If you are thinking of starting your own website, deciding what kind of hosting you will need should be at the top of your list of priorities. Hosting decisions can be complex, as there are many hosting types, offers and plans from which to select. In this guide, we discuss the differences between dedicated hosting and virtual private server (VPS) hosting.
Differences in Hardware
With a dedicated hosting plan, the hardware you rent is used only to host your website. With budget vps hosting plans, multiple virtual environments share the same hardware and resources. Dedicated servers can offer more power, where VPS performance depends on the demands placed upon the virtual server by other websites.
Website Size
Most websites are not resource-intensive or large enough to need dedicated servers. On a VPS, you can start a small site and upgrade as needed, while a dedicated server-hosted site may have more resources than needed. VPS hosting is flexible, and upgrades are fast and easy.
Setup
VPS server setup is much simpler than with dedicated servers, as the hardware is already in place and the only requirement is to form the virtual environment. Dedicated server setup is more complicated, as you will need to set up the hardware yourself. VPS servers are also much easier and faster to move than dedicated servers are.
Site Control
Both budget vps hosting and dedicated server hosting plans give you the same level of site control. The chief difference between the two is that VPS operates in a virtual environment, while dedicated server hosting stores your site data on a hard drive. With VPS and dedicated server hosting, the features you get depend on the provider and not the hosting type chosen.
Difference in Price
The biggest difference between virtual private server and dedicated hosting is in the price you will pay. A budget vps hosting plan is easy to find, and price depends on the features, services and amount of resources you’re getting. Dedicated server hosting is usually more expensive because you are paying for an entire server just for your website. If your site is large, dedicated hosting may be appropriate, but most small company and personal sites can easily use VPS hosting.
