Shared Hosting vs. VPS Hosting – How to Choose the Right Web Hosting Option for You
If you’ve been wondering which web hosting option is the best for you, shared hosting or VPS hosting, it’s important to understand their differencesin order to make the right decision. Let’s look at some of the main features of each and get a better understanding…
What is Shared Hosting?
Shared hosting is when you have many users sharing a single server that distributes its resources and runs on the same operating system. In the shared hosting environment, an individual shares the storage on a web server with other end-users. To minimize the possibility of users creating errors that would affect everyone, users on shared hosting plans are generally restricted when it comes to running their own programs.
As the expenses are shared among users, web hosting provide rs can provide more reasonable prices for this type services – shared hosting is the least expensive hosting option available.
In addition, with shared hosting , you do not need to have a thorough knowledge of hosting and server management. The web host you choose should manage the servers and the updates, so that you don’t have to deal with maintenance. You pay only for what you require and you can upgrade your plan when your needs grow.
Shared hosting is for you if…
- You want to cut costs and expenses
- You don’t need to run a bunch of your own programs
- You don’t have the knowledge in-house to manage your own server environment
What is VPS Hosting? VPS or Virtual Private Server hosting basically involves many independent server environments on a single physical server. Each virtual server makes use of its own disk space, Central Processing Unit, RAM, and Internet Protocol addresses. A VPS account provides you access to the root of the system and lets you modify server configuration files and installation of applications.
VPS subscribers still share the server with other end-users, but they are provided individual computer functions. In other words, your files, data and hosted websites are not affected by other end-users on the server, and each VPS subscriber is assured resources on the server. Nobody else will have the right to access your information, except you and the hosting company. The virtual private server hosting plan is safer than shared hosting, as it has an environment of independent file systems.
A VPS platform also supports web businesses with heavy website traffic, offering them more applications while meeting their intense resource requirements .
A VPS hosting plan will come with an intuitive, easy to use control panel. One can host an array of websites and also other pertinent services like a mail server, a File Transfer Protocol server, or any kind of server you need.
VPS Hosting is for those individuals and businesses who are in need of running tailored programs without a heavy financial burden.
VPS Hosting is for you if…
- Your require more robust security and protection
- You need to run your own proprietary programs
- Your resource intensive web presence requires top-notch performance
- You have the administration resources needed to run a VPS
The Differences Between Shared and VPS Hosting
The following chart provides a breakdown of Cirrus shared hosting vs. our VPS plans…
| Cirrus Hosting Packages | Shared | VPS |
| Fully Scalable | No | Yes |
| Shared Hardware | with 200+ customers | with 20+ customers |
| Dedicated Resourced | No | Yes |
| Full administrative access to database server | No | Yes |
| Log Access | Limited | Full access to all logs |
| Access to OS Services | No | Yes |
| Full administrative access to Plesk panel | No | Yes |
| Can provide user access to your client | No | Yes |
| Have the ability to add custom modules for PHP | No | Yes |
| Root access to the OS | No | Yes |
| Support for technical issues on the server | Yes | Only on Managed |
| Can private label your hosting | No | Yes |
| Dedicated IP | On Corporate Plan | Yes for All plans |
| Install third party applications on the host | No | Yes |
| Can bill your clients | No | Yes |
| Dedicated Resources (CPU, Memory) | No | Yes |
| Isolation of Resources allocated to clients | No | Yes |
| Custom security measures | No | Yes |
Although shared hosting is presently the most well known (and least expensive!) hosting plan, VPS hosting provides a cost-effective, high performance alternative and acts as a springboard between shared and dedicated (which is an even more robust option with absolutely no sharing of resources).
At Cirrus we provide you with both options. Choose from shared hosting or VPS hosting – great rates, Toronto based and with a 24/7 support team at the ready.
