INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC
Many misunderstand the difference between Cloud hosting and VPS hosting, that is due to a lack of awareness and many tend to misreads the basic difference between the two.
Both are solid hosting options, they no more need to own a physical architecture (a CPU with certain specifications of processor, RAM, and storage), an operating system, on top of this hardware, and then the particular web application (like WordPress, Magento, Drupal, Joomla, and many more, etc.) on which website is to be hosted.
Both cloud and virtualization are something that separates the hardware, operating system, and the application running on that hardware from each other. What differentiates them? Some major separating indicators between the two that is reliability, flexibility, and availability
As we walk through this article you will learn the advantages and features of these plans as well as any drawbacks, and you will be able to choose is the best option for you.
What Is VPS Hosting?
VPS (Virtual Private Servers) Hosting, sometimes also known as “Private Cloud”, is based on servers that are crafted using a virtualization mechanism. A VPS is also similar to renting your own apartment instead of living in a house with all of your friends. You have your own private part of the building, just as you would on a server with VPS hosting.
A VPS is a physical server that has virtualization software installed. This software segment divides the server multiple times into ‘virtual servers, which are programmed to act as standalone servers.
There are also two kinds of VPS Hosting- Managed and Unmanaged
Managed VPS Hosting is for people who do not have the technical skills or the time to administer a server. This means your hosting company takes care of a lot of the work that goes into maintaining the server, including security, setting up the tools you need to run your site, and setting up other services you need.
Unmanaged VPS Hosting is for people who are confident with their technical skills and know their way around like developers and programmers. This means they are responsible all over the area. Also likely won’t get much help from their hosting company’s technical support if they run into trouble.
Pros
- You get more allocated resources since you are renting a larger part of the server. Yes, VPS is a fuse of part shared and dedicated hosting, that is why you got more access than regular shared hosting.
- You have access to all of the settings. You have more control and have the right to your root access as well as have the ability to view all hidden files and have access to all settings.
- It’s scalable means you can upgrade anytime without having to migrate your site to a whole new server. Also you have a lot of choices when it comes to the software, databases, and tools the server offers. You could choose between Linux or Windows for the server and MySQL for your database as the typical cases.
VPS hosting offers savings over a dedicated physical server and is usually less expensive than a cloud server. This also has a fixed level of performance because a guaranteed level of system resources is dedicated to your virtual server. However, high demand by your server or another virtual server on the same physical host may impact performance if you both need the extra resources at the same time or vice versa.
Cons
- You’re still sharing a server. This means you may not have access to all of the resources you need. There’s a fixed level of performance you can expect. Also because this is still part shared your site may be affected by what other people do on the server, especially if they get hacked. Even though there are many hosting companies that provide the top-notch security that complements your own security strategy.
- It can get technical and less reliable sometimes. Whether managed or unmanaged VPS, they sometimes require a fair amount of technical knowledge and skills. Then if the physical server crashes, then every VPS on that server will go down. Also, VPSs have limited resources, as previously mentioned, which means traffic surges can be a problem.
When Does This Best Fit You?
VPS is usually a good solution if you want to run one or more sites where each one needs to have multiple pages and plugins installed. This is also a good fit if you’re planning on having thousands of visitors a month and it’s also roomy enough to run multiple websites on WordPress well.
What Is Cloud Hosting?
Cloud hosting is the top-of-the-line website (or application) hosting solution available now. This is different from other hosting solutions because it’s usually used to describe a cluster of servers rather than just one. Cloud hosting spreads data across a number of different physical servers, each in different locations around the world. Each of these servers is connected together in a virtual environment. This is where the ‘cloud’ part of cloud hosting comes in. This means if one server goes down, another server in the cluster can pick up the slack and display your website.
With Cloud hosting you’ll be allotted what you need by drawing upon more of the total resources in the cluster in case you suddenly need more resources. If you suddenly get a sudden jump of traffic, your site won’t go down due to exhausted resources, since you’re given what you need. In other words, you get an entire infrastructure of connected servers and data storage.
Cloud Hosting is still similar to VPS Hosting the only difference is that there are more servers involved, which means there are also a lot more resources for everyone as well.
Pros
- Scalable: If you suddenly need more resources or access to more bandwidth, you can automatically get it.
- Flexible Pricing: With cloud hosting, you pay only for what you actually use. This is unlike VPS hosting where you’re paying for the allotted space on a server, even if you don’t use it.
- Redundancy and rapid deployment: With cloud hosting, you also get the feature of redundancy. You can clone your site on other environments to further reduce downtime.
- Reliability: Your site will typically load faster, and can be automatically migrated when more resources are needed. So, your site is a lot less likely to go down. If one of the physical servers in the cluster fails, it doesn’t mean your site goes down, because the other servers will step in to display it.
Cons
- Security isn’t guaranteed for cloud hosting. Since you’re still sharing resources, your site may be affected by what happens to other sites using the same hosting. Since your site is also on the web, it’s still potentially vulnerable to hackers — and cloud hosting doesn’t change that. That’s why it’s still critical to secure your website and hosting.
- Learning curve. Cloud hosting isn’t an easy solution to set up, and can often be difficult for even technically minded developers. It’s not impossible, but also not for beginners. Although, there are managed cloud hosting providers that offer hassle-free setup and management of WordPress sites.
When Does This Fit You?
Many huge companies use Cloud Hosting like Netflix, Airbnb, and other big institutions too. Even application hosting providers, such as Quickbooks desktop hosting services prefer air-tight cloud servers to host the applications because it is affordable, secure, easy to use, and provide limitless advantages for them. If your site is as big as these companies, then you should consider cloud hosting as one of the best options. If you want reliability and powerful functionality, then Cloud hosting is a great choice.
CONCLUSION: THE DECISION IS YOURS TO MAKE
By now we have given you enough tips to navigate your hosting choice. With this knowledge, at every step, you can ask the right questions: How much hosting firepower do you require? And how much are you willing to spend?
Consider VPS Hosting if:
- Your business or website is small to medium-sized and you don’t expect to have sudden traffic spikes.
- You have enough knowledge in VPSs to manage one.
- A highly customizable server is something you require.
- A dedicated server is preferred, but your site isn’t large enough to warrant it.
- You need a more cost-effective solution than a dedicated server.
Consider Cloud Hosting if:
- You’re comfortable with managing the technical side of cloud hosting or have you found a suitable managed cloud hosting provider.
- Your website is large and you plan on growing.
- It’s not uncommon to get large traffic surges, such as if your content goes viral regularly or else you plan for this to occur.
- Your business or website is growing quickly, or you expect it to, and you need to be sure your host can keep up without having to worry about possible downtime.
- A VPS isn’t a good fit because it’s too expensive for your needs
- You prefer to have your own dedicated server, but you need a more cost-effective solution.
I have already given more specifics on what to look for between VPS and Cloud Hosting. Now you can start looking up by visiting our website: www.runhost.com
