Published on October 9th, 2019 | by Bibhuranjan

Reasons to Upgrade from Shared to VPS Hosting

VPS hosting is essentially the virtual equivalent of a dedicated private server. When you buy a VPS hosting package, you are purchasing full access and administrative control over your own virtual server, whose resources are dedicated 100% to you and your website. The trouble with VPS hosting is that all of this additional privacy and control comes at a price – VPS hosting is almost always more expensive than shared. So how do you know if it’s worth the jump?

The most practical reason, of course, is if you feel like you can afford it. If you find yourself looking at VPS hosting packages and doing the financial calculations in your head, this is a good indicator that you’re not happy with your current shared hosting package. Though VPS hosting is typically more expensive than shared, it doesn’t have to break your budget. The hosting company that you’re currently with may have a costly VPS plan, but there are plenty of companies out there that offer relatively affordable VPS services. Again, it’s never going to be as cheap as shared hosting, but it’s very possible to find a reasonable VPS hosting plan.

If your website is consistently using more resources than your shared hosting package can handle, this is another big reason to upgrade to VPS. The dedicated nature of VPS hosting means that all of the server’s resources are specifically dedicated to your website(s). Unlike on a shared host, no one else has access to the server with you. This kind of isolated hosting environment eliminates the possibility of your site’s performance being affected by other people on the server because there’s no one on the server but you! If you’re only managing one or two sites, even if these sites are huge, there’s almost no way you’ll run out of resources on the VPS hosting plan.

The isolated nature of VPS also makes it a lot more secure than shared hosting. While VPS is far from 100% safe, it’s a lot more private, which automatically gives your data an extra layer of protection that it doesn’t have on a shared host. Since you have complete administrative control with VPS hosting, you also have the freedom to introduce any security measures you want to protect the server from unwelcome invasion.

If you see a consistent increase in traffic to your site, then it might be time to start considering an upgrade to VPS hosting. The bigger and busier your site gets, the more resources it’s going to need. Downtime because you’ve exhausted the server’s resources will stop your site’s growth dead in its tracks, and worse, can negatively impact your SEO. A move to a VPS host can prevent this situation from happening and eliminate any stress you might have about your site being “too busy.” If you’re worried about your site’s growth, that’s a significant indicator that shared hosting is no longer meeting your needs. VPS hosts are often “scalable” as well, which means that you can adjust your allotted resources as needed for maximum efficiency. So if your site sees dramatic fluctuations in traffic throughout the year (for example, if you run a football blog and your site traffic triples in the fall and winter), then a VPS can offer you a much more reliable and efficient alternative to your current shared hosting environment.

On that note, if you want more control over how your server is set up or managed, then VPS is the best choice for you. On a shared host, you’re at the mercy of the admin for a lot of core server functions. When you’re first starting out, that kind of administrative support is typically something you want. But if you’re a seasoned site manager, you’ve probably started to notice small adjustments that could really benefit your site if you had the power to make them. Upgrading to VPS gives you that power. Unlike on a shared hosting plan, with VPS host, you have full administrative control over the server. You can adjust, manage, and customize the server settings as you please, with the only possible restrictions being the hosting package’s Terms of Service.

Tags: dedicated server, VPS, VPS hosting, web hosting

About the Author

Bibhuranjan Editorial Officer, technofaq.org I'm an avid tech enthusiast at heart. I like to mug up on new and exciting developments on science and tech and have a deep love for PC gaming. Other hobbies include writing blog posts, music and DIY projects.