Web hosting comes in several different forms and packages. From the large-scale option of grid hosting, where multiple servers are clustered with multiple nodes, all the way to home servers, where a consumer-owned machine hosts a site through an end-user’s Internet connection.
However, the two most popular consumer options are shared hosting, where hundreds or thousands of sites are hosted on the same server, and VPS hosting. VPS stands for “Virtual Private Server”, which already shows one of the main advantages that VPS has over shared hosting. Yes, I mean privacy.
Various experts have compared shared accommodation to living in an apartment block. They share a common stairwell, an elevator, a hallway, maybe even a laundry room, and a relaxation area. This means that any threat to the security of one person can end up affecting all the others: a computer virus, like a fire, does not discriminate between its intended target and bystanders.
VPS, on the other hand, is like a townhouse. More privacy, slightly higher cost, but more control or more responsibility, for example, over operating systems and installed programs. VPS hosting allows you to control your settings and firewalls, but within the strict limits set by the owner of the server you’re on. This means that others who share a server with you can’t damage it too easily.
This is not to say that shared hosting is not viable and that it inherently sets you up for disaster. Otherwise, some people handle control well, while others do better with people taking the headache for them. For technologically inept users who only require basic levels of bandwidth and disk space, shared hosting from a reliable service is a much more viable option than the hassles of a VPS host.
One of the steps you can take to eliminate the responsibilities of shared hosting is to get a dedicated IP address. This will allow you to accept credit cards on your site for e-commerce, and more importantly, it will prevent search engines from blacklisting you just because a spammer was sharing your IP. Anonymous FTP downloading and better searchable lists are among other benefits that come with a dedicated IP. So by investing an extra $1-$4 you buy security and a host of useful features that all webmasters use.
To make the case for VPS, not even a dedicated IP will give you the security you get with a VPS system. There are several cheap VPS plans available, starting at $10 per month, a sum that most end users pay even for shared hosting plans.
Ultimately, the conclusion I came to is that shared hosting, with a known and trusted host, is definitely the best option for personal or small-scale users. But for people with big plans for their web presence, VPS is a long-term investment that will last a lifetime. The extra privacy, control, and scalability it offers is worth ten times the cost.
