One of the most common forms of hosting you\u2019ve come across in your search is VPS hosting<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below we breakdown what VPS hosting is<\/a>, how it works, and the pros and cons, so you can decide if this style of hosting is going to be the best fit for your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the end of this post you\u2019ll be able to answer the question, 'Do I need VPS hosting?'\u009d with a resounding yes or no. <\/p>\n\n\n\n VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. That might give you a couple of clues as to what this type of hosting is all about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, we\u2019ll start on the 'server'\u009d portion. A server is essentially a big computer that\u2019s used to store website files. When you purchase any kind of web hosting you\u2019re renting server space from a hosting company who runs hundreds or thousands of servers, known as a datacenter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When someone types the URL of your website into their browser, the browser will communicate with the server and display your website\u2019s files. All of this happens in a fraction of a second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To understand the virtualized aspect of a virtual private server, let\u2019s compare it to a few other forms of hosting packages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With shared hosting<\/strong><\/a>, you\u2019re renting a portion of a server, which you split with other users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With dedicated hosting<\/strong><\/a>, you\u2019re renting an entire physical server that\u2019s entirely dedicated to your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n VPS hosting<\/strong> acts as a combination between the two. Your virtual server will pull from multiple different shared server environments, but it\u2019s entirely private, so it operates similar to a dedicated server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll have access to a greater level of server resources, improve website performance, higher levels of security, and a lot more. You\u2019ll learn more about the advantages of VPS hosting below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As you learned above, the virtualization aspect of VPS is one of the biggest differentiating factors between VPS and other types of hosting. Instead of a physical server being divided up into tons of shared server environments, it\u2019s broken down into a handful of virtual servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, yes you\u2019re still technically sharing a physical server environment. But, there are much higher privacy protocols in place, so any other VPS hosting users will never affect your ist in any way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The virtualization aspect works to create a virtual dedicated server. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This gives your site advantages like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of VPS hosting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For some website owners, VPS hosting will be their dream hosting setup. It offers your website a great blend of server performance, security, and control, all in an affordable server package. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the biggest advantages to VPS hosting: <\/p>\n\n\n\n With a VPS server, you\u2019re guaranteed greater access to server resources. This means higher levels of storage, bandwidth, CPU, RAM, and more. Plus, access to the resources spelled out in your hosting plan is guaranteed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, if you\u2019re on a shared hosting plan you might notice a drop in site performance due to other sites on the same server. With VPS hosting this will never be the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, not only are the plan limits much larger. But, you\u2019ll always have these resources available and dedicated to your site alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you choose VPS hosting, you\u2019re giving yourself greater server access and customization options. Essentially, you\u2019re less limited with VPS vs. shared hosting<\/a> when it comes to what you can do with your server. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Using a VPS gives you more server customization options right out of the gate, plus the ability to customize your server down the road. For example, with most VPS hosts you\u2019ll have a choice of operating system, as well as the type of software you\u2019d like to install on your server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most VPS plans will also give you SSH access, which is secure direct server access. Some users might not require this, but for those that do, this will be invaluable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want some of the benefits offered by a dedicated server, but don\u2019t quite have the budget for it, then VPS can be a great choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, technically VPS isn\u2019t the same as a dedicated server<\/a>, but it operates in mostly the same way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, with VPS hosting, you\u2019re getting a lot of the performance and the features of a dedicated server, but without the high associated costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Plus, by configuring your site to run on a VPS server now, you\u2019ll gain the understanding you need if you ever do decide to upgrade to a dedicated server. When that day comes, you\u2019ll have a leg up in terms of the learning curve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you ran into the limits of your shared hosting plan, then you\u2019re probably looking for a form of hosting that will grow with you as your site grows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n VPS hosting is pretty scalable, meaning you can add more server resources if your site requires it. Plus, VPS servers can be quite large, so they can support very large and fast growing websites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, it isn\u2019t as instantly scalable as cloud hosting<\/a>. But, it\u2019s still scalable, you\u2019ll just need to notify your hosting company about the increase before you hit your plan limits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n VPS hosting is a very popular form of hosting for those who want a hybrid blend between shared and dedicated hosting. But, it still won\u2019t be the perfect form of hosting for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the biggest drawbacks to VPS hosting you\u2019ll want to be aware of: <\/p>\n\n\n\n VPS hosting isn\u2019t technically advanced, but it does require more tech skills than a basic shared hosting plan. Shared hosting is built from the ground up for beginners and the intuitive nature of shared hosting reflects that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you sign up for VPS hosting it\u2019s generally assumed that you have more experience with your site. At the very least you should be comfortable with the backend of your server. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to do more advanced things with your server, then you might have to hire out the necessary technical help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n VPS hosting doesn\u2019t usually fall into the 'expensive'\u009d hosting category. But, if you\u2019re upgrading to VPS from a shared hosting plan, then get ready for a price increase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With the additional costs of VPS hosting, you will be getting access to a higher quality server, along with greater plan limits, great server performance, and improve security. But, it will come at a cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be aware that if you require a higher performing style of hosting, then you\u2019ll have to pay for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But, when looking at the feature set you have access to, compared to the overall price, it does end up being a pretty good deal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your site has been experiencing any of the issues below, then it might be time to consider VPS hosting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the most common reasons website owners decide to upgrade to VPS hosting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a number of reasons for your site to be loading slowly. But, if you\u2019ve taken the time to optimize your site performance<\/a> and you\u2019re still dealing with very slow loading times, then it might be time to upgrade your host.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It could be an issue with your traffic levels (covered below), RAM consumption, server storage issues, or something else altogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By migrating to VPS<\/a>, you\u2019ll give your site support for higher traffic levels, along with more storage to effectively store your site\u2019s files. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shared hosting is meant for websites that don\u2019t get much traffic. But, as your traffic levels grow, then you\u2019ll also start to demand more from your web host. If you notice an upward trend in your traffic levels, then it might be worth upgrading your hosting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rising traffic levels mean greater server resources consumption, so to avoid slow loading times, and even server crashes, it\u2019s smart to upgrade sooner rather than later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping your site secure is one of the most important things you can do. Right out of the box, VPS hosting plans offer you higher levels of security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A VPS website security checker<\/a> will include improved firewalls, dedicated malware scans, monitoring, along with improved website backups (in case something goes wrong).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plus, your site will be operating in a completely isolated server environment, so you\u2019ll never be impacted by other sites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re the type of site owner who could benefit from VPS hosting, then you\u2019ll also need to ensure you choose a VPS web host that offers the features you require, and the quality you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of the key features to look for in a VPS hosting provider: <\/p>\n\n\n\n When choosing a VPS plan make sure the plans you\u2019re looking at have sufficient CPU, RAM, disk space, and bandwidth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n VPS hosting should have a very high level of security. Look for features like DDoS attack protection, multiple firewalls, along with regular offsite backups, in case a full website restore is needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A quality support team is a must-have. Look for a VPS host that offers multiple support channels, speedy response times, and technical team members who can help you through tough website or server issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reliability is how often your site is online. The industry standard is above 99%, which seems high, but remember that any time your site is offline can be actually losing your site money. Ideally, a VPS host should offer you an uptime around 99.99%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The quality of your VPS server depends on the physical server hardware along with the network. Keep an eye out for Intel processors, and RAID drives. On the network side, you\u2019ll want a fully redundant network that\u2019s built with no single point of failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, there are probably many more features that you\u2019ll require. But, at the very least, keep an eye out on the hosting plan features highlighted above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"build](\"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/create-your-website.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhat Is VPS Hosting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Does VPS Hosting Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros of VPS Hosting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. High Level of Server Resource Access<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Greater Flexibility and Control<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. More Affordable than Dedicated Hosting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. More Scalable by Nature<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Cons of VPS Hosting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Requires More Technical Expertise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. More Expensive than Shared Hosting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reasons to Upgrade to VPS Hosting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Your Site is Loading Slowly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Your Traffic Levels are on the Rise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. You Want a More Secure Host<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What to Look for in a VPS Host<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sufficient Storage and Bandwidth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Server Security Features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Knowledgeable Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
High Reliability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Quality Server Hardware<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So, Do I Need VPS Hosting Services?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n