VPS vs. Dedicated hosting in India: Which is better for your business?

Websites are critical for businesses in the modern age. They are how customers learn about products and services and play a role in the customer journey from awareness to purchase.

Website performance is, therefore, critical for businesses – slow-loading pages can result in lost customers and sales.

In fact, nearly 70% of consumers admit that page speed impacts their willingness to buy from an online retailer (Unbounce, 2019).

So, what’s the best way to ensure your website is performant? Well, it starts with your hosting!

For serious online entrepreneurs like yourself, always go for two main web hosting types – VPS (Virtual Private Server) and Dedicated.

But the question is, which is better for your business in India?

This guide will explain the pros and cons of each type of hosting, so you can make an informed decision about which is best for your business.

What is VPS?

If you are like most business owners, you understand that having a website is essential to your success. And there’s a higher chance you started off in a shared hosting environment.

It is affordable and provides everything you need to get your business.

But what happens when your website starts to grow and attract more traffic? You might consider upgrading your hosting plan from shared to VPS hosting.

What is VPS hosting, you ask? It’s a virtual private server that can give your website its dedicated resources without sharing a physical server with other websites. This can be a great option for businesses starting to see increased traffic and needing more control over their server resources.

Think of it this way: if shared hosting is like renting an apartment, VPS hosting is like owning a condo. With VPS hosting, you’ll have more control over your server space and resources, but you’ll also be responsible for maintaining the property.

Why Choose VPS Hosting in India

Here are some 5+ scenarios you might want to upgrade to VPS hosting:

Your website is growing and getting more traffic than shared hosting can handle.
You want to run CPU-intensive applications not allowed on shared hosting (like video encoding, transcoding, or running game servers).
You need a higher level of security for your website since you’re handling sensitive data like credit card information, etc., and shared hosts don’t offer such features by default.
Shared hosting doesn’t give root access, while VPS Hosting India gives full control over the server so one can install any software as per his/her requirement, which is impossible with Shared web hosting services.
In terms of cost wise, also it’s a quite cheaper option available when compared with Dedicated Servers pricing.

VPS Hosting Pros

More control over the server environment
VPS hosting can be customized to meet specific needs
Increased performance and security
More affordable than dedicated hosting
Easy to scale up or down as needed

VPS Hosting Cons

Requires some technical knowledge to set up and manage
Can be more expensive than shared hosting
May not offer the same level of performance as dedicated hosting
Scalability can be an issue if not planned in advance

Check our VPS hosting prices in India.

What is Dedicated hosting?

Dedicated hosting is a type of web hosting in which a client leases a server, typically every month. The server is dedicated to the client’s use and is not shared with other clients. This contrasts with shared hosting, in which a server hosts multiple clients.

Dedicated hosting is more expensive than VPS hosting but offers several advantages.

For one, dedicated servers offer more storage and bandwidth than shared servers. They also offer greater security since the server is not shared with other clients. Dedicated servers also offer more control to the client, as they are not subject to the whims of other users on the server.

Per our previous analogy, think of dedicated hosting as leasing an entire apartment complex. You have full control over the space and can do as you please.

On the other hand, shared hosting is like renting a room in an apartment complex. You share the space with others but have limited control over what you can do.

Why Choose Dedicated hosting in India

You have a high-traffic website – If you are getting lots of traffic, chances are your shared hosting account cannot keep up with the load. In this case, upgrading to a VPS or Dedicated Server can give your site some breathing space.
Your web host limits CPU usage or I/O resources – Many low-cost and even some mid-range hosts put artificial limitations on how many resources (CPU & Memory) any one customer can use at any given time. These restrictions might be fine for small websites. Still, if you start to see these errors appearing more frequently, it’s probably time for an upgrade: “500 Internal Server Error – The website cannot display this page due to an internal error”; “503 Service Temporarily Unavailable – The server is temporarily unable to service requests… Please try again later.”; “404 Not Found”. Any message along those lines indicates something’s wrong with the connection between the client and the Web application running on the server side — most likely because too many people are accessing it simultaneously, causing overloading problems. A good rule of thumb here would be 50% utilization before considering moving off Shared Hosting altogether, as 100% utilization usually means downtime!
You need to install custom software or modify server settings. Dedicated hosting will be the best solution if you need a special configuration for your website/application that is not possible on a shared host. For example, installing Nginx as a reverse proxy in front of an Apache web server can improve performance and stability for high-traffic websites.
You want root access (SSH) to your web server – Shared hosts do not usually offer SSH access as it’s considered too much of a security risk. However, if you are comfortable using the command line interface or need this access for deploying your website/application, you will need to look at VPS or Dedicated hosting.
You are planning on selling products and services online – If you want to run an eCommerce store, the chances are that shared hosting will not be a good option as most have strict limitations on what type of files can be stored on their servers.
Your site has been hacked – Although this should never happen, it does sometimes (even to big brands like Sony). Shared hosts tend to put all their customers in the same server environment, which means if one customer’s website gets compromised, it can also affect other websites. This often leads webmasters to have their accounts suspended until they clean up the mess! Moving off shared hosting onto something more secure like VPS or Dedicated Servers can help avoid these types of problems occurring in the future.

Dedicated hosting Pros

Increased security: By having your own server, you can more easily control who has access to it and what type of access they have. This helps to prevent unauthorized people from gaining access to your data or disrupting your website.
More reliable: Dedicated hosting provides a higher level of performance and uptime than shared hosting because you are not sharing resources with other websites.
More flexible: Dedicated hosting gives you more control over your server environment, including the ability to customize applications, install specialized software, and make other changes that may not be allowed on a shared host.
Greater scalability: If your website grows, you can easily upgrade your dedicated server to accommodate the increased traffic and resource demands.
Better customer support: Because you are the only customer on your server, most dedicated hosting providers offer better customer support than shared hosting providers. They can provide more personalized attention to help you with any problems you may have.

Dedicated hosting Cons

It can be expensive compared to VPS hosting because you have to pay for the entire server.
You need to be technically sound to manage a dedicated hosting account effectively.
If your website is not well-optimized, you may use more resources than a VPS hosting account and thus increase your costs.
You may need additional software to manage your dedicated server effectively, which can add to the costs.

VPS vs. Dedicated hosting in India: A Comparison

We are going to compare the two based on the following areas. And then, we will give a verdict on which one does best in each category. This should help you make an informed decision.

1). Security and Performance

Every website owner is looking for performance when they opt for hosting services. The speed at which your website loads are one of the key elements in providing a good user experience to visitors, and this can be achieved by choosing the right hosting service.

VPS and dedicated servers offer great performance, giving you full control over your server environment.

However, when it comes to security, dedicated servers win hands down. With a dedicated server, you get your own physical machine which is not shared with anyone else. This gives you complete control over your website’s security and the resources on your server.

On the other hand, even though VPS provides good security features, it cannot match up to that of a Dedicated Server in India.

2). Control

When we talk about ‘control’, it means having root access to your server to make changes to its configuration and install any software you need.

You realize that most people run away from shared hosting because there’s not much control that you have over your hosting environment.

The hosting company manages shared servers, and they make changes to them at their own convenience. In VPS hosting, you get more control compared to shared hosting, but dedicated servers still offer the most control.

You get access to SSH, which is not available on shared hosting, and you can make changes to the server configuration as per your need.

If you are planning to run a high-traffic website, having complete control over your environment is very important so that you can make necessary changes when required.

3). Server Administration

Both VPS and dedicated servers require some level of technical expertise for their administration.

However, with a dedicated server, it is generally expected that the website owner will have a team of IT professionals to manage the server. This is because dedicated servers are complex and require more maintenance effort than VPS servers.

Someone with basic knowledge of Linux or Windows operating systems can manage VPS hosting.

You can also take help from your hosting provider if you face any issues while managing your server. However, with a Dedicated Server in India, hiring an experienced administrator or a team of administrators is always recommended, depending on the size of your website.

4). Scalability

Scalability is one area where both VPS and dedicated servers score equally well.

If you are expecting a sudden surge in traffic, then both these options give you the flexibility to scale up your resources.

With VPS, you can easily upgrade your plan as per your need, and with a dedicated server, you can add more hardware to cope with the increased traffic.

5). Pricing

Pricing is one of the most important factors that come into play when choosing any hosting service.

Regarding pricing, VPS hosting is usually cheaper than Dedicated Server in India, but this may not be true in all cases.

The price of these services depends on various factors such as CPU type, RAM size, storage space, etc.

You can also get managed VPS hosting, which is generally more expensive than unmanaged one. Managed VPS hosting allows you to have someone else take care of your server administration while you focus on other important aspects of your business.

So, these are key points you need to keep in mind before deciding between VPS and Dedicated Server Hosting in India.

If security and performance are your top priorities, then dedicated servers would be the best option for you but if budget is a constraint, go for VPS hosting.

Conclusion

There are a few key factors to consider when determining whether VPS or dedicated hosting is best for your business.

Dedicated hosting is the way to go if you need more control over your server and don’t mind paying a bit more for it.

However, if you’re on a budget and don’t need as much control, then VPS hosting may be a better option.

Ultimately, it comes down to your specific needs and which type of hosting can best meet those needs.

VPS vs. Dedicated hosting in India: FAQs

Is VPS good for hosting?

Yes, VPS is good for hosting. Here’s why:

1. VPS is flexible and scalable. You can easily upgrade or downgrade your hosting plan as your needs change.

2. VPS is more secure than shared hosting. Your site will be isolated from other sites on the server, so you won’t be affected by problems with other sites.

3. VPS is faster than shared hosting. Your site will have dedicated resources, so it won’t compete for bandwidth with other sites.

4. VPS is more reliable than shared hosting. Your site will be less likely to go down because of problems with other sites on the server.

Which is better, VPS or a dedicated server?

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether a VPS or dedicated server is the best option for your business. Cost is always a major consideration, but performance, scalability, and security are also important factors.

A VPS can be a great option for businesses just starting out and don’t need the full power of a dedicated server. A VPS can also be a good option for businesses that need more power than a shared hosting account can provide but don’t need the full resources of a dedicated server.

Dedicated servers are best for businesses with high traffic levels or special security features not available with a VPS. Dedicated servers can also be more expensive than VPSs, so carefully consider your needs before deciding.

Is VPS safer than VPN?

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a type of hosting account where virtualization technology is used to partition a physical server into multiple “virtual” servers. This gives each VPS account its dedicated resources (CPU, RAM, etc.) and allows for complete isolation from other accounts on the same server.

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a way to encrypt and tunnel your traffic through another server. This has the benefit of making your traffic appear as if it’s coming from the VPN server instead of your actual device, which can help to protect your identity and data.

So, which is better – a VPS or a VPN? That depends on what you’re looking for. If you need complete privacy and security, then a VPN is the better option. A VPS may be the better option if you’re just looking for a way to improve your speed and performance.

Can I rent a server in India?

Yes, you can! In fact, there are many options for renting servers in India. You can choose from a variety of providers, depending on your needs. Go here to see our plans.

Do dedicated servers run 24/7?

Yes, dedicated servers run 24/7. This means you can always count on your server being up and running, regardless of the time of day or night.