Virtual Server Pros and Cons

In the recent years, with the advances in server technology, it's getting harder and harder to make the choice - "which web hosting offer should I choose?". With the introduction of the Virtual Private Servers on the hosting scene, the choice gets even harder.

Virtual Private Server Pros

• Price. Virtual Private Servers (VPS) are relatively cheap. Compared with dedicated servers of the same class, they offer much more raw server power, despite being virtual. And they are only slightly more expensive as compared to regular web hosting plans, while offering much, much more options.
• Setup. A VPS server can be created much faster than a dedicated server, which has to be assembled and then installed. This means, that your virtual dedicated server can be ready in a matter of hours, with all the needed software installed there.
• Flexibility. There are more VPS servers on offer than Dedicated Servers. This is due to the fact that they resemble the regular cloud web hosting plans a bit. This means that you can always find a right solution for you in terms of price and features.
• Root access. Just like with a Dedicated Server, you will get a complete root access. This way you can perform operations typical of the stand-alone dedicated server environment - install additional modules and software, work directly with the server's Operating System, etc.
• Powerful. The Virtual Private Servers are always placed on very powerful machines, which can work with several VPS servers. This means that the physical servers are made of top-of-the-line hardware components. This allows for a VPS to sport tons of extra features, which will be missing from a dedicated server offer in the same price range.
• Security. With a VPS server, the main server will be secured against most known DDoS attacks or security exploits, so you can sleep a bit easier when it comes to server security.
• Easily upgradable. Since you are using just a part of the main server's resources, you can always upgrade to use more almost instantly. With a Dedicated Server, you will have to wait for the hardware component to be installed on the server first before taking advantage of it.

Virtual Private Server Cons

• Less powerful than dedicated servers. The VPS server may be perfect for a personal website or resource heavy applications, but if you plan to run a huge business portal with a huge forum section, which will be sending tons of emails per day and which will be running resource-hungry applications all at the same time, you will need a dedicated machine.
• Limitations. Just like with the cloud hosting account, on the physical server there can be several VPS servers at a time. If one of these servers is consuming way too much CPU or RAM power, this can slow down the entire server, which can affect your VPS container, even if you are not connected in any way with the other server in question. There are several software limitations, which prevent this from happening, but experience teaches us that almost anything is possible.
• Require more technical knowledge. Unlike the cloud web hosting account, the VPS server will require you to posses more technical knowledge to manage and maintain it.
• Support will be slower. From the backend point of view, a support technician can solve a problem with a cloud hosting account much faster than a problem with a VPS server.