Home » Other Tips » Hosting Issues » Hosting - Dedicated, Shared, or VPS

Hosting - Dedicated, shared, or VPS

You've found the perfect host, but now you're faced with the decision of what type of account to get - shared, vps, or dedicated.  What are these, what do they mean, which should you get?

Shared
Shared hosting is the most common form out there today.  The host is able to put dozens (or hundreds, or thousands) of accounts on a single server.  These accounts all share the server and the resources of that server.  This explains why a host can offer a plan for $2.99 a month and still make a profit.  They stack so many accounts on one server that it becomes profitable. 

That doesn't mean shared plans are a bad choice.  For most users shared hosting plans will be more than they ever need.  Very few sites need the computing power that higher end plans provide.

A few things to watch out for.  Many hosts offer 'unlimited' bandwidth as part of their package.  Read the fine print.  They will often have clauses that will allow them to drop your account if you go over your fair share of computing resources.  Generally this mean that your account is taking more computer cycles than it should.  This will usually happen well before the bandwidth limit comes up. 

Dedicated Servers
A dedicated server is yours.  Nobody else is using the server so you have pretty much free reign to use it as you see fit. 

Down side - this is typically your most expensive option. Upside - you typically have more space, more bandwidth, and no limit on how many of the server resources you can use.

Be sure when you're looking for a dedicated server that you get one that's managed.  Some of the cheaper dedicated packages plug the computer in and leave you to adminster it.  If you're not familiar with maintaining a server it can be a nightmare.  Don't risk your site being down, or even worse hacked, while you learn how to run it. 

VPS
A virtual private server (VPS) is halfway between shared and dedicated.  You get the advantage of a server that you can set up how you see fit, but you share it with other clients.  But it differs from a shared hosting plan because each account is separated from the others.

For example, a shared plan is on a box with 2gb of RAM.  Between the other clients on that box that RAM is typically used to capacity, leaving very little for your account.  On a VPS each account is guaranteed a fixed amount of resources - so you may have 256mb of RAM guaranteed to your account. 

You also need to make sure the VPS is managed.  There are unmanaged VPS accounts, although they are typically much cheaper.   

Which One?
I'd suggest a shared plan for 99% of photographers looking to start their own site.  Cost is a big part of this decision, but realistically most photographers won't need more than a shared plan offers.