When it comes to web hosting, there are different alternatives that you can go for with the most common types being shared hosting, dedicated instances and virtual private servers. While each has its own benefits and drawbacks, VPS servers are slowly becoming the go-to option for all kinds of websites and projects. But what makes them the preferred cloud solution?
What are virtual private servers?
VPS servers are virtual machines that run on a physical server. They are virtualized copies of an actual server, but they can all run a different operating system, while also sharing the host server’s resources. This resource sharing is what makes it similar to shared hosting. However, there is one distinct difference. Each cloud VPS server has a set number of resources that it can use.
Why shared hosting isn’t as good as VPS servers
This means that a single VPS cannot utilize more SSD space, RAM or CPU power than what it has been assigned. For comparison, shared hosting plans usually give a set amount of resources, but a given website or application can begin consuming more than it should be. This could be due to traffic, a lot of user requests or a DDoS attack. Because of this, the entire server gets overloaded and this reflects on every other site or app that is hosted on that particular server.
As can be seen, this can be quite unfortunate as the entire server might end up going down, which will result in severe downtime periods and loss of potential customers. But this also shows why shared hosting is the least expensive alternative out of the bunch.
Dedicated servers – exceptional performance at a high price
On the other hand, there are also fully dedicated servers. Each server is reserved for one client, meaning a large number of available resources at all times. As you might have guessed, this makes it quite expensive, which is why only big businesses and corporations go for this particular hosting option. Such servers are also useful for hosting game servers as they have a lot of processing power and storage at their disposal.
Why choose a cloud VPS server?
As we have previously discussed, shared hosting isn’t that reliable and dedicated servers are quite pricy. This is where virtual private servers come in. They combine the best of both worlds, offering high performance at an affordable cost.
As we already mentioned, VPS servers share the physical server’s resources, but they cannot utilize more than what they are configured to use. This ensures high-quality hosting, constant uptime and a lot of different customizations.
There are also VDS instances, virtual dedicated servers, that are essentially virtual private servers with a dedicated resource. In most cases, this is the amount of CPU cores that can be assigned to the VPS. Hence they can also be found as dedicated CPU VPS servers.
One of the main advantages of choosing a VPS server is that they are easily scalable. This means that if your website or applications start seeing more traffic and potential users, you can upgrade your server without having to make changes to your service or hosting plan. This is also a very beneficial feature for seasonal businesses that have fluctuating traffic during the year. With a VPS, you can simply remove resources that you aren’t using and pay less.
Such servers are also quite customizable if you have some technical experience. You can manually install additional software that can help you manage your server and workflow. This is due to the full root access that they provide you with. This means that you can even configure your server so that you can boost your productivity and increase your efficiency.
Because of this, many providers have started to develop different additional features that even those without prior experience can take advantage of. Some examples of popular add-ons include automatic backups and server snapshots, which can be used to restore the VPS to a previous state. There are also various protection options such as the important DDoS protection that has become a staple in hosting over the last decade. Some providers offer it as an extra option and others include it in the price, which is why you need to make sure to check prior to purchasing a server.
Others offer software licenses and the ability to directly install a given software on your cloud VPS server so that you don’t have to manually go through the hassle of setting things up. This not only saves time but is also primarily aimed at those who don’t know how to fully install software on their server and would rather get it done for them instead.
Overall, VPS servers are becoming a more popular option amongst people looking for hosting due to their flexibility, scalability and customization options. They offer exceptional quality and performance at an affordable price, which is why their popularity has been increasing.
