In the web hosting community, we can be pretty vocal about our love for shared hosting. It’s the hosting package we recommend for beginners and for people on a tight budget. But that doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for every website owner. For some websites, shared hosting will feel cramped and restrictive, because what they really need is VPS hosting.
What’s VPS hosting?
The short version is that VPS hosting (Virtual Private Server hosting) is a hosting plan in which one server is split into multiple private servers using virtualization technology. We like to think of it as a hybrid of shared hosting and dedicated hosting, because with VPS hosting, you get the lowered cost that you get with shared hosting (since you’re still technically sharing a server), but you also get the control of dedicated hosting, since each server can be customized the way the website owner sees fit – this makes it a lot like dedicated hosting, but for a fraction of the cost.
That’s all you really need to know about VPS hosting and how it works, but if you really want to know more, check out our guide to VPS hosting.
VPS hosting vs Shared hosting and Dedicated hosting
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If you were hoping that we’d do a breakdown of managed VPS hosting in comparison to shared and dedicated server hosting (as opposed to just managed VPS hosting vs unmanaged VPS hosting), you’re in for a great time.
- VPS hosting gives you more security and control than shared hosting. That’s because with shared hosting, you’re sharing all the server’s resources. The server isn’t split the way it is with VPS hosting. So, with shared hosting, you can’t just modify your own server. You have to stick with the operating system and configurations that you’re given.
- VPS hosting is much more affordable than dedicated hosting. Just like dedicated hosting, you’ll have control over your server, but because the cost is spread among server users, you’ll pay a lower price. This makes it a great choice if you need something faster and more secure than shared hosting, but you don’t quite need all the extra resources you get with dedicated hosting.
Now that you have a handle on that, let’s get to the difference between managed VPS hosting and unmanaged VPS hosting.
Managed hosting vs unmanaged hosting
Managed hosting means that your web hosting provider manages your server for you. That includes administration, configuration, updates, monitoring, software installation, and everything else that’s involved in keeping your server running.
With unmanaged hosting, you’re the one who’s responsible for doing all those things to keep your server running. This is great news if you have lots of technical expertise and you like having lots of control over your operating system and your server, but if that kind of thing sounds like a nightmare to you, you would hate unmanaged hosting. (That or you’d have to pay someone to manage your server for you, but we’ll get to that in a second.)
5 Advantages of managed hosting
- Managed VPS hosting frees up your time
- Managed VPS hosting might actually be cheaper than unmanaged VPS hosting in the long run
- Managed VPS hosting is easy to use, even without technical skills
- Managed VPS hosting gives you more support
- Managed VPS hosting gives you greater peace of mind
1. Managed VPS hosting frees up your time
Know that saying, “Time is money”? Even if you have the technical skills to take care of your own server, that might not be the most valuable use of your time. In the time that you’re devoting to server configurations, you could have come up with new website content or a new product to sell or reached out to a business contact.
2. Cut Costs with managed VPS hosting
It can actually be cheaper than unmanaged VPS hosting in the long run
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If you don’t have the technical skills to operate your own server, you’ll either have to rope in a friend (who might not care about your website as much as you do), or you’ll have to hire someone who does have the expertise to manage a server. This costs way more than you’d have spent on managed VPS hosting.
3. Managed hosting is easy to use, even without technical skills
The things that make VPS hosting great are also what make it a nightmare for people who have no technical skills. When you choose VPS hosting, you get your own private server that you can customize and configure as you see fit. You can adjust your server to suit the precise needs of your website! But if you don’t have the technical skills to do that, you’ll just be frustrated.
If your website uses custom apps that guzzle server resources, you do need VPS hosting, but you don’t have to manage it on your own. With managed hosting, your web hosting team will take care of your server for you, which means you’ll have all the benefits of VPS hosting without any of the headache of operating your own server!
4. Managed VPS hosting gives you more support
When you choose managed hosting, you get a support team that will help you manage server resources, including transferring your data to your server and deciding which control panel to use. Your web host will also be responsible for securing your server and for performing backups and recoveries. All you have to do is tell us what you want, and we’ll get it done.
5. Managed VPS hosting gives you greater peace of mind
If you’re the kind of person who gets really anxious about the things you create, you might want to look into managed hosting. You have enough to worry about with your actual content to have to think about your server, of all things, too.
Choose managed hosting, and you won’t even need to give server operation a second thought. That will be our job.
Ready to try managed VPS hosting?
Managed VPS hosting might be a bit pricier than shared hosting and unmanaged VPS hosting, but if your website needs a boost to handle all your extra web traffic, it’s your best bet to keep your visitors happy.
It also costs less than hiring extra IT staff and gives you the benefit of having a team of hosting experts manage your server for you. So, if you have a growing business, managed VPS will be a lifesaver for your website. Try it out and see why so many former fans of shared hosting have happily made the switch!
