When You Should Consider Using VPS Hosting (And How to Begin)
Every website needs web hosting to store its files and make them accessible to the public. There are many different types of web hosting available, with shared and Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting services among the most popular.
Thus, it can be tricky to decide which is the best option for your site. In this article, we will discuss when you should consider using VPS hosting. We will also talk about the three essential steps to host a website on VPS: Pick the right VPS hosting plan, Learn how to connect to your VPS using Secure Shell (SSH), Use the command line to manage your VPS.
The Differences Between Shared and VPS Hosting
Shared and VPS hosting have one fundamental similarity – they both use one physical server to host multiple websites. This is the most cost-effective approach, resulting in prices lower than a dedicated hosting or cloud hosting service. However, the similarities end there.
A web server has limited system resources available, such as RAM, CPU power, and disk space. In the shared hosting environment, multiple clients use the resources of a single physical server, which can create bottlenecks and slow down your site in these two situations: When the hosting provider sets up too many websites on the same server space, when a website on the server is getting too much traffic and taking up more resources.
When You Should Move From Shared Hosting to VPS
Shared web hosting may become less suitable as the site grows and gets more traffic or requires better security measures, as all of these need more server resources.
However, how soon it’ll need VPS hosting depends on how the website performs and your current shared hosting plan. For example, if you use our Business Shared Hosting, which can handle thousands of visitors per month, it may take time before you experience performance issues.
Since no two providers offer the same experience, it can be hard to know when to upgrade to VPS hosting. Here are some indications you need to consider moving to VPS: The site receives at least 100-200 visits per day, There’s a sustained increase in the site’s bounce rate, The website speed is getting slower, or it is starting to experience downtime.
It’s also worth noting that there are many other factors that can impact your site’s performance in addition to the type of hosting plan you’re using.
That’s why we recommend proactively optimizing your site. However, if the website starts getting more traffic and still feels sluggish after you’ve tried different methods to optimize it, it might be time to upgrade to VPS hosting.
Another factor to consider when deciding to move to VPS hosting is your budget. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to find reasonably priced VPS hosting plans.
How to Get Started With VPS
Choose the Right Type of VPS. As a rule of thumb, we recommend a VPS plan with at least 2 GB of RAM and a two-core CPU, especially if you’re running a website with a lot of traffic, such as an eCommerce shop. A more basic VPS plan is usually a good option if you host a simple WordPress site with medium traffic but want to handle server management yourself.
Learn How to Connect to VPS Using SSH. Managing a VPS is completely different than using shared hosting. Configuring the latter involves using a control panel, such as Hostinger’s hPanel. On the other hand, VPS hosting usually doesn’t come with control panels, so users get to interact with the server directly. To do that, you need to use the command line, which we’ll go over in a moment.
Use the Command Line to Manage Your VPS. Some people may not like the command line because it doesn’t provide a graphical interface. Every server management task uses text commands, so at the very least you’ll need to learn some of the basic ones.
Conclusion
VPS hosting is the perfect option if you want complete control over the server at a price lower than dedicated hosting. It lets you configure the server settings and install your preferred operating system and web applications. With dedicated server resources, your website’s performance won’t be compromised because of other sites on the same machine.
However, hosting a website on VPS requires more technical expertise compared to shared hosting. You’ll need an SSH client such as PuTTY or the command line to manage the server.
We hope this article helps you decide whether you should use VPS hosting. If you have more questions about hosting a website on VPS, feel free to leave a comment below or contact our support team.
