Virtual Private Server (VPS) is somewhere between shared and dedicated hosting when it comes to price and performance. Consider it the next best thing to having your own dedicated server, since VPS is almost as good as having a private server. A VPS divides a single server into separate virtual servers. Similar to shared hosting, there are multiple customers (websites) running off the same servers, but with VPS, the number is far, far fewer and you have dedicated resources. Similar to dedicated hosting plans, you’ll have to take care of technical tasks related to your server yourself if you opt for VPS hosting.
Advantages
• Good and reliable performance
• Cheaper than dedicated hosting plans
• Customizable server setup
• Enough storage space and bandwidth to power data-heavy, busy websites
Disadvantages
• More expensive than shared hosting
• Requires technical knowledge if you go with a self-managed VPS package
VPS is common among site owners who need more storage and bandwidth than is offered through shared hosting plans. They might find dedicated hosting is above and beyond their needs regarding price and flexibility. Like with dedicated hosting, be sure to look for a fully managed option if you don’t have the skills or any help with the handling of server admin tasks.
Dedicated hosting
When you purchase dedicated hosting, you won’t be sharing a server or any resources with anyone, and you get an entire server to yourself. This style of hosting gives you more control. You can configure everything on the server because it’s typically self-managed – which doesn’t suit all webmasters.
Using this hosting means you have to take care of all the technical tasks that the hosting company would normally handle for you in a shared hosting service. There is the option of fully managed dedicated hosting. However, this is another price tier up and not within typical hosts standard packages, so you might have to go looking for it.
Advantages
• A dedicated server means you’re not sharing with other sites and won’t be affected by others.
• More storage space and bandwidth than shared hosting
Disadvantages
• Highest priced hosting
• Requires advanced technical knowledge
Dedicated hosting is the ideal choice for websites with very large bandwidth and storage requirements. If you don’t have the technical expertise or time to manage your own server and you don’t have anyone available to help, fully managed dedicated hosting is the right choice for you.
Reseller website hosting
Reseller hosting is another form of shared hosting. With this style of hosting you are permitted to sub-rent portions of your own allocated space to others. They typically come with a special dashboard where you can divvy up your space into sub-accounts, allocating storage space and bandwidth.
Advantages
• Cheaper than VPS
• Typically more storage and bandwidth than shared hosting
• Much less admin than VPS and dedicated hosting require
Disadvantages
• Performance could be affected if other accounts sharing the server use more than their share of the resources.
• Reseller hosting is popular choice when you want more resources than the limited ones of shared hosting plans, but there are still fewer resources than with VPS hosting.