Are you a developer, looking for more flexibility to run your preferred applications and software configurations?
Are you an e-commerce owner, looking for more performance to handle all the recent traffic to your website?
Are you a blogger on a budget, who wants to up your web hosting game without investing in a Dedicated Server?
If any of these hypothetical scenarios apply to you, then a Virtual Private Server (VPS) is right for you.
An excellent choice for web developers, webmasters, resellers, and for those who run resource-intensive websites, VPS Hosting operates and performs just like an independent physical machine would, except it’s partitioned into multiple “virtual” servers, offering security and flexibility for your websites, independence from your neighbors, and full control over your hosting environment.
How Other Hosting Options Differ
Essentially, hosting services differ by how the servers are set up and the type of access people (aka customers like you) have to them.
You can think of VPS Hosting as the hybrid approach, balancing the advantages of Shared Hosting with that of Dedicated Server Hosting.
Shared Hosting is more or less the “entry-level” of hosting, giving you and other customers access to one physical server. In essence, you’re sharing the key resources of that same server, things like CPU, RAM, disk space, etc. And although the cost is quite low, Shared Hosting is also low on customization given you have limited administrative access.
Dedicated Server Hosting, however, is on the opposite end of the hosting spectrum. Here, one single customer gets an entire server to themselves (ahem, no sharing in sight). Although there’s a higher degree of self-management and power, it also comes at a higher cost. Another potential drawback of Dedicated Servers is that they can only run on one Operating System (OS).
So without further ado, here are the 5 reasons why VPS Hosting might be exactly what you’re looking for.
1. It’s Completely Scalable
A VPS adapts to a business’ natural ebb and flow.
That’s why with VPS Hosting, you can start as small as your business can afford and grow as your business expands. Pretty flexible, right?
All you have to do, depending on your hosting provider, is to authorize the cost of any upgrade (meaning more RAM or CPU power if your website is growing) or downgrade (shrink your technical resources if your business downsizes or takes an unexpected turn for the worst).
Forget messing around with hardware installations or going through long data transfers; with a VPS, you decide if and when you need more (or less) resources.
2. It Gives You Control (If You Want It)
With a VPS, you call the shots.
Whether you prefer to operate things on your own or enlist the help of your hosting provider, a VPS gives you root access, the ability to install and update your own software, run batch files, make backups, customize your control panel, and update any software as you see fit.
And, since you’re not sharing a server with your neighbors (a la Shared Hosting), you have way more control because you don’t have to worry about some rogue application shutting you—and everyone else around you—down. Remember, it’s your private server, so you can run whatever application you choose, whenever you like.
Even if you don’t feel the need to reach out to your hosting provider, just knowing that you have a reliable expert on call when you need it can be a real lifesaver. This allows you to focus on your small business, not the big technicalities.
3. It’s Got Reliable Uptime
Let’s face it—downtime is downright costly to your business.
That’s why with a VPS, you have defined memory and bandwidth allocations all within your virtual environment. If your website grows in popularity, your visitors won’t get frustrated over slow loading times. Why? Because your VPS is able to handle all the incoming traffic, keeping your business operating as usual.
If you’re also looking to amp up your SEO efforts on your website, a VPS is the way to go. Given that Google takes into consideration page loading times, the fast performance of VPS Hosting can only help to keep your business or blog top of mind.
And, unlike Dedicated Server Hosting, VPS also features its own OS and allows for separate rebooting. This “portability of application” is a huge benefit of VPS Hosting. As previously mentioned, if you decide you want to upgrade or downgrade your server, your hosting provider can move you to a new virtual server with zero downtime. Reliable, indeed.
4. It’s Very Secure
Concerned about security? Don’t worry, a VPS has your back.
Because your website is hosted in its own “virtual” space, you don’t have to concern yourself with what your neighbors are doing, as you might with Shared Hosting. A VPS is far more secure because it provides you with a complete server environment where your neighbors don’t have access to your resources or files, which are kept behind a secure partition.
VPS Hosting and Dedicated Server Hosting also often come with a dedicated IP address, making it far less likely that your website is confused for anotherwhile offering benefits for email marketing and security for e-commerce payments.
Small business owners or organizations with highly-mobile staff can benefit greatly from this type of secure accessibility.
5. It Won’t Break the Bank
When it comes to cost, a VPS is more or less right in the middle.
Although it’s a bit more expensive than Shared Hosting, it’s significantly less expensive than a Dedicated Server.
And, when you add in just how easily and effectively a VPS tends to scale, this makes it the most cost-effective hosting choice there is. In other words, you get what you pay for and/or you pay for what you use.
Because you’re not investing in the upfront costs of a physical server like Dedicated Server Hosting, you only take what you need and don’t overinvest in unwanted capacity.
How’s that for cost-effective?
Namecheap Makes It Easy
If your business requires more control, higher security, and greater flexibility on a lower budget, look no further than Namecheap’s VPS Hosting Plans (Quasar or Pulsar).
Whichever plan you choose, you’ll be able to enjoy many of the benefits you’d get from a Dedicated Server, without taking on the inevitable cost. Offering you far more freedom and flexibility than Shared Hosting, it’s up to you what sort of server management you prefer to have (User-Responsible, Basic or Complete) with your VPS.
Are you already a Shared Hosting customer but you want to make the switch to VPS Hosting? With Namecheap, our friendly team of qualified expertsmakes it all so easy. The best part? It’s free to transfer, no matter if you’re a Namecheap customer or if you’ve purchased a hosting plan from a third-party provider. An added bonus? You get a free .website domain name and email if you purchase cPanel.
And with Namecheap, there’s no waiting around for your new VPS to be deployed. Instead of hours, it only takes minutes.
So, if your online business is experiencing both highs and lows, and you need the option to respond quickly while adding power to match the demand, a VPS is the perfect choice for you.