Every type of hosting has its own benefits and drawbacks. Let’s look at both in regards to VPS vs shared hosting.
First up is shared hosting. Based on our previous discussion, let’s recap the main reasons to opt for this kind of plan or to stay away.
Pros of shared hosting:
- It’s usually very inexpensive.
- Getting started is simple, as these plans are geared towards newcomers.
- You don’t have to configure your server in any way.
- As long as you choose a reputable provider, you should see solid performance on smaller, low-traffic sites.
Cons of shared hosting:
- You don’t have resources dedicated specifically to your site – you have to share them.
- Sharing a physical server means security issues can travel from one site to another.
- There are usually very few options when it comes to customizing your server’s setup.
- Your site can slow down when other sites on the same server see spikes in traffic.
So, how does VPS hosting compare? While it has a few things in common with shared hosting, its advantages and downsides are unique.
Pros of VPS hosting:
- Most VPS hosting plans are still fairly cheap.
- Your hosting environment is isolated, so other sites aren’t likely to affect your performance.
- The security risks are lowered (while not eliminated completely).
- You can often customize your virtual server to meet your site’s specific needs.
- VPS plans are usually ‘scalable’, which means you can increase or decrease your allotted resources as needed.
Cons of VPS hosting:
- VPS hosting is nearly always more expensive than shared hosting.
- You have defined limits for things like RAM and storage
- You’ll need more technical know-how if you want to tweak your server and manage it effectively.