VPS vs Shared Hosting: Which Should You Pick?

  • Written By The IoT Academy 

  • Published on December 6th, 2023

  • Updated on December 10, 2023

Choose shared hosting if you have a small website and want to save money, even though it might have some limitations. But if you want more control, better performance, and a bigger website or application, go for VPS. Just think about what your website needs, how much you can spend, and how much it might grow. If you care about control and performance, pick VPS (VPS vs Shared Hosting).

If your budget is tight and your site isn’t too big, shared hosting is okay. Before we delve deep into VPS vs shared hosting, let’s know better what they mean and how it actually works.

What is VPS Hosting?

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting means your website gets its own private space on a big computer. It’s like having your room in a shared house. This gives you more control and flexibility for your website, making it work better than if you share it with others. It’s great for websites that need more power and options but don’t want a whole server to themselves. VPS hosting is like a middle option between shared hosting (VPS vs Shared Hosting), which is cheaper but has some limits, and having a whole server, which can be too much for many websites.

What is Shared Hosting?

Shared hosting is like living in an apartment building for websites. Many websites share the same space and resources on one server, such as the computer’s memory and storage. It’s affordable, but if one website uses a lot, it can slow things down for others. This type of hosting is good for small to medium-sized websites with average traffic. It’s a good choice if you’re just starting or if you have a tight budget because you don’t need to pay for a whole server just for your website.

What is Dedicated Hosting?

Dedicated hosting means one whole computer is just for one website. It’s different from shared hosting, where many websites share the same computer. With dedicated hosting, that one website gets all the computer’s power, memory, and space. This makes the website work better and more secure. It’s great for big websites with lots of visitors or special needs. But, it can cost more than shared hosting. Businesses or people with websites that need a lot of power and safety often choose dedicated hosting for the best performance and security.

Difference Between VPS and Shared Hosting (VPS vs Shared Hosting)

VPS (Virtual Private Server):

  • Dedicated Resources: With VPS, your website gets its very own part of the computer, including the power (CPU), memory, and storage.
  • Isolation: VPS makes sure that how well your website works doesn’t affect other websites because it keeps them separate.
  • Customization: With VPS, you can control and change things more, like adding or adjusting software, to make it work just how you want.
  • Scalability: More scalable, you can usually adjust the allocated resources (CPU, RAM) based on your needs, making it suitable for growing websites.
  • Performance: VPS usually works better than shared hosting because it has its own special resources.

Shared Hosting:

  • Shared Resources: Lots of websites use the same computer parts like the brain (CPU), memory, and storage.
  • Cost-Effective: Shared hosting costs less money and is good for small websites that don’t have too many visitors.
  • Limited Control: With shared hosting, you can’t change as many things on the server compared to VPS because you have less control.
  • Performance Impact: If one website uses a lot of resources on shared hosting, it can make other websites on the same server work slower.
  • Ease of Use: Shared hosting is easy to start and handle, so it’s a good pick for beginners or people with uncomplicated websites.

After discussing the difference between VPS vs Shared Hosting, let’s have a quick knowledge about how dedicated hosting is different from VPS.

VPS and Dedicated Server Differences

The main VPS and Dedicated Server hosting differences are:

  • Resource Sharing

VPS: 

Virtualization technology splits one big computer into many smaller ones, each running on its own with its resources like CPU, memory, and storage.

Dedicated Server: 

One person gets to use the whole computer by themselves, and everything on it is just for them.

  • Performance

VPS: 

It’s like sharing a computer with others, so how fast it works might depend on what the others are doing.

Dedicated Server: 

It works well because the whole computer is just for one person, so it always runs the same and does a good job.

  • Control and Customization

VPS: 

You can do a lot and change things a bunch, more than if you share a computer, but there are still some things you can’t do that you could if you had the whole computer to yourself.

Dedicated Server: 

You get to decide everything about how the computer works and can put on whatever programs you want to use.

  • Cost

VPS: 

It’s not too expensive and works well, like a middle choice between sharing a computer and having a whole computer to yourself.

Dedicated Server: 

It costs more because you get to use all of the computer’s stuff just for yourself.

  • Scalability

VPS: 

You can make it bigger if your website or app gets more popular, so it can handle more people using it.

Dedicated Server: 

Making it bigger is possible, but it might be a bit harder and sometimes things have to stop working for a little while.

VPS is like the middle choice between sharing a computer and having the whole thing to yourself. It’s good and not too expensive. It just depends on what you need, how much money you have, and how much control you want.

VPS Hosting vs Shared Hosting vs Dedicated Hosting

Here’s a simple comparison table for Dedicated vs VPS vs Shared Hosting:

Feature Shared Hosting VPS Hosting Dedicated Hosting

Resource Allocation

Moderate, influenced by other websites

Good, with dedicated resources

Excellent, with exclusive server access

Performance

Moderate to High

Basic to Moderate

High performance

Control & Customization

Limited control and customization

More control and customization options

Complete control and high customization

Scalability

Limited scalability for high-traffic

Easily scalable to accommodate growth

Scalable, but upgrades may involve downtime

Security

A shared environment may pose security risks

More secure due to isolated hosting

High security, isolated environment

Cost

Economical, suitable for budget-conscious

Moderate cost, balancing performance and cost

Expensive, providing top-tier performance

Ease of Use

Easy to set up and manage

Moderate complexity in setup and management

Requires more expertise in setup and management

Ideal for

Small websites with moderate traffic

Medium-sized websites with growing needs

Large websites with high traffic and demands


Here, We have discussed Shared Hosting vs Dedicated Hosting vs VPS. Remember, the best choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and technical requirements.

Which is Better- VPS or Shared Hosting

The choice between VPS (Virtual Private Server) and shared hosting depends on your specific needs and priorities:

Choose Shared Hosting If:

  • Budget is a Priority: Shared hosting is cheaper, so if you don’t want to spend a lot of money, it’s a good choice.
  • Simplicity and Ease of Use: If you’re just starting or have a simple website that doesn’t need a lot of stuff, shared hosting is easier to start and handle.

Choose VPS If:

  • More Control is Needed: If you want to have more say in how the server works, make changes and add specific software, VPS is the better choice.
  • Better Performance: VPS is better than shared hosting because it gives your website its independent resources, making it work better, especially if a lot of people visit your site.

If your website is small and you want a budget-friendly option, go for shared hosting. But if you need more control and your site is growing, VPS is better. Think about your website’s size, how many people visit it, your budget, and what changes you want to make to decide which hosting is best for you.

       Must Read: List of 25 Free WordPress Plugins for 2024

Conclusion

In conclusion, Pick the right hosting for your website by thinking about how big it is, your budget, and what you need. Shared web hosting is good for small websites and costs less. VPS is in the middle, good for growing sites that want more control. Dedicated hosting is the best for big websites that need to work well, but it’s more expensive. Think about how much control you want, how well it needs to work, if it might get bigger, and how much money you can spend to choose between shared web hosting and VPS (VPS vs Shared Hosting), making sure it fits what your website needs.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is VPS faster than shared hosting?

Ans. VPS hosting is faster than shared hosting because each virtual server has independent resources. Shared hosting, where many sites share, can slow down, so VPS is better for lots of visitors.

Q. Is VPS better than shared hosting?

Ans. Yes, VPS is usually better than shared hosting because VPS has its resources, making it faster and giving more control. Shared hosting, though cheaper, can be slower due to shared resources.

About The Author:

The IoT Academy as a reputed ed-tech training institute is imparting online / Offline training in emerging technologies such as Data Science, Machine Learning, IoT, Deep Learning, and more. We believe in making revolutionary attempt in changing the course of making online education accessible and dynamic.

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