalable only up to pre-set borders
VPS Hosting
If we compare shared hosting service with a VPS, Former is much more superior regarding all aspects of technology. VPS servers are still shared environments that imply there would be more than a single user on one physical machine, but the technological method adopted to allocate resources and keep users differentiated is much more traditional.
The key contrast is how sources are distributed up. Much fewer users use the same hardware, and each has their ‘private’ environment, which makes it seem as though they each have their server.
Whereas having a VPS hosting plan is just identical to renting a single room or apartment in a flat or building. You will have full control and free access to your room without even having to share its facilities with others. But you are still sharing some things such as electricity, water supply, etc.. Also there are less Number of residents per building
So there is a larger space for every single of them.
Who should go for VPS Hosting
1. Those who should Have some limited IT expertise.
2. Those who need greater resources than shared hosting.
3. Those who have considerable traffic to their blogs or sites, but do not have sufficient technical skills to operate their website on a server level.
Let’s have a look on VPS Hosting Pros & Cons:
Advantages of VPS Hosting
1. Administrator access to the Operating System
2. Full ability to install and configure software
3. Full control over firewall and security settings
4. Reseller packages available
5. Scalable to any level
Disadvantages of VPS Hosting
1. More costly than shared hosting
2. Needs expertise to set up and manage
Should I Switch To VPS?
The plain answer is: Yes. You should almost positively consider moving away from shared hosting.
As per my opinion, I can think only of two suitable reasons for the best time to use a shared host and it might be a healthier option than using a VPS: one is because of financial concerns, the other is that you’ve got some low-traffic sites.
If you’ve just begun a company and funds are cutting, you might want to pick the $5/month option rather of the $20/month (minimum) option.
That said, don’t ignore that your site might be the backbone of your money-making future attempts. If so, it could be the genuine choice to spend more on your site.
Another good cause to use shared hosting is if you have some very low-traffic websites you require to keep moving but don’t want to “pollute” a VPS account with them. These websites or blogs won’t demand any notable power and a little downtime here won’t be a big problem.
In all other circumstances, I think that a VPS account is a good idea, and I would recommend that any serious company switch to it at the earliest opportunity.
Ravinder Dande
Aakash Patel
Aquif Shaikh