WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

What is a VPS?
(virtual private server)

A VPS is a virtual private server (virtual private server). It is a web hosting service that is obtained by dividing a physical server into several virtual servers, making each one of them have dedicated resources and isolated from the others.

At an operational level, a Virtual Private Server works the same as other web hosting services, offering a space permanently connected to the Internet to which we can upload the contents of our website so that other people can access them.

VPS can be managed or unmanaged.

To manage an unmanaged VPS it is necessary to have advanced knowledge of system administration; since the client is responsible for installing and maintaining the software and the security of the server.

If you do not have this knowledge, it is best to hire the administration service from the provider (managed VPS) or delegate this work to an external system administrator.

As for the operating system, both Linux and Windows options are usually available on the market.

Advantages of VPS

Guaranteed resources: in a VPS we will have guaranteed resources as in a dedicated server. A VPS has an isolated environment with its own RAM and dedicated CPU, so no other user will be able to use those resources.

Highly customizable: VPSs share the same hardware with other VPSs, but their software is totally independent, allowing you to access and make any changes or improvements to the configuration.

The main advantage of a VPS is that it has many of the benefits of a dedicated server, but paying only for the resources you need to use, being a good option for those users who require greater freedom of use and configuration.

Disadvantages of VPS

The main disadvantage of VPS compared to shared hosting is the price.

A VPS will mean paying a higher price not only for the extra resources, but you will have to add three additional costs to the base price: the management panel (WePanel, Plesk,…), the cost of the server administration service, and the space for backups, although this will depend on the offer of each provider.

More advanced knowledge of configuration and administration of virtual servers is required, being ideal for projects with specific needs, but not recommended for simpler projects or people not specialized in the subject.

When to switch from shared hosting to a VPS

Due to the difficulty to measure the resources that we are going to need when starting a web project, many people start with a shared hosting, being a very good option.

When the project grows and it becomes necessary to move to a service with more resources, one of the most common options is to move to a VPS, although it is not always the most advisable option.

The choice will depend on the volume of resources that the project needs, but in general it will only be advisable to move to a VPS if it is necessary to be able to install or run applications at server level.

AT THE BEST TIME

¿When tu use a VPS?

Before making any decision, it is necessary to evaluate the real needs faced by our web project.

Once examined, we will be able to make the choice to switch to a specific server.

HOW TO CHOOSE IT

Choosing between an an elastic hosting and a VPS

An elastic hosting could be seen as an evolution to the VPS, since we will have the availability of full resources as in the virtual private server, as well as backups and administration panel as in the shared hosting.

A factor when choosing between both services, will be the level of knowledge that we have when it comes to manage the hosting, not being necessary in the elastic hosting the management of administration and configuration of the server, nor the payment of licenses, unlike a VPS server.

If you only need more resources because your current plan is limited and you do not need anything that only a VPS can provide (such as the installation of a specific software) the best option is the elastic hosting.

When to switchfrom a dedicated server to a VPS?

Dedicated servers offer all the guaranteed resources, in addition to a higher performance than other servers, which requires advanced knowledge to get the maximum performance, coupled with a higher cost than a VPS server.

One of the reasons that would lead us to switch to a VPS could be that we currently have more resources than we really need, although in this case we should consider the possibility of an elastic hosting for its many advantages.

But for large projects and a greater need for increased capacity, a dedicated server may be the best option.