If you’re like most webmasters, you start off with a shared hosting plan in order to save money on your growing site. But what happens when you start to feel the growing pains? If your business starts to grow, your hosting plan should grow with you. Is it time to think about upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting?
Before you make any decisions, it’s important to first understand what virtual private server (VPS) hosting and dedicated hosting is, as well as how to choose the option that’s right for your business.
Why move away from shared hosting?
Most blogs and small business websites run on shared hosting plans. While shared hosting is economical compared to VPS or dedicated hosting, and a great place to start, some webmasters find that they outgrow the resources provided under these plans as their businesses grow.
Consider a situation where a blog post on your site goes viral. Can your current hosting plan sustain the increased traffic without compromising your on-site experience? Certainly, shared hosting offers some great features at a reduced cost. But as your business grows, your hosting needs may change as well.
- Disk Space Management: As your website grows, shared hosting may not provide adequate disk space, leading to storage issues. VPS and dedicated hosting allow for better disk space management and scalability.
- OOM (Out of Memory) Issues: Shared hosting can suffer from out-of-memory errors due to limited resources shared among many users. VPS and dedicated hosting provide dedicated resources, reducing the risk of OOM issues and improving overall stability.
- Traffic Volume: If your website is experiencing increased traffic and shared hosting can no longer handle it efficiently, moving to a VPS or dedicated server may be necessary. These options can handle higher traffic volumes and offer better stability.
- Performance Requirements: For websites requiring high performance or those with complex applications, a VPS or dedicated server offers more resources and better performance than shared hosting.
- Customization and Control: VPS and dedicated hosting provide more control over the server environment. This is beneficial if you need to install specific software or configure server settings. Shared hosting is more restrictive in this regard.
- Security: Dedicated servers offer the highest level of security since you’re not sharing the server with other websites. VPS also offers improved security over shared hosting but less so than dedicated servers.
- Scalability: If you anticipate further growth, VPS and dedicated servers offer more scalability options. You can more easily upgrade your resources as your needs grow.
- Website Downtime Tolerance: For websites where downtime is a critical issue (like eCommerce platforms), a dedicated server or a high-quality VPS might be necessary due to their reliability and uptime.
What other web hosting options exist?
1. VPS Hosting
The “VPS” in VPS hosting stands for virtual private server (also known as virtual dedicated server hosting). In a VPS hosting arrangement, a single server is partitioned as multiple servers, each of which can be independently rebooted. Virtual dedicated servers are essentially a middle step between shared hosting and dedicated hosting, and free users up from having to share server space with other customers.
VPS hosting is traditionally offered as “unmanaged” hosting, meaning that users can monitor and administer their own servers and unmetered hosting under the limitations of their plans’ bandwidth caps.
Key benefits of VPS Hosting
VPS hosting can best be compared to the employees at a company. Everyone works at the same place, but has a different job to do. In the same way, VPS hosting provides you and other customers with space on a single server that has been separated into multiple servers – each working independently from the same “office.”
So why go with a VPS plan? The following are a few of the benefits of VPS hosting:
- VPS hosting provides you with complete control over your server, giving you the flexibility to customize it any way you want.
- Because you have full control over your VPS account, you can add any software and applications that your site requires for optimized performance and improved functionality (which you can’t often do on a shared plan).
- Depending on your hosting provider, you can choose from a range of service plans to find the one that meets your needs (or even work with your host to create a customized plan). For instance, some hosting providers offer plans with advanced hardware options like the latest CPUs, high-speed storage, and ample memory.
- You’ll have the ability to install your own anti-virus and malware detection software on your hosting account to counter hackers and malicious attacks. Additionally, some providers offer advanced security features and optional backup services.
Handling a virtual private server does require a strong set of technical skills, training, and expertise in managing them. If you don’t have the requisite experience, you’ll have to hire someone to take care of this for you, so be sure to factor these costs into your estimates, if necessary.
Be aware, though, that some hosting companies offer VPS maintenance services for an additional fee. Consider providers that offer managed VPS services, which include regular updates, security patches, and technical support. This can alleviate the burden of server management. It may be beneficial to discuss these options with your provider, especially if hiring a full-time employee for server management is not feasible for your business.
2. Dedicated Server Hosting
Dedicated hosting is the “Mac Daddy” of the web management world. With a dedicated hosting account, you can lease an entire server for your site, without having to share it with anyone.
In general, dedicated hosting is best suited for fairly large companies or large eCommerce providers, as the expense of such plans practically demands that customers be able to fully utilize the plans’ resources. It’s also important that your company understands what’s involved in a dedicated hosting arrangement, based on the type of account you hold.
Dedicated hosting packages come in all of the following flavors, depending on your hosting provider:
- Fully managed hosting – Your hosting provider will take care of everything from security upgrades to software installation.
- Semi-managed hosting – Your hosting company will offer a medium management level, the specifics of which can be mutually discussed. You’ll need to hire experienced support staff to take care of the server side of business if you don’t have employees in your organization with these skills already.
- Managed hosting – Users get their own dedicated servers, but are not allowed complete control. You’ll likely have control over your own data and users, but your hosting company will be responsible for any server modifications.
- Self managed hosting – Your support staff will handle everything and, in exchange, your hosting company will offer reduced customer support (typically for a lower cost).
- Unmanaged hosting – Your support staff handles everything. Your hosting company doesn’t offer any form of support or management, leaving you pretty much on your own.
If you’re thinking about making the switch to dedicated hosting, it’s incredibly important that you understand which types of service are offered. Choosing the wrong type of plan can leave you dangerously unsupported in the event of a website emergency.
At Bluehost, we offer unmanaged dedicated solutions that provide full control over your server. With advanced hardware options like AMD EPYC CPUs and NVMe storage, you can ensure top performance and customize your server to meet your specific needs.
Key benefits of Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting comes with a dedicated server. Simply put, it’s a server that is dedicated to your business. This type of arrangement assures maximum reliability and performance, with minimum downtime (though, at a higher cost than shared hosting). A dedicated hosting arrangement gives you complete control on how you manage and improve your website, allowing for the installation of multiple pieces of software, sophisticated antivirus systems, and even different operating systems.
Some of the other benefits of dedicated hosting include:
- The ability to install the type of heavy software that’s necessary for online gaming websites and large eCommerce operations. It utilizes advanced hardware such as AMD EPYC CPUs and NVMe storage for superior performance.
- Super-fast load times, even for application-heavy pages, thanks to high-performance components like DDR5 memory.
- Secure storage options for websites that capture users’ personal information (such as email addresses, credit card details, or any other information that puts them at risk of identity theft).
- Better performance rate when handling a high traffic influx (for example, when your latest blog post hits it big on Twitter).
- The flexibility to add more server and storage space without impacting current servers or causing downtime.
That said, dedicated hosting is a more expensive solution – especially when you consider the added costs of server maintenance. As with VPS hosting, investing in dedicated hosting requires sound technical skills and IT support staff that understands the system.
Some providers offer managed services to assist with maintenance and technical support, which can be an additional but worthwhile investment.
Factors to consider before switching
VPS hosting is ideal for businesses that have outgrown shared hosting but do not yet need the full resources of a dedicated server. This type of hosting offers a balanced mix of cost, performance, and control, making it suitable for a variety of scenarios.
Moderate traffic websites
If your website receives stable, moderate traffic that exceeds the capabilities of shared hosting, VPS hosting provides the necessary resources without the higher cost of dedicated hosting. This ensures your site can handle traffic efficiently without slowdowns.
Growing eCommerce stores
Small to medium-sized eCommerce websites experiencing growth will benefit from the enhanced performance and security features of VPS hosting. You can install custom software, manage your own security protocols, and ensure faster load times for better customer experiences.
Development environments
Businesses or developers needing isolated environments for staging, testing, and development can utilize VPS hosting. It allows for multiple configurations and setups, providing a flexible and controlled environment for development purposes.
Cost-effective solutions
VPS hosting offers a cost-effective solution for businesses looking for more power and control than shared hosting, but without the higher expense of dedicated hosting. It strikes a balance between cost and performance, making it an attractive option for many businesses.
Technical skills needed
Managing a VPS requires a solid understanding of server administration, including software installation, configuration, and maintenance. You need to be comfortable using the command line, managing security settings, and performing regular updates and backups. If you lack these skills, consider managed VPS plans or hiring a skilled administrator.
Why choose Bluehost VPS hosting?
At Bluehost, our VPS hosting plans are designed to cater to these needs. We offer advanced hardware, including the latest AMD EPYC CPUs and NVMe storage, ensuring high performance and reliability. Our plans provide full root access, allowing you to customize your server environment to your specific requirements.
With scalable options, you can easily upgrade resources as your business grows without experiencing significant downtime.
Bluehost’s VPS hosting also includes robust security features, such as enhanced DDoS protection and optional backup services, to safeguard your data and maintain the integrity of your website. Our 24/7 customer support ensures that any technical issues or questions are promptly addressed, providing you with the peace of mind that help is always available.
While we offer robust security features such as DDoS protection and optional backup services, it is essential to configure these features to suit your specific needs. Properly setting up firewalls, anti-virus software, and regular security updates is crucial to safeguard your data.
When to choose dedicated hosting?
Dedicated hosting is the best choice for larger businesses or websites with high traffic and resource-intensive needs. It provides maximum performance, reliability, and control, making it suitable for scenarios where the highest level of hosting service is required.
High traffic websites
If your website receives a high volume of traffic, dedicated hosting ensures maximum performance and reliability. You won’t share resources with other websites, meaning your site can handle significant traffic loads without experiencing slowdowns or downtime.
Large eCommerce operations
For online stores handling large volumes of transactions, dedicated hosting offers robust security and fast load times, which are critical for maintaining customer trust and satisfaction. The ability to install advanced security measures helps protect sensitive customer data.
Custom applications
Businesses relying on custom applications that need specific server configurations and dedicated resources will find dedicated hosting beneficial. It allows for full customization of the server environment to meet the unique requirements of your applications.
Maximum control
Dedicated hosting provides complete control over your server environment. You can configure the server to your exact specifications, install any necessary software, and manage security protocols. This level of control is essential for businesses with specialized hosting needs.
Advanced hardware needs
Dedicated hosting solutions often come with top-tier hardware, such as AMD EPYC CPUs, NVMe storage, and DDR5 memory, ensuring optimal performance for demanding applications and workloads.
Technical skills
Dedicated hosting requires advanced technical skills to manage and maintain the server. This includes server setup, security configurations, performance monitoring, and troubleshooting. Having a skilled IT team or opting for managed dedicated hosting services can be beneficial.
Why choose Bluehost dedicated hosting?
At Bluehost, our dedicated hosting plans are tailored to meet these high-demand scenarios. We offer unmanaged dedicated solutions, giving you full control over your server with the latest hardware to ensure top performance. Our dedicated servers are equipped with AMD EPYC CPUs, NVMe storage, and DDR5 memory, providing the power and speed necessary for intensive applications and high traffic websites.
Final thoughts
So which option is right for you? The two things that you absolutely must consider before choosing to upgrade to either VPS or dedicated hosting are your costs and requirements.
Understand that both solutions are more expensive than shared hosting plans, but that each option comes with its own set of advantages. Don’t wait until you’ve completely outgrown your shared hosting plan before you make a decision. Plan ahead and think about what’s best for your customers – putting them first should make your decision clear.
Bluehost now offers VPS and dedicated hosting plans, so check out the different options available to you!
