VPS (Virtual Private Server in English) is a more secure and stable solution than shared hosting where you don’t get dedicated server space. However, it’s smaller and cheaper than renting an entire server.
VPS hosting is typically chosen by website owners who have moderate traffic that exceeds the limits of shared hosting plans, but still don’t need the resources of a dedicated server.
VPS solutions usually offer multiple hosting plans. For example, at Hostinger we have eight VPS hosting plans to cater to different needs and allow you to seamlessly scale your website when you need more resources.
What is a VPS?
A VPS or Virtual Private Server is a type of hosting that offers you a private partition with dedicated resources within a multi-user server.
How does VPS hosting work?
A server is a computer where your web host stores the files and databases needed for your website. Whenever an online visitor wants to access your website, his browser sends a request to your server and transfers the necessary files over the Internet.
VPS hosting offers you a cloud server that simulates a physical server, but the machine is shared by multiple users.
Using virtualization technology, your web host installs a virtual layer on top of the server’s operating system (OS). This level divides the server into partitions and allows each user to install their own operating system and software.
Therefore, a Virtual Private Server (VPS) is both virtual and private since you are in complete control. They are separated from other server users at the operating system level. In fact, VPS technology is similar to partitioning your computer when you want to run multiple operating systems (such as Windows and Linux) without having to reboot.
A VPS allows you to set up your website in a secure container with guaranteed resources (memory, disk space, CPU cores, etc.) that you don’t have to share with other users. With VPS hosting, you get the same root-level access as renting a dedicated server, but at a fraction of the cost.
Comparison of VPS and other types of web hosting
Different types of web hosting allow you to do different levels of customization on your server. vary a Price, performance (e.g. page load time) and service availability (e.g. uptime). You can read below how VPS hosting compares to other hosting solutions.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is the solution for website owners with less traffic. It’s the starting point for most small businesses and bloggers. with him too best shared hosting plan, the same physical server is shared between multiple clients of the hosting company. You don’t get any dedicated resources for yourself as your website runs on the same operating system as everyone else’s.
Therefore, the memory and computing power that your website can use is influenced by the needs of other users of the service. For example, if a website hosted on the same server experiences a sudden spike in traffic, it can increase page load time.
You also can’t choose your operating system or other server software, as all users use the same settings. Ultimately, it is your hosting provider that takes care of every aspect of your shared hosting environment.
You can think of shared hosting as a rental where you share the same apartment with multiple roommates. VPS hosting is still a common solution, but everyone has their own space where they can customize the space according to their needs. For example, you can choose the color, furniture, decoration, etc.
If you are considering migrating your website from shared hosting to VPS, we at Hostinger will help you throughout the process.
expert advice
If you want to learn more about the difference between these types of hosting, read our tutorial Shared Hosting or VPS: Which to Choose Based on Your Needs.
Cloud Hosting
With cloud hosting or cloud hosting you do not use a single server, but a cluster that runs in the cloud. Each server in the cluster stores an up-to-date copy of your website. If one of the servers is too busy, the cluster automatically redirects traffic to a less busy server.
As a result, there is no downtime with cloud hosting, as there is always a server in the cluster that can service the requests of your website visitors.
WordPress hosting
WordPress hosting is a service offered specifically for WordPress site owners. It includes several WordPress-related features that you can only use if you have a WordPress site such as: B. one-click installation, pre-installed plugins or a WP command line interface.
The servers are configured for WordPress needs. Therefore, hosting providers offer WordPress hosting as part of their shared hosting service.
While it is also possible to set up a WordPress site on a VPS, you cannot access custom servers that are set up with WordPress in mind. However, if you still decide to use VPS for your WordPress site, you can configure your hosting environment according to your business needs.
Dedicated Hosting
With dedicated hosting you rent a complete physical server for your business. If you have a high traffic website, dedicated hosting might be the best solution for you as dedicated servers are fast, flexible and fully customizable. However, the service also comes at a price, which is why it’s not the best solution for everyone, especially if you have a small or medium-sized website.
While VPS hosting allows you to choose and configure your operating system and server applications, dedicated hosting takes it a step further. With it you can configure not only the software, but also the hardware, since the entire server is yours and nobody has any say in the configuration. You can also run a dedicated server on site (e.g. in your office), but then you won’t get the support of a professional hosting team.
Pros and cons of a virtual private server
This type of web hosting may be an ideal solution for you if it is the service you really need. You can read the pros and cons of a VPS below.
Advantages
- It is faster and more reliable than a shared hosting server.
- Since server resources such as memory or computing power are guaranteed, there are minimal fluctuations in available resources.
- Problems and traffic increases from other server users will not affect your website.
- Get root access (root) to your server.
- Get more privacy as your files and databases are locked for other server users.
- It’s an easy service to scale. As your website grows, you can easily upgrade your server resources (RAM, CPU, disk space, bandwidth, etc.).
Disadvantages
- It is more expensive than shared hosting.
- More technical knowledge is required to set up your VPS server, although there are plenty of tutorials available online.
- Server management is technically more demanding than shared or cloud plans.
- Incorrectly configured servers can lead to security gaps.
When should you use a VPS and how do you decide if it’s time to upgrade?
VPS hosting is generally seen as the next step after your website has grown beyond the resource limits of shared hosting. When the most advanced shared web hosting package is no longer enough to keep your website running smoothly, it’s worth upgrading to a VPS package. In these cases, VPS hosting can give you the best of both worlds: shared and dedicated hosting.
However, there are other use cases where starting from scratch with a VPS plan can be a good idea. For example, e-commerce websites where there is a need to ensure secure payments with a fast and stable environment can greatly benefit from a VPS.
If you need to store sensitive information or process payments online, a VPS can help you reduce the risk of security breaches and identity theft.
If you anticipate peak traffic to your website at certain times, e.g. B. in the case of an event planning or ticketing website, a VPS plan can be a godsend. Even game servers like CS:GO or Minecraft or other resource intensive sites can work much better on a virtual private server.
Is there an alternative to Virtual Private Server? What is a managed VPS?
One of the biggest problems with VPS hosting is having to manage the entire server environment yourself. If your remote server is not configured and managed properly, you could be exposed to serious security risks and performance degradation.
Managed VPS services have emerged as a viable solution to this problem. You can consider it an improved alternative to VPS hosting that comes with full technical support.
Managed VPS is still new on the market, but more and more hosting providers are offering it to their customers.
For example, at Hostinger, our goal is to provide a fully managed hosting environment with all of our cloud hosting plans.
We will put your server up and running as needed, take care of server uptime and monitoring, manage backups and caching, and provide 24/7 technical support for all of our managed VPS clients.
Diploma
VPS hosting gives you access to guaranteed resources and complete control without having to run your own server. It is a great solution for medium to high traffic websites, resource intensive websites and e-commerce.
But even companies that expect rapid growth can benefit from the stability of the service. If you want a reliable business hosting environment at a great price, VPS hosting for your website is definitely worth considering. For an easy setup you can consider Cyberpanel LiteSpeed which comes with a pre-installed control panel.
We hope this article helped you understand what a VPS is and how it works. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below.
What is a VPS? – Frequent questions
Is VPS hosting good?
If you need a hosting service that can handle the rapid growth of your website, VPS hosting is a great option. With VPS (Virtual Private Server) you have full control over virtual server resources and overall better uptime because your server does not share its resources with other websites.
Why do I need VPS hosting?
VPS hosting is a must for websites and online stores that get a lot of traffic. Unlike traditional web hosting, VPS hosting allows you to allocate virtual server resources, making it easier to manage your business websites and online stores.
What is the difference between shared hosting and VPS?
A shared hosting plan is ideal for small personal websites as the hosting server resources are shared with other websites. With VPS hosting, the customer gets the virtual server resources they need for a larger project. large and can allocate them at its discretion.
