VPS vs. Shared Hosting: Which One to Choose?

VPS hosting and shared hosting are easy to mix up since both solutions involve sharing a server with other websites. However, there are some key differences between them that make them suitable for different types of websites and users.

Shared hosting is ideal for website owners with a small budget, but it isn’t suitable for resource-intensive websites. Meanwhile, VPS hosting grants ultimate freedom and control over the server environment, but it costs a lot more and requires a certain level of technical expertise.

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at shared hosting and VPS hosting. We’ll weigh up the pros and cons of each option and help you decide which to choose. Let’s get started!

What Is Shared Hosting?

Every website needs a web server to store important website files and make content publicly accessible on the internet. Renting a dedicated server can be very expensive, so many people share a server with other websites.

When you opt for shared hosting, you’ll be sharing server resources such as CPU, memory, and disk space. This makes it an affordable web hosting solution for new site owners.

However, shared hosting isn’t very reliable. If another website on the server receives a high surge of traffic or experiences a security threat, your site availability and/or performance may also be impacted.

What Is VPS Hosting?

In contrast to a shared hosting environment, VPS hosting plans offer more flexibility and stability.

You’ll still be sharing a physical server with other website owners. However, each customer gets their own virtual server environment, separate from other websites on the server.

In this instance, you’ll receive a pre-defined set of resources allocated to your website, so you won’t be impacted by the activity of others. And since you’ll have your own virtual server, you’ll get more freedom to customize the environment to suit your needs.

As you might expect, you’ll have to pay more for a VPS server. Plus, the setup process isn’t as straightforward as getting started with shared hosting, which makes it less suitable for beginners.

If you’re having trouble differentiating between these two types of hosting, think of shared hosting like staying in a hostel. You’ll be expected to share everything (even the room) with other travelers.

On the other hand, VPS hosting is more akin to a hotel stay. You’ll have your private room, but you’ll share the utilities and communal areas (like the lobby and pool) with other guests.

The Pros and Cons of Shared Hosting

So is a shared server right for you? Let’s take a look at the main pros:

• Affordability. Shared hosting is the most cost-effective web hosting solution.
• Beginner-friendly. It’s great for first-time website owners since it doesn’t require technical skills like the ability to configure a server.
• Easy to maintain. Most shared hosting providers handle all website maintenance tasks like server updates and security patches.

And here are some of the drawbacks of using a shared server:

• Performance/availability issues. Since server resources are distributed between multiple websites, you won’t be able to accommodate high volumes of traffic. And if you get a traffic spike (or other websites on the server do), your site may slow down or even crash.
• Security issues. If another website on the server suffers a security attack like a malware infection, there’s a high risk that it will spread to your website.
• Limited customization. Unlike VPS hosting, shared hosting doesn’t provide root access to the server. This means you can’t install software, perform updates, etc. You might also have restricted access to the back end.

Now that you have the full picture of shared hosting, let’s take a closer look at what VPS hosting offers.

The Pros and Cons of VPS Hosting

If you’re not sure about choosing VPS hosting, here are the main benefits to consider:

• Value for money. Although VPS hosting costs more than shared hosting, it’s still an affordable option for many businesses. This is especially true considering that similar alternatives like dedicated hosting can easily cost over $100 per month.
• Customization and control. VPS hosting grants full root access to the server, so you’re free to install any software or programs you like. It’s also easy to scale your server resources and add additional user accounts.
• Improved performance. With your own operating system and dedicated server resources, VPS hosting is usually much faster than shared hosting. Plus, you won’t be affected by another site’s traffic, which makes it a more stable option.

Here are the cons of using a virtual private server (VPS):

• Technical expertise. Unlike shared hosting, VPS hosting doesn’t usually come with a standardized setup. Therefore, you’ll need to know how to configure and manage a server. And if you run into issues, only you can fix them.
• Cost. VPS hosting is more affordable than other web hosting solutions (like dedicated hosting) that offer a similar level of flexibility. But VPS hosting plans may still be out of reach for website owners on a budget.

It’s important to note that you can find web hosting providers that offer a more “managed” VPS hosting environment. NameHero provides a range of plans that combine the flexibility of a VPS server with support and assurance:

When you sign up for a VPS plan, your private cloud server will be deployed instantly and your server will be monitored round-the-clock by an expert team.

You can scale your storage, memory, and power with just a single click. And, you’ll have access to 24/7 support if you run into any issues.

VPS vs Shared Hosting: Which Should You Choose?

To sum up, shared hosting is ideal for first-time website owners and those on a budget. It’s also best for small websites (like blogs) that aren’t expecting too much traffic.

With shared hosting, you’ll compromise on server control and customization. But you’ll get a pre-configured environment, and won’t need to worry about server maintenance.

There’s a lot of variety in shared hosting services. At NameHero, you can choose from a range of premium cloud hosting plans that come with LightSpeed caching technology built-in, so you won’t need to worry about performance:

Reliability won’t be an issue either, because NameHero monitors your site 24/7 and provides a free Security Shield with all plans. You’ll even get access to a beginner-friendly control panel where you can instantly launch new websites, apply auto-updates, create backups, and more.

On the other hand, a virtual private server (VPS) provides full root access to configure your operating system however you like, which offers more flexibility and control. But this freedom comes at a higher cost.

You’ll also need the skills to configure and maintain your server environment. However, you won’t need to worry about performance or availability issues, since the partition separates you from other websites on the server.

Conclusion

Every website requires a web hosting provider to store key website files. Shared hosting and VPS hosting are two popular hosting plans, but they differ in terms of performance, control, and cost.

Shared hosting is more affordable, but it offers limited customization. the performance of your site can be impacted by other websites on the server. VPS hosting grants more control and provides better performance, but it requires technical skills and a larger budget.

NameHero is a reliable hosting provider that’s sure to meet your needs, whether you opt for VPS or shared hosting. Most plans come with a free domain name, SSL certificate, automatic updates, security monitoring, and more. Check out our plans today!