Shared vs. Dedicated vs. VPS Hosting

Before a business owner decides to make a web-site, he or she will need to figure out what server hosting solution to use. Even if a business is already operational online, there will be a time when the operation reaches a point where there will be a question of whether or not switching hosting solutions is a decision that makes sense and can improve business operations. Well, let’s take a look at the different hosting solutions that the human mind was able to come up with today and how each one is able to support your business needs.

Shared hosting is a solution perfect for individual web-sites (albeit the smaller ones), and for simple start up businesses. A shared server is a single physical server with hundreds of different web-sites feeding off it. Shared hosting is by far the most insecure hosting solution that provides a cheap hosting solution with huge sacrifice to server down time and potential operation-distracting risks. Small web-sites can live on it perfectly. However, once sensitive information begins to play a large part in a business’ operations then the business begins to require something with more power, reliability, and security.

The next solution that is available for businesses and web-site owners is a dedicated server hosting solution. Business owners look to “graduate” to a dedicated hosting solution when the shared hosting proves to be too weak to support their operations. A dedicated server is a single, or in some cases multiple servers, dedicated to a single web-site’s operations. The cost effects of this option are self evident. Paying for the space and the hosting company’s overhead relating to these servers is enough in itself to put the cost mark at over $100 per month, but with the server maintenance and the actual operating cost of the machines put the cost mark at nearly $500 per month. The solution is a powerful one with dedicated reliability to a single web-site but too costly for most growing small and medium sized businesses.

VPS hosting is the solution that has the power and reliability of dedicated server and yet is cost-effective enough to have a fraction of the price (nearly one tenth) per month compared to a dedicated hosting solution. VDS hosting takes a single physical server, divides it up virtually into separate servers and keeps them independent from each other, allowing each user root level access and full control over their web-site’s application installations, maintenance, and much more. This is a solution that your business needs if a business is serious about cost-cutting and performance.