A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is an independent, virtual partition on a physical server (think of a server with different “containers” within it) which is sold as a service by an Internet hosting provider. A VPS runs its own copy of an operating system, and customers have administrative level access to that operating system so that they can install almost any software applications that run on that OS.
A managed VPS hosting means that we will handle all the technicalities and OS management of your server. All you have to do is manage your own applications, which you can do using the provided control panel software or via root access and install, manage and/or operate software/scripts of your choice whereas an unmanaged VPS hosting allows you complete freedom to configure your own server specifications and run software applications for your own needs.
Find these hosting platform analogies confusing? Let’s explain in residential housing terms for easier clarifications.
Shared Hosting
(‘everyone shares the available resource together’)
In a Shared Hosting environment, all accounts must share the available resources with all the other accounts on the shared server. These also include CPU time, memory and disk space.
VPS Hosting
(‘you are allotted resources that are not shared by everyone’)
On a Virtual Private Server, you are allotted computing resources that are not shared by everyone. The overall CPU time and Memory (RAM) are shared across all accounts on the machine, but at the same time portions of those resources are always dedicated to each account. This allows for more computing power and flexibility than being on a shared platform.
Dedicated Server
(‘you are the only one allowed and have access to all resources available on the machine’)
With Dedicated Server, you are allowed and have full access to all computing resources available on the machine. No one else’s account resides on the machine and would not be capable of tapping into your resources.
VPS hosting is an affordable option when your business requirements outgrow the capacity of shared hosting.
In shared hosting, if your website becomes popular, you may need to upgrade to VPS Hosting for more CPU and Memory for your account. This will allow you to handle all the new traffic coming to your site.
As compared to shared hosting, VPS offers a number of advantages such as:
Customisations: Moving up to VPS gives you more ownership of your server. If you require software that is not available in Shared Hosting, upgrading to VPS hosting will allow you to install any software that you desire.
A VPS allows you to host sites (website, e-commerce, content, and media) and software applications (e.g. CRM, Adobe, WordPress and other software collaborative solutions) with ease. Unlike shared hosting, a VPS allows multiple applications to be isolated from one another within the same server. Even though the VPS shares the physical resources (infrastructure) with other users, its computing resources are dedicated to you.
