You must have heard about physical hosting servers, but may not have known much about VPS servers, so this guide is to introduce you to the VPS server, what it is, how it is defined, how VPS web hosting works, and what are the pros and cons of VPS web hosting.
VPS is the abbreviation of Virtual Private Server. It is actually a virtual server working in a virtual environment and it is operated by a web hosting company or cloud company. It is important to mention that a VPS server is based on a physical server. It means that a physical server is used to get virtualization, whereas a physical server is split into various virtual servers. The resources for all of these virtual private servers are shared from the physical server.
VPS Web Hosting Defined
In simple words, VPS web hosting is a kind of service, where a physical server is split into different virtual parts and each part is able to work as an isolated server for the users. When a user gets VPS web hosting services, it means that you have a dedicated and isolated virtual server which is your best computing resource with more speed, performance, security, and control.
When you have a VPS server for web hosting, it means that you have great access to your software configuration, CPU cores, memory, as well as, disk space. It is similar to having a dedicated server for your web hosting needs in the given data center. If one has to explain what VPS web hosting is, an example can be given to give more explanation. For instance, there is a building with so many apartments, then this building is like a physical server, which is divided into apartments. So, when a person gets an apartment on rent, it means that they will have their own private space, as well as, resources to live, but overall all apartment residents will be sharing the entire building.
How does it work?
After defining the overall concept of VPS web hosting, it is important to understand how the entire process of VPS web hosting works, what are the most critical elements, and what should be ensured to keep things in the right direction. The first thing to understand is that when we say server, it means we are talking about a physical computer, and this computer is actually used to store databases and files which are required for your given website. So, when a user tries to access your website or wants access to it, a message is sent by the browser to your dedicated server to allow this access. Then the necessary and required files are transferred by the server with the help of the internet. In this entire process, the VPS web hosting is a resource, which works as a virtual server that is used to stimulate the given physical server.
Your VPS web hosting provider makes sure to provide a virtual server by installing a virtual layer on top of the server’s operating system. The purpose of the installed layer is to divide the server into different parts so that each user on the server can install their own software, as well as, an operating system.
That’s why it is said that VPS web hosting is secured and has more control because it is kind of a private server for you to have complete control and efficiency. On the level of operating systems, your server is separated from other users’ servers. The best thing about using VPS web hosting is that you have a secured container or virtual environment to set up your website as you want to set it up. It provides you with the required CPS cores, disk space, and memory. The most amazing part is that you don’t have to share any of these resources with any other users, rather these are dedicated resources just for your website.
Pros and Cons of VPS Web Hosting
Like any other technology or software, VPS web hosting also comes with several pros and cons, so before opting for it, a user must be aware of both. So, we have prepared a dedicated list of pros and cons in the next section.
Pros
Secure:
When companies tend to use web hosting for their websites, the biggest concern is security and privacy. For various reasons, the users go for shared hosting, which is less secure as compared to VPS web hosting. The security options and features offered by VPS web hosting are way more secure and better than any other type of web hosting. In shared hosting, if someone has done a bad action, they may put the entire shared hosting at security risk, and you may also pay the price. But you won’t be facing anything like that with VPS web hosting, as your own actions are the only thing to bother you. Moreover, when you have more control and privacy, it means that your website is in secure hands.
Scalable:
The other biggest benefit of having VPS web hosting is its option of scalability. It means that when you are using VPS web hosting provided by a VPS service provider, you can update and upgrade your system to the next level whenever you want. For instance, if your business is growing faster, and the existing site and resources are not proving good enough to deal with it, and you need to upgrade your system, then you can easily do it with VPS web hosting without facing any issues, or any requirement to go for entirely a new web hosting plan. If your website traffic is increasing, and speed is slowing down, you can always upgrade to get more speed. Similarly, if you need more disk space and memory, you can ask the VPS service provider to upgrade both as per your requirements.
Value and Cost:
It is vital to know that when compared with shared hosting, VPS web hosting is surely more expensive. However, it is considered cheaper when compared with dedicated web hosting. One can say that it is in the middle ground, where you can afford VPS web hosting. However, one thing is guaranteed with VPS web hosting, and that is really worth and value for your money. If someone can afford dedicated hosting, they can go for it, but if you would go for VPS web hosting, you can get great value as compared to the cost. You will get dedicated resources similar to dedicated hosting, but the cost will be much lower than that.
Better Speed and Performance
Users always value high-speed and better performance for their website, and this can only be possible with an efficient web hosting service. So, when you are using VPS web hosting, it means that you are going to enjoy both speed and performance at the same time. The overall performance and load time of a website will be quicker and more efficient when compared with the shared web hosting service. In addition, if you are looking to upgrade your SEO strategy, VPS web hosting will be there to assist and support you with your new stray. In addition, the majority of your task on the website will be on auto-pilot, which means that you don’t have to worry about everything all the time.
Cons
Costly:
The biggest con of VPS web hosting is that it is costly as compared to shared web hosting, which is way cheaper than this. Moreover, unmanaged VPS web hosting is less costly than managed VPS web hosting. However, this con is actually turned into an advantage because of great value for your money. So, whatever the cost and expense are linked with VPS web hosting, it will provide value and you would feel that cost is not a big thing to worry about in the end.
Not Secure like Dedicated Hosting:
It is mentioned earlier that VPS web hosting is secure, when compared with shared hosting, however, when its security is compared with dedicated web hosting, then it is considered less secure than that. In VPS web hosting, you have complete control of resources that are shared with you by the service provider, whereas dedicated web hosting has dedicated and complete control of everything. Again, it can be said that it is not a huge con to get worried about using VPS web hosting.
Some Limitations:
It is certainly better than shared hosting, but when compared with dedicated web hosting, it has some kinds of limitations, which can be considered a disadvantage to using VPS web hosting. For instance, if you have purchased a certain level of the package from your service provider, and you need upgradation, then your limits will be done, and you will have to upgrade to increase your limits and use.