Who Should Use A VPS?
A VPS, or Virtual Private Server, is a hosting solution which provides the flexibility of an expensive dedicated server without the worry of hardware and costs. For a more detailed explanation of how a VPS fits in with the range of hosting options available, check out our previous article here.
Of course, knowing what something is per se doesn’t necessarily mean you know if it’s the right solution for your needs. So in this article, we’ll be looking at trying to establish who should use a VPS, and hopefully help you decide whether it’s the solution you are looking for.
Growing Pains
If you already have a site or service hosted on a shared hosting platform then there are already be a few reasons why a move to a VPS would be beneficial. The first may be that you’ve simply outgrown the shared hosting. Whether it’s down to the fact that your traffic has risen to the point that your hosting provider has asked you to move on, or you are noticing sluggish loading times, a VPS could provide the extra resources your site or service needs. Another reason could be that you require certain packages or customization of the hosting platform that your provider isn’t willing to provide. With a VPS you are the boss and can configure it to meet the requirements that your site or service needs.
Dedicated Solutions
Users of shared hosting packages aren’t the only ones to consider using VPS hosting. They can also be useful to people at the other end of the spectrum, who are running dedicated servers. If you have a dedicated server running your sites or services then a VPS can make a great companion to this server. For example, a VPS can be an affordable way to provide secondary or tertiary nameservers with geographical diversity for your DNS without splashing out on another dedicated server. Alternatively, you may find yourself running a dedicated server that’s barely used, either through a decline in use or overestimation of the resources required. A VPS could be a great solution to save you money on the cost of hosting while providing the customization and freedom that you are accustomed to.
A VPS means more options
So, what if you don’t already have any hosting and are considering whether you should be choosing a VPS for your solution? Well to start with, if you are planning to launch any form of ecommerce site, it’s recommended that you avoid using shared hosting, leaving a VPS or dedicated server as your options. Unless you are sure that your site is going to get a lot of traffic quickly, it makes sense to start out with a VPS that you can scale up as your site grows. If you provide web development or design services, then a VPS could be a great tool for you to demonstrate sites to customers as you can easily create and destroy the sites on the server. A small, cheap VPS would be sufficient as you don’t need a lot of resources as the sites will need little traffic. You may just be looking to run an affordable personal server, which a VPS can do for you admirably without the limitations on use that often comes with a shared hosting package.
For the most part, a VPS can be a great hosting solution for most use cases. In years gone by, VPS was recommended for intermediate or advanced users with some understanding of hosting. However, with easy application deployment and managed hosting offerings, even a complete novice can use a VPS for their hosting solution without issue.