What Is VPS Hosting?
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server, which is a virtual machine that uses virtualization technology to separate one server into multiple virtual servers. VPS hosting basically mimics the environment of a dedicated server. However, it is significantly cheaper because it is hosted on one physical server and users share that server with others.
Additionally, with VPS hosting, because the server is virtually separated into different components, it allows each user to install their own operating system, software, etc., without affecting anyone else. Also, each user gets its own RAM, CPU, memory, disk space, etc.
Aside from excellent performance, security, and reliability, VPS users also get root access to the server, which means that they can install whatever applications they want and make changes directly to the server by themselves.
VPS hosting is one of the more popular web hosting types, and there are many providers that offer this service.
Pros and Cons of VPS
| Pros | Cons |
| Most VPS hosting plans are quite affordable | There are certain limitations than can affect and slow down all users |
| VPS provides better server power | Managing and maintaining a VPS account requires some technical knowledge and expertise |
| It’s relatively easy and fast to set up and install | Customer support for VPS hosting can be a bit slower because there are multiple users on one server at all times |
| Due to its popularity, VPS plans are quite flexible | |
| Users have root access to the server | |
| It has advanced security features |
What is a VPS Best For?
A VPS performs best when it’s used for smaller workloads. In most cases, a VPS is used to host from one to ten websites, web servers, email, cPanel, or Plesk. Also, VPS hosting is excellent for storing files than can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. It’s great for delivering cloud-based services to users and bringing virtual workstations to employees that need remote access.
Of course, each user has their own needs and requirements, and each provider offers its own set of features for different prices. For example, MVPS has eight VPS plans that users can choose from, and one of its cheaper plans, i.e., the VPS Basic plan, offers 2 CPU Cores, 4GB RAM, 50 GB SSD disk space, 1 IP, and 5 TB of Bandwidth.
When Do You Need VPS Hosting?
- You want to have advanced security – if you handle sensitive data and are looking for enhanced security features like better monitoring capabilities, larger backup space, and superior reliability, then you should consider switching to VPS
- You offer online payments – if you have a website with an online store or you have an eCommerce website, VPS hosting is a great solution for you because of the advanced security features it offers
- You experience a spike in website traffic – VPS is an excellent choice for all businesses that are experiencing a sudden influx of visitors. Also, it’s great for websites that intend to grow their website and audience. VPS hosting enables users to grow their websites and sustain that growth by eliminating the risk of the websites crashing or experiencing slow load times
- You experience slow website performance – as you add more content to your website, you will need more RAM in order to sustain your website. With a shared hosting plan, you will notice slower speeds and load times as soon as you start upgrading your website and content. So, to keep your website from crashing, upgrade your hosting to VPS so that you can grow and improve your website without worrying about performance and load times
- You need custom software – if you reach a point where you need to install custom software or set a custom server configuration, then you’ll need something better than shared hosting. VPS hosting is excellent for features and programs like billing, bookkeeping, etc., that need to work 24/7 without any interruptions. Otherwise, if you don’t upgrade to a VPS plan, you’ll run many problems like certain apps not being supported or being completely forbidden with shared hosting plans
- You can’t afford to spend too much money – after reading this article, you may think to yourself that dedicated server hosting can solve most of these problems. However, as mentioned, dedicated server hosting plans are much more expensive compared to VPS. So, if you are on a budget and you need more bandwidth, better security, more RAM, etc., than VPS is the best solution for you
Concluding Remarks
VPS hosting is one of the best and most popular web hosting solutions. It is great for small and large businesses that are looking to upgrade their websites and the features they use. And yes, VPS hosting plans are a bit more expensive than shared hosting plans, but they offer many things in return.
So, if you need hosting that will enable you to upgrade your website, maintain traffic spikes, improve your website’s security, and much more, than VPS hosting is the best choice for you! Also, the fact that VPS plans come at an affordable price and are significantly cheaper than dedicated server hosting planes only makes VPS more appealing.