A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is the intermediary option between a low-cost and simple shared hosting and a more expensive, but also resourceful, dedicated server.

Once a person decides it might be a good idea to upgrade or start off right away with a VPS, things should be done carefully. Follow the next hints to better understand how VPS works and how to choose the right one for your business.

Reasons to Choose a VPS Server

Hosting a website in a shared environment isn’t good for those who want a good traffic level. In order to get more resources, one should pick a VPS, which is cheaper and easier to manage, comparing to a dedicated server.

Acquire a virtual server that is private and hosts only your website, not sharing the resources and features separated for you with other clients. It can even be upgraded, just as quick as it’s created.

What it Offers the Clients

Once a VPS plan is purchased at your preferable company, there will be a few details to observe. It has a certain amount of free disk space, to install software and mods, an operating system, a limit for bandwidth and numbers for CPU and RAM.

For websites with a good traffic, but not too busy to compensate the price of a dedicated sever, the VPS are an intermediary option between the latter and a shared server, which may compromise a website due to traffic spikes in others.

Disadvantages of Using a VPS

After understanding the concept, it’s still important to be sure before choosing between the many options. To start off, those who are eager right at the beginning may be paying more than they need for a website with low traffic, if they begin with a VPS right away, as it’s more expensive than a shared hosting that may suffice.

It’s also mandatory to have some technological knowledge, as the freedom to set up and configure the server also means you are alone. Things won’t be installed by the host, as it happens with a shared server.

When the company is not responsible enough, it may oversell the servers and you’d be left with poor resources for your websites. That’s a reason to keep an eye on quality.

I Own a Shared and Want to Switch

If you are not about to start a new website and want to migrate from shared hosting, there are a few ideas that should be considered. It’s a good option if you are looking for more resources, like more speed – which is especially important regarding user-friendly access and better SEO results – or memory, so that you may avoid problems such as the 503-server errors.

Security is also a big concern. With a server configured by yourself, it’s easier to install all important defense facilities, to make sure data and active time are both protected.

Apart from that, but also related to the control of the situation, it’s possible to install customizable software, giving flexibility to choose the best option for a website.

VPS For Free

Just as it happens with shared hosting, it’s possible to find free VPS options in the web. However, it’s obvious that a service that is not being paid for could have some issues. It will be not as powerful and resilient as a paid VPS server, even compared to the cheapest ones.

The neighbors, that are within the same server – even though VPS are physically separated – may be designed to bad purposes, increasing the risk for your website to be penalized, or to be targeted by viruses and invasions.

The advantage of trying this option is to get used to VPS before putting your money, as well as to make some tests, before applying them to your original server, granting less headache with backups and such.

Choosing the VPS

A VPS that is right for your needs may require some effort to find, but that’s one of the most important aspects of a website, it’s its base. The first decision is to figure out if it should be managed or unmanaged. Paying a bit more every month, it’s possible to have specialist working on the technical aspects of your website. Allow them to monitor and to keep the website(s) online, if it’s within the budget.

Chose the operational system, usually between the versions of Linux or Windows. Study which one offers the best features for your project. After that, decide between having the conventional VPS or basing it in a cloud server. The latter option would distribute, still counting the virtual server as a single unit, along a number of servers.

Where my VPS Should be Hosted

There are countless companies offering, apparently, the same service. Deciding the basic aspects introduced earlier, it’s time to pick one of them to be your host. Check services such as management and backup, for both data and energy supply, to make sure that issues that are always possible may be easy to solve.

Also thinking about possibilities in the future, a good surprise such as a traffic spike shouldn’t knock down the server. Make sure that the possibility of scalability is ensured by the company, giving enough time to upgrade to a more resourceful option.

When problems appear, the host should be capable of giving as much support as it’s capable, so check if there are good options in that sense and their history regarding other clients.

Finally, take a look at the prices to compare them, as they may vary a lot. It’s also important to check if the company is a reliable one, that won’t close doors within a few months. With all these hints, you are ready to decide.