Virtual private server (VPS) web hosting offers a middle ground between affordability and power, giving you the best of the shared and dedicated hosting worlds. Here’s what you need to know to get started, along with our top tested choices.
The many web hosts and their hosting tiers can make it difficult for you to find a Goldilocks plan that’s just right. This sometimes happens when your website requires more power than what simple shared hosting delivers, but you don’t want to go all-in on expensive dedicated hosting. The middle ground between the two is virtual private server (VPS) hosting.
VPS hosting contains the best elements of shared hosting and dedicated hosting services. Like shared hosting, VPS hosting puts your website on a server that also has other sites running on it. The difference? There are fewer sites per server, and your website receives its own resource allotment (like dedicated hosting). The sites share the cost of running on the server, which results in a monthly or yearly charge that’s less than dedicated hosting’s relatively high price tag.
If you’re looking to explore VPS hosting, this is a good place to start. Read on for the top services we’ve tested, followed by everything you need to know when choosing the right VPS for you.What Is a VPS Used For?
Your VPS-hosted site lives in a partitioned server area that has its own operating system, storage, RAM, and monthly data transfer limits, so you can expect smoother, more stable site performance. The sites with which you share your server are far less likely to affect your site—or even take it down altogether—than they would be on a shared server. Knowing how VPS setups operate is just the first step, however. You still need to familiarize yourself with the essential features needed for building a rock-solid, VPS-hosted website.Is There Any Free VPS?
As a result of VPS hosting’s hybrid nature, its cost isn’t quite as low as shared hosts‘ fees, but it’s not nearly as high as dedicated hosts‘ fees. You can expect to pay between $20 per month and $100 per month, depending on the configuration. Shared web hosting, on the other hand, is extremely cheap hosting; you can often set up shop for less than $10 per month. Dedicated web hosting will typically set you back $100 per month or more.
Most VPS hosts only offer servers running Linux-based operating systems; you’ll need to dig a bit to find Windows-based VPS hosting. This is important to note if you’re planning on running software that requires a Microsoft-compatible environment.
