Do I Need A Dedicated Server?
Of all the hosting options available at HostGator, the Dedicated Server offers the most control, freedom, and possibilities. If Shared hosting is like living at home with family, and a VPS is like getting your apartment, then a Dedicated server is like buying a house. You get a lot more space to yourself and more freedom to do what you want with it, but you also get to take on more responsibilities of caring for and maintaining it.
This article will discuss the following topics.
- Shared Hosting vs. VPS vs. Dedicated Servers ⤵
- Dedicated Hosting Specs ⤵
- How to Use a Dedicated Server ⤵
- Making The Decision To Purchase a Dedicated Server ⤵
Shared Hosting vs. VPS vs. Dedicated Servers
Shared hosting offers an excellent way for anyone, be it beginners or professionals, to get started with online hosting. It offers unmetered resources and the ability to start small and grow your online presence without worrying about maintaining and managing a server.
Having a VPS allows you more freedom and control than Shared hosting. You no longer share resources such as RAM, processing power(also known as CPUs), or storage space. You also get root access to the server to have administrator access. You can create multiple cPanels, control how bandwidth, CPU, and disk space are allocated among them, and perform cPanel restores without waiting on our support to do it for you.
Then, upgrading to a Dedicated server is like buying a home in the sense that it is the most costly option and hands over most of the maintenance. However, it also allows you the most freedom because the entire physical server is yours to configure as you wish. A Dedicated server comes with a lot more resources and possibilities than any of our other hosting packages. You can do things that you are limited in or even restricted from doing on any of our other hosting plans, like setting up a gaming server, streaming media, using it for a storage server, and more. Each option has its pros and challenges. This article will delve into what a Dedicated Server has to offer, the many ways you can use one, and if it is the right fit for you.
Dedicated Hosting Features
Our Dedicated hosting plans are often utilized by businesses that have grown to the point of needing their server. Due to customers' differing needs, we offer you many hosting options that meet your unique needs.
Managed or Semi-Managed
When you purchase a VPS, or Dedicated server, one of the first choices you have to make is whether you want it to be fully managed or semi-managed.
Fully Managed means you decide to use either the cPanel/WHM or Plesk control panel, and our support staff will continue to assist with almost any issue outside of custom software or script installations.
If you choose not to use one of our control panels, you will have a semi-managed server. This means that our support team is still here for you but will be limited in what they can assist you with.
Choice of Operating System
You can choose either a Linux (Alma 9) or Windows server (Plesk control panel).
If you're upgrading from another hosting with us where you use cPanel, you'll most likely choose the Linux (Alma 9) Dedicated server.
While most of our customers choose to go with Linux, we also offer Windows Dedicated Servers. This server allows you to run custom applications that require a unique environment.
Control Panel
Regardless of which control panel you choose, you will have many of the same options for managing your server; they differ in how and where tasks are performed.
On Linux servers, you will perform your administrative tasks for the server in WHM. Managing a specific website or email account would happen within the cPanel for that domain.
On the other hand, Windows servers utilize Plesk for all server and website administration tasks. You can only have one user per cPanel, but in Plesk, you can create multiple users and define what they have access to depending on their assigned role.
Dedicated Server Hardware
Just like all of our other hosting options, we offer multiple tiers of Dedicated servers so that you can choose the best one for your needs.
| - | Value - NVMe 32 | Power - NVMe 64 | Enterprise - NVMe 128 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 8 core AMD EPYC | 16 core AMD EPYC | 32 core AMD EPYC |
| Memory/RAM | 32 GB DDR5 | 64 GB DDR5 | 128 GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 1000 GB NVMe | 2000 GB NVMe | 3000 GB NVMe |
| Unmetered Bandwidth | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| 1 Dedicated IPv4 IP | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Root Access | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| cPanel/WHM or Plesk | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Multiple bandwidth providers AboveNet, AT&T, Comcast, Global Crossing, Level (3), NTT |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Free migration | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MySQL | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Maximum outgoing emails | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Maximum POP/IMAP connections | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Premium support | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
How to Use a Dedicated Server
So, when would you get a Dedicated server? Well, there are many uses for them, and we want to help you understand when it may be time to make that commitment.
Website Hosting
The first use of a Dedicated server that comes to mind is hosting a website. However, if you're starting, it needs to be said that a Dedicated server would be overkill. However, suppose you have a website, or several, with high traffic that processes a large number of transactions and has repeatedly hit the limits on Shared or VPS hosting. In that case, it may be time to make this move.
If you've been suspended on Shared hosting for utilizing too many resources, the first suggestion is to optimize your site. If you've done that and are still having issues hitting your plan's limits, then moving to a Dedicated server may be the solution for you.
Email Server
A VPS or Dedicated server can be utilized as an email server without the shared hosting limits. If you send a large number of emails because you have a growing business with many users or run extensive marketing campaigns, then either option could work.
Remember that we have a Dedicated Mail Policy and guidelines set out by the United States government to which you have to comply. We recommend starting with a VPS unless you know you need more resources than are available on one.
Gaming Server
When setting up a gaming server, we recommend either the VPS or a Dedicated server. It all comes down to the resources needed to run your game and the anticipated number of users. If you need more RAM than that of a VPS or an SSD, then you'll need a Dedicated server.
Having your game server often gives you the ability to customize the game to your specifications and allow or ban players at your discretion. It provides you with the resources to have a lag-free experience. Many sites provide information on the games for which you can set up a Dedicated server and the resources required.
- The Ultimate Guide to Dedicated Gaming Servers
- Benefits of Having a Private Dedicated Server for Gaming
- Custom Gaming Servers Aren't Just for Twitch Streamers. Here's Why.
Your Own Hosting Business
While you can host multiple sites on most of our hosting options, if you have an established clientele and are hosting enough sites that you've outgrown a Reseller plan, then a Dedicated server will provide you with the ability to do just that. All of our Reseller and Linux Dedicated servers come with a free Starter WHMCS license that allows you to have up to 250 active clients at a time.
With WHMCS, you can offer your clients not only the full web host experience but also automated recurring billing, automated account creation, service ticket creation, and much more. WHMCS also offers additional addons that you can purchase from them for extra features. These include managing your business from a mobile device, automating SSL purchases, and managing a lot of the behind-the-scenes work of your hosting company.
Making the Decision to Purchase a Dedicated Server
Just like purchasing a house, when you're considering obtaining a Dedicated server, you should take the time to research your available options and compare them to what your needs are. The purchase means you'll have more space and control, but that comes with taking on more responsibility as well.
Server Maintenance
Owning a home means there isn't a maintenance person to fix things when they break or to perform routine maintenance as you would have with an apartment.
In this analogy, you can think of a Fully Managed Dedicated Server as a house with an HOA, so some basic management and updating of the server software are handled for you. If you choose a Semi-Managed Dedicated Server, then there is no HOA. All of the maintenance is up to you or your server administrator.
Backups & Restores
We don't maintain backups of our Dedicated servers. Since you have full control of your server, you can set up backups in WHM, and then each cPanel user can also set up backups of their accounts. And since you have root access to the server, you can perform restores without reaching out to support and submitting a ticket, which allows you to get back up and running sooner.
Pros
- Root Access
- No email limits
- Ability to install custom, third-party programs and scripts
- Dedicated hardware, resources, and bandwidth
- Ability to reboot the server and restart services
- Ability to perform your backups and restores
Challenges
- It requires more advanced knowledge, such as Linux management or a server administrator.
- You're responsible for backups!
So, if you determine that a Dedicated server is right for you, remember that you qualify for free site migrations within 30 days of purchasing the plan. So moving from your Shared or VPS package to a Dedicated server can be done with ease and with little to no downtime.