VPS or Shared Hosting: Which is the Best Server for Your WordPress Site

To best understand which type of hosting service is needed for your site, you must first know what each service does. Shared Hosting means that your site will share the same server as many others along with its resources. It is usually the cheapest of the two options, but cheaper is not always better. Since your site’s functionality can be impacted by others on the server.

VPS Hosting (Virtual Private Server) hosting gives you the capability for greater customization, as well as increased performance. You can find here an example of what VPS hosting plan should include if you want to go deepen better.  WP Manage Ninja offers great resources for designing your WordPress site, from the initial building, add on capabilities, and tips for deciding whether to use Shared or VPS hosting.

When designing your WordPress Site, it is important to fig ure out in the beginning, which type of hosting service you need for your personal business growth and goals for your site.

Planning and using this strategy will assure you are using the correct server for your CMS (content management system). Let’s break down these two most popular website hosting options and help you learn which one is the right solution for your project.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting allows companies to put a large number of users on the same server (a server is a computer with a processor, memory, and a hard drive). The good thing about shared hosting is that the cost per user is cheaper. By splitting the cost of the hosting service with many users, it divides the total cost amongst those using it, thereby lowering the individual cost.

However, there is an old saying, “that the cheap comes out to be expensive”. Meaning if you choose to utilize a cheaper hosting method, you may not be able to have the processing abilities your site needs to operate at a premium.

• With shared hosting the resources for each user are limited. Your site’s power could be affected by the actions of other users on the shared platform.
• Hosting companies usually put hundreds and sometimes thousands of users on the same server. This is how they keep their rates low, approximately $4-$10 a month.
• If there is a website that develops a memory leak on the same server you use, your site could be affected.
• If one site uses 80% of the bandwidth on the server, all the other websites will have to split the remaining 20%. That’s where the shared part comes in.
• When a site is corrupted through malicious attacks on a server, it may spread to problems throughout the whole user base. This is known as the “bad neighbor effect.” These attacks are unpredictable, therefore there is no way to plan for them,

Most shared hosting sites are for websites that offer fixed content that does not change, regardless of the number of visitors. Shared hosting is a great option for personal sites, startups, and blogs. There are not a lot of added features, such as super-fast loading speeds or heavy security options.

Pros of Using Shared Hosting Services

• Shared hosting is guaranteed to be a cheaper option.
• Website management will be much easier – shared hosting doesn’t require Linux OS or CLI experience to run.
• Customer support teams are more likely to help you with your issues, as they will most likely be tied to navigating the provider’s control panel.

Cons of Using Shared Hosting Services

• There are no dedicated resources to aid in the building of your site.
• There are higher security risks from malicious attackers, and from other sites on the server.
• The other sites you share the server with will affect the performance of your WordPress site, including lessening bandwidth, and storage capacity.
• Shared hosting sites can be very frustrating, as you have extraordinarily little control over the site and other users on the same server.
• Bandwidth and processing power are not distributed evenly among users.
• Shared hosting will only perform as the technology your host has implemented for speed, SSDs, CDN, catching software, and other limitations based on that particular shared host.

VPS Hosting

In most circumstances, virtual private server hosting is more costly (but not by much), when compared to shared hosting, however, the benefits of paying a bit more are more than evident when you look at the endless possibilities this type of hosting has to offer.

While being similar to shared hosting this type of hosting system uses more modern technology to separate users/sites on the same server. It can also be more profitable if you are running many websites. If the plan is for you to manage many WordPress sites, investing in a VPS host plan can be much cheaper than paying for several multiple shared hosting plans.

Virtual private server hosting services are a step above shared hosting. It is ideal for online stores, larger personal sites (that sell goods or services), and small businesses. With a VPS these types of sites will see a definite increase in features, performance, and security, all for a very reasonable price.

However, it’s worth noting that not all VPS hosting plans are created equal. Since this kind of hosting will require advanced skills to manage and run, there are certain things you need to consider when picking your provider to prevent a bad investment.

What are the must-have features for your virtual private server pan? First, installing WordPress needs to be streamlined. Ideally, there should be a one-click installer present.

Additionally, make sure to research and check what kind of security solutions are put in place by the host. While it may be quite confusing at first, a little research is worth your effort. Sadly, in-depth coverage of all the possible solutions is beyond the scope of this article.

Look out for other benefits, including fast web server speed, Jetpack for WordPress, WordPress optimization, automated daily backups, 24/7 support, and SSD storage. Many VPS hosting servers offer a wide variety of tools to aid in the building and management of your WordPress site. Let’s cover some pros of opting for VPS hosting.

The Pros of VPS Hosting

• Virtual private server provides separation, protection, and easy scaling for optimizing WordPress.
• Malicious code infecting is extremely rare. Security issues on another user’s account will not affect your site.
• Resources are allocated, not pooled, making the systems of this hosting type easier to scale and offer the ability to perfect growing websites.
• Virtual private server hosting is self-contained software that includes the operating system, and all the other necessary pieces you need to build and build upon your website. It is like having a dedicated server, therefore allowing you to have greater control over your personal environment.
• Plans are judged on the hardware quality, support level, customization options, price, and miscellaneous add on services.
• Top providers offer flexible packages so the user can configure their sites to best meet their unique needs.
  • Some better plans add benefits such as SSD storage, pre-installed WordPress, 24/7 security monitoring, and CDN, (Content Delivery Network). CDN is a system of distributed servers that delivers pages and other web content to a user. CDNs also offer protection from large surges in traffic.
  • VPS hosting is like an individual data plan on a cell phone. You will pay more money to customize your service to your specific needs. However, you will get greater resources, and more control over changing your data setup, if need be.
  • Virtual private server hosting also allows you to enjoy larger private disk space.
  • The higher resource ability offered with this hosting type will be necessary when you are ready to expand your business.
  • VPS hosting also allows you to offer customers a greater user experience that goes far beyond Shared Hosting services.

The Cons of Using a VPS Hosting Service

• Virtual private server hosting services are slightly more expensive than shared hosting sites.
• Managing VPS hosting will require CLI knowledge. It will be a more technical experience compared to shared hosting.
• You will have to have a general idea of the amount of storage your site will need, as well as the bandwidth you will need to operate your site at optimal levels.
• Depending on your site, if you have a highly specialized site, you may need more control over the hardware levels, and other ins and outs of your specific site. While virtual private server hosting is quite flexible, it is not able to be infinitely so.

A VPS host may be a bit expensive and unnecessary if you only need a quick place to showcase your website. It depends again o what you have planned for your individual site/sites in the future.

When Should You Choose VPS Hosting?

Deciding on whether to choose a VPS host, is best looked at through a process of elimination. By asking yourself the following questions, you should be able to come to the correct conclusion for your WordPress site.

• Is my project minor?
• Is my project a test?
• How tight of a budget do I have for my project?
• What are the goals for my website?

If you answered no, to one of the first three questions, I would highly recommend using VPS Hosting for your WordPress site.

In Conclusion

To break it down once again, shared hosting means that many other sites, along with yours, will share the same server and its resources. While generally, it may be the cheaper option, it has limited bandwidth, performance, and administration capabilities. VPS host, the more premium option, has a far greater ability to customize your site while increasing your performance. As with any premium, however, you will have to pay a bit more in order to get more.

When you are selecting the right hosting service for your WP site, consider all the factors, including hardware resource needs, security requirements, cost (budgeting) constraints, performance, and scalability expectations from the server. I advise that most business sites switch to a VPS host server as soon as possible. Virtual private servers are better than shared hosting in every technical aspect. The more relevant certain issues are to your site, will depend on the amount you wish to pay each month for the service. Even if you cannot afford $20 a month for a better-known VPS server, sites that are more reasonable will also bring about great rewards for your WordPress site.

Author Byline:

Mary is a passionate blogger and the chief editor at her own content marketing company PRable.com. Since college, she’s been interested in break-through technology and technical writing about innovative products and services that change our everyday lives for the better. She’s also interested in web design and photography.