Why A VPS Server Is Better Than A Dedicated Server

If you're seeking to grow your business's Web presence, one of the first questions that you'll have to answer will be about the type of hosting to use. Shared hosting, which is where most companies start, is a good start but at some point you may outgrow your service and require something with a little more in terms of customization, control and dedicated resources.

Once you've reached the edge of what shared hosting can do, you'll be left with two options: a VPS server or a dedicated server. Though both offer a number of advantages over a shared web host, VPS server hosting can often be considered the "bevptter" choice. Here's why.

Making the Most of Your IT Dollars

The first and most important characteristic of VPS servers versus dedicated servers is cost effectiveness. In a dedicated server scenario, your company is the only one using the server, and thus pays the entire cost. Sure, the resources are all yours to use, but you pay for every gigabyte of hard disk space and RAM. In the case of a VPS server, however, you purchase your own portion of a server that is distributed among multiple users. All users cannot see each other's data, and it is possible to buy more than one slice of server real estate and then install whatever OS and applications you'd prefer. Since the resources are distributed by all of those using the VPS server, the cost is also distributed – meaning that VPS server hosting comes out ahead of dedicated hosting in this case.

Upgrades with No Waiting

Another advantage that VPS servers have over physical dedicated servers is that you do not need to wait for a physical hardware upgrade or downgrade depending on your needs. If you need more space or resources, upgrades usually happen very quickly. If you need less space, you scale down what you are using. In a VPS server situation, you will be guaranteed a certain portion of the resources for your own use, and will often be able to use "burst" resources when the system is not under strain, allowing you to maximize the functionality of your server space.

With a dedicated server, all of the resources are yours to use, but they cannot be easily upgraded, moved or changed without the addition of extra hardware, which can take time and may bring down the server temporarily.

The Benefits of Similarity

The bottom line when it comes to a VPS servers is that they function almost exactly the same way as dedicated servers – it is as though your "slice" of the VPS is smaller dedicated server that no one else can access. You can install whatever you'd like in whatever configuration works best for you, and configure multiple accounts to suit your purposes – from running a website to hosting platform as a service applications to use as a development space where new programs and apps can be tested independently of a local network.

VPS server options offer nearly the same performance as dedicated servers, but at a significant cost reduction. In addition to the ability to do everything that a dedicated server does, but without the need for costly and time-consuming hardware upgrades, VPS options are rapidly becoming the server of choice for those looking to move up in the hosting world without inflating their IT budget dramatically.