What Is VPS Hosting? Virtual Server Structure, Overcommitment, Managed vs. Unmanaged, Pros and Cons
VPS hosting splits one physical server through virtualization and allocates CPU and RAM to each virtual server separately. This guide covers virtual server structure, overcommitment, how VPS differs from shared hosting, and managed vs. unmanaged VPS.
VPS hosting gives you root access to run the server yourself, but unless it is managed, server management is also on you. This guide sums up the pros and cons of VPS hosting and which sites it suits.
1️⃣ How VPS Hosting Works
A VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a virtual server created by splitting one physical server through virtualization. The splitting is done by software called a hypervisor. Each virtual server runs its own operating system. CPU cores, memory, and disk are also set per virtual server.
Users can Root accessYou'll receive it. You can choose the web server, PHP version, and firewall yourself.
2️⃣ Shared VPS vs. Dedicated VPS: Overcommitment
VPS plans fall into shared VPS and dedicated VPS, depending on whether the cores listed on the pricing table are yours alone. Pricing tables usually label them Shared CPU and Dedicated CPU.
On a shared VPS, the listed cores are used in turns with other virtual servers. Most sites use only a little CPU most of the time, so the provider allocates more cores than physically exist. This is called overcommitment. It works on the same principle as an airline overbooking, selling more tickets than seats.
Most of the time the difference does not show. When neighboring virtual servers use the CPU at the same time, your turn is pushed back and your server slows down. On a dedicated VPS, your cores are tied to real cores and only you use them. Performance is consistent, and the price is higher. What gets shared is the CPU. Memory and disk are usually reserved per virtual server under both types.
3️⃣ VPS vs. Shared Hosting: Allocation, Not Limits
On shared hosting, accounts share the operating system and web server of a single server. What each account gets is a limit on CPU and memory.
On a VPS, each virtual server has its own operating system, and CPU cores and memory are allocated from the start. Even on a shared VPS, the only thing shared is CPU time. What happens at the limit is also different. Shared hosting stops you at the limit set by the provider with a [508 Resource Limit Is Reached] error.
On a VPS, when the allocated memory runs out, the operating system forcibly kills processes. In WordPress, one example is the database being killed and the [Error establishing a database connection] screen appearing.
4️⃣ Managed VPS vs. Unmanaged VPS
With an unmanaged VPS, the provider is responsible only for the virtual server and the network. Operating system updates, installing the web server and PHP, security settings, and backups are done by the user. With a managed VPS, the provider takes on this work. The user handles adding sites, SSL, and backups from a management panel. For this reason a managed VPS costs more. A management fee is added on top of the price of the same server specs.
5️⃣ Pros and Cons of VPS Hosting
With VPS hosting, CPU and memory are allocated, so you are less affected by neighboring sites. Root access lets you tune the server settings to your site, and as visitors grow you add resources simply by moving up a plan.
In exchange, with an unmanaged VPS, server management is on the user. When something goes wrong, you also have to find the cause yourself.
Prices start at around $4–6 a month for an unmanaged VPS and around $11 a month for a managed VPS. Providers that bill by the hour, such as DigitalOcean or Cloudways, do not raise the price at renewal. Providers that sell on a term contract, such as Hostinger, do raise the price at renewal.
6️⃣ Who Should Use VPS Hosting
The $11-a-month plan used as the example in section 5️⃣ is Cloudways, and we have a direct affiliate partnership with them. The providers we recommend are Cloudways and ScalaHosting. Unmanaged VPS plans are available from Hostinger (from $6.49 a month on a 2-year term) and ScalaHosting (from $19.95 a month).
VPS hosting suits sites that repeatedly hit their limits on shared hosting. The same goes for online stores and membership sites. When many visitors are logged in, caching does not apply and every visit uses CPU.
It also suits running several sites. You put multiple sites on one server and manage their resources together.
For a blog with few visitors or a company website, shared hosting is enough.
If you have never run a server, start with a managed VPS.
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