Whether you are just starting your business and building a website or looking to increase business and scale the number of site visitors, you might be wondering when to choose a dedicated server with your web host. There are many hosting plans and options for your website or application, including a shared server, a virtual private server (VPS), and a dedicated server.
The best option for you requires looking into whether a dedicated server makes sense for your business and budget. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for web hosting plans. Instead, carefully consider your website’s needs and what a dedicated server can offer. You can then determine if a dedicated server is unnecessary for you at this stage or whether it will provide the best starting point for your business’s planned growth.
What is a dedicated server?
A dedicated server is a remote server used by only one individual, organization, or application. In other words, you will not share it with another organization or application as you would with a shared hosting service or VPS.
While the resources provided to you with a shared server or VPS are consistently assigned to you, you may experience a slightly lower performance or level of security than that of a dedicated server.
Typically, dedicated servers are rented by users and maintained by a hosting, cloud, or managed service provider (MSP), such as Bluehost.
Instead of simply housing the hardware on-premises, the benefit here is that the web host provider maintains, customizes, and manages the server for you. If your staff is already stretched thin, dedicated servers with remote access will prevent your employees from work overload as the company grows.
Conversely, if you or your staff are equipped to customize and manage the dedicated server, you can have full control over the resource without going through a web hosting service. However, due to its shared nature, you will not have this option if you choose a virtual private server.
Additionally, if your company is distributed across the globe, then dedicated servers will allow for remote access; teams of developers can access the server from wherever they wish to work.
Should I buy a dedicated server hosting solution?
There are four main reasons you might choose to invest in a dedicated server:
1. Highest level of privacy
If you run an application or business that involves keeping confidential data backup such as user’s billing and personal details, then privacy is your key requirement. By physically separating your server from others at the MSP you choose, you automatically achieve higher privacy.
VPS hosting service is also very secure and allows you to install your own security software. But your site will be at risk if another user’s site on the same server opens the door to breach. With a dedicated server, you fully control any potential security breaches.
2. Ability to configure the server any way you choose
When you choose the configuration for a dedicated server, no compromises are needed. You have full control over how you want to set up the server, what operating system you want to use, and what you will use the server for without other users sharing the same server.
3. Isolate yourself from other users
In addition to having privacy with a dedicated server hosting solution, you won’t be impacted by other users. If you use a VPS, your site performance may be affected when other users experience a surge in their site traffic.
On some VPS hosting platforms, if one website is maxing out its resources but other websites are not, then that website can borrow resources (also known as hypervisor) for better functionality. But the problem occurs when two VPS users need more resources temporarily.
At this point, MPS’s role is important to ensure that all sites on the VPS server perform consistently. But when you use a dedicated server, you get physically separate server for your site. So, your site won’t be affected by other users.
4. Stable and predictable high performance
If your website receives high traffic, switching to a dedicated server will ensure high performance. In addition to isolating your services onto one server, a dedicated server offers a higher performance than a VPS hosting service.
For example, when you choose Bluehost for hosting services, you get 4 GB DDR5 RAM with its VPS servers and 32 GB DDR5 RAM with dedicated server. Here is a detailed comparison table between VPS vs. dedicated servers.
| Features | VPS hosting | Dedicated hosting |
| Product page | Explore Bluehost VPS plans | Explore Bluehost dedicated plans |
| CPU cores | 2 vCPU cores | 8 CPU cores |
| Storage | 100GB NVMe storage | 1000GB NVMe storage |
| RAM | 4 GB DDR5 | 32 GB DDR5 |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| IP addresses | 1 dedicated IP | 1 dedicated IP |
| Management software | cPanel | cPanel |
Dedicated server hosting offers the highest level of performance, but at a price
If your business is poised to scale, having your website and applications on a dedicated server will ensure top performance. However, a dedicated server is a large investment, so do your research and test out the options before you invest.
If you currently use a VPS, compare it to a dedicated server. Start small by moving just one application to a dedicated server from a VPS. This will help you compare the performance and security improvements over a short period of time. Then, you’ll be able to determine when you want to move more resources to dedicated servers.
If you are confident that your website and business will grow massively, then having a dedicated server from the start can save you time later. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that no matter how big you grow, you will have the resources in your pocket to power your web presence.
Your decision as to whether to move from VPS to a dedicated server will also be predicated on price. Dedicated servers offer the highest performance, but that comes at a premium price. VPS offers adequate performance, flexibility, and security for small and medium-sized businesses and personal websites.
If your business or website can afford a substantial price increase, consider contacting your web hosting provider to discuss the upgrade to dedicated hosting service. This way, you will ensure consistent site performance and the highest possible security with your website hosting.
Looking for a different hosting solution? Bluehost can help. Visit our website today to find the best website hosting plan for you or your business.
2 Comments
Great post, many are not sure when they need to upgrade.
Awesome Post! It’s actually remarkable piece of writing, I have got much clear guideline about dedicated server hosting. Thanks!