Content
I. What does VPS mean?
II. What other forms of hosting are there?
III. The advantages of private virtual servers
IV. 8 situations where you need VPS hosting
V. Types of VPS hosting
VI. Conclusions
If you are not familiar with the term web hosting, let us define it for you as simply as possible: web hosting or web hosting is the space you need to make your site functional. It is that little corner of the internet that belongs solely to you and can take different forms, depending on your needs. Today we will discuss VPS hosting, perfect for those users who need a bit more space just for themselves.
I. What does VPS mean?
More precisely, VPS stands for Virtual Private Server, meaning a specific space on a certain server organized in such a way that it functions like a whole server. It has its own operating system, resources, applications, and configurations, but it also benefits from being on a server powerful enough to support and protect multiple VPS accounts.
In very simple terms, a server is a powerful computer that stores and processes the data you see in the form of your website. When someone types your online store's name into Google or any other search engine, for example, this powerful computer "serves" (it is a server after all ;)) the results to the user, allowing them to interact with your website.
What differentiates a VPS from other types of servers is the virtual part of its name. The VPS uses virtualization technology that partitions the server mentioned earlier into multiple virtual servers. This means that although the hardware is a single entity, it operates as if it were multiple separate servers.
As for the security of these servers, as the name of the VPS indicates, it is guaranteed. The VPS is private, meaning you are the only one who has access to the resources set in the contract for your server (RAM, CPU, allocated space), as well as to the information stored here.
II. What other forms of hosting are there?
Before telling you what the advantages of VPS hosting are, we need to talk about two other forms of hosting that might be suitable for you: shared hosting and dedicated hosting.
Shared hosting is affordable, cheap, and requires little technical knowledge on your part since the service provider takes care of the server maintenance. Sounds good so far, but this type of hosting also means sharing space, memory, and CPU with multiple people. In other words, sharing ALL RESOURCES with multiple people. Kind of like working in an open space.
Dedicated hosting also has its advantages. You have an entire server just for you, kind of like having a large and beautiful house. However, that much space comes with corresponding costs and a series of responsibilities. So, expenses grow rapidly, and you have to take care of part of the server management, which isn’t complicated if you know what you’re doing. But, do you know what you’re doing? Do you know how to manage potential bugs, high traffic, or security issues? If the answer is no, then it might be time to think twice before choosing dedicated hosting.
III. Advantages of Virtual Private Servers
The VPS is the middle ground between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. "The best of both worlds," if you will. By choosing VPS hosting, you, as a user, benefit from the following advantages:
- Resources just for you - you won't have to share memory, processing power, storage, or the operating system with anyone. Additionally, if you use up all your RAM resources, there are additional solutions such as swap memory, which helps improve RAM performance.
- High level of security - your site will be in an isolated environment, protected from anything that might happen in the neighboring server accounts. In addition, only you have access to the space on the VPS server.
- Increased agility level - you can have administrative powers within the server, meaning you have root access. With such rights, you can install and run applications, browse the internet using the server, basically, you can do almost everything you could do on your home computer to ensure that the users of your site have a great experience.
- Cost sharing - what could be more beautiful than having a lot of benefits at an affordable price?
- The possibility of scaling - you never know where your projects will end up in the long term, so this possibility is extremely important. You might consider investing in various fields because it is an area that has proven profitable. Or maybe you will develop multiple websites simultaneously. Regardless of your situation, it is important to have the necessary space to ensure the smooth operation of all your websites.
- The ability to reinstall the operating system at any time - it's important to have this option because you never know when you might need to reboot the system, and you certainly won't want to wait too long to do it.
- The possibility to sell web hosting further - you read that right. You can be both a hosting user and a shared hosting seller at the same time. This practice will help you recover some of the money you invested in the VPS, but we advise you to be cautious when you practice it. You don't want to bring in more users than the server can handle.
IV. 8 situations in which you need VPS hosting
- You are worried about the security of your hosting
If you're the type of person who wants to personally handle the security of your website, or if you're managing a type of site where safety is crucial and you want to be able to implement special security settings, you need VPS hosting. Also, if you want to monitor your site’s activity more deeply, if you need more space, processing power, or if your site simply does. As mentioned above, this type of hosting guarantees you the resources you need and guarantees you state-of-the-art security settings.
- You have a lot of traffic on your site
If your site is in its early stages and the traffic is quite low, shared hosting is sufficient. However, if you have a site with a large and continuously growing audience, you need to ensure that it runs well and avoid any form of downtime. If the server is too small or too busy with other users, you will most likely encounter problems when the traffic to your site increases. To avoid these from the start, opt for VPS hosting.
- Your website is not running at full capacity
What does it mean to have a website that does not run at maximum capacity? Simply put, the loading time is very long, so users may not have the necessary patience to visit it, even if they are interested in it. A VPS hosting allows you to scale your website without worrying that it will no longer run at maximum capacity.
- You have an online store
If you have an online store, things get a bit more complicated. An online store requires more resources than a simple blog, for example. It collects more data and can process payments. So the level of security must be adequate. You don't want to risk essential information about your customers and their credit cards falling into the wrong hands, and the only type of shared system hosting that allows you to do this is VPS hosting.
- You need specific software
If the system you are using for your website or websites is WordPress or another fairly common site creation and management system, you do not necessarily need VPS hosting. Shared hosting could do just as well. On the other hand, if you plan to use various programs or specific software that require special server configurations, it would be a good idea to switch to VPS hosting. Additionally, if you start doing any form of advanced programming that requires more control over the server, you need VPS hosting. Other programs and systems that require VPS hosting or even a dedicated server to function smoothly are various programs related to state authorities, accounting, etc.
- Your website traffic fluctuates
If you are encountering errors such as "The server is unavailable," "The page is unavailable," or others of the same kind, it is very likely that your customers will see them too. And while there may be situations where these are not so severe, an online store with plenty of traffic should not face such issues, otherwise it will lose the trust of its customers. Every user who visits your site wants a wonderful experience. Once you disappoint them, you might lose them forever! You can avoid such unpleasant situations by using VPS hosting.
- You have a limited budget
Yes, a server just for you solves most of the possible issues reported so far, but it is also much more expensive. If you want to improve your site's performance, increase the level of security, and have more RAM, VPS hosting is the most affordable option for you.
- You create websites for your clients
If your business or part of your business involves creating websites, then you need VPS hosting. It allows you to host an unlimited number of domains, providing enough RAM to ensure the efficient operation of each of them.
V. Types of VPS hosting
There are two types of VPS hosting, depending on the technical skills you have as a user: unmanaged VPS hosting and managed VPS hosting.
In the case of unmanaged VPS hosting, the hosting providers only handle the installation of the operating system, while you, the website owner, take over the other tasks related to managing it:
- installation and updating of various programs, management of the control panel
- monitoring potential threats to site security and resolving errors
- if the equipment (hardware) fails, you have to manage on your own, in principle
- server configuration and maintenance, including updates
- Backup creation
As you may have already realized, for this kind of activities you need quite advanced technical experience.
If the technical side is not your strong suit, you can benefit from VPS hosting with external management. Here, IT specialists take care of the proper functioning of the server, both physical and virtual. Among the services you can benefit from are:
- initial server setup
- updating the server and services
- enhanced security services
- monitoring the server from both hardware and software perspectives, as well as potential virtual attacks
- automatic backup
Of course, each hosting provider offers personalized services, so if you are interested in this type of service, you should contact a specialized provider.
VI. Conclusions
Ok, after all this information, you can no longer consider yourself an unknowing person regarding VPS hosting. Now you can make an informed decision about the type of hosting you need. You have already seen the benefits of VPS hosting and in what situations it is recommended. So everything comes down to the question: is your site on an upward slope and do you need more resources? If the answer is YES! then you shouldn't hesitate any longer and switch to VPS hosting today!
If you are not familiar with the term web hosting, let us define it for you as simply as possible: web hosting is the space you need to make your website functional. It is that little corner of the internet that belongs only to you and can take different forms, depending on your needs. Today we will discuss VPS hosting, perfect for those users who need a bit more space just for themselves.