Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared – 2024

VPS hosting stands for "Virtual Private Server Hosting."

VPS is basically an independent partition of a physical server. Hosting companies often create multiple virtual partitions of one physical server, so each site and files can be kept completely separate.

VPS hosting combines the best of both shared and dedicated hosting: it gives you more control and independence at a lower cost than a real dedicated server.

When your WordPress website outgrows shared hosting, the best upgrade options are either VPS hosting or managed WordPress hosting.

VPS hosting gives you greater control and flexibility over your server. With that control also comes responsibility for setup and maintenance.

Managed WordPress hosting is like a concierge service where technical aspects like security, speed, WordPress updates, daily backups, website uptime, and scalability are all taken care of by your web hosting company.

VPS hosting is a step up from shared hosting. It offers a lot of the flexibility and features of a dedicated server, without the high cost.

But is it right for your website? Consider these benefits and drawbacks before shopping for a plan.

Advantages of VPS Hosting

• Flexibility and Control - Having your own virtual server gives you administrative access. This allows you to install and configure any software you want, customize your server configuration settings, and more.
• Create Multiple cPanel Accounts - You'll be able to manage your VPS hosting account using both cPanel and WHM. WHM gives you the ability to create multiple cPanel accounts for different websites. This can be useful for security. It also makes it easy to manage large amount of files and sites. You could even create cPanel accounts for clients, friends, and family.
• Better Stability and Performance - Instead of sharing resources with other sites, all of your server resources are completely dedicated to your business. This helps to reduce downtime as well as improve page load speed on your website.
• More Scalable - As your business grows, you'll need more resources for your website. With VPS hosting, you'll be able to scale your business quickly and easily so that your website will be able to handle larger spikes in traffic.

Disadvantages of VPS Hosting

• Cost - VPS hosting are more expensive than shared hosting. Many plans start at about $29 per month, while you can find shared hosting for as low as $3.95 per month.
• Technical Skill - Managing your own server, even a virtual one, will require more technical expertise than shared hosting. With all that control over your server comes complete responsibility for maintenance, software updates, security, and more.

If you're interested in the flexibility of VPS hosting, but don't want to manage all the technical and maintenance aspects, then you need to select what's called managed VPS hosting.

All the hosting providers that we recommend offer managed VPS hosting. That means they'll take care of all the technical details for you, such as software installation and updates.

If you're a beginner just starting a WordPress blog, then there's no need to get VPS hosting. A shared hosting plan will provide all the resources you need to get started. Shared hosting plans are budget-friendly and don't require a lot of technical skill to get started with.

But once your website starts growing, then you may need to upgrade your hosting.

Signs You've Outgrown Shared Hosting

1. Slow website - If you've done all you can to speed up WordPress, and it's still slow, then it may be time to upgrade your hosting. This is especially true if you notice your site is slower during peak traffic times.
2. Errors - Does your site keep going down, or do you keep getting 500 internal server errors? If troubleshooting doesn't solve the common WordPress errors, then it may be your web hosting.
3. Security issues - As your website grows in popularity, it becomes a more popular target for hackers as well. If your website keeps coming under attack or getting hacked, upgrading your hosting can help to keep it more secure.

VPS Hosting vs Managed WordPress Hosting

VPS and managed WordPress hosting are comparable in cost, and both offer an upgrade from shared hosting.

VPS hosting may be the right choice for you if:

• You're a more technically-inclined user and don't mind managing your own server
• You want more freedom and flexibility to install your own software and configure your own settings

Managed WordPress hosting may be better for you if:

• You don't have the time or inclination to bother with technical details - you just want to blog or manage your website.
• You don't need to set up any special software or configure your server in a nonstandard way.

Once you've decided that VPS hosting is right option for you, there are some factors that you need to consider when choosing a VPS hosting provider.

VPS Hosting Features to Look For

• Root Access - Your VPS hosting provider should give you complete control and access to do anything you want on your server.
• Control Panel Options - Look for VPS hosting that supports your preferred operating system (OS) and control panel, such as cPanel or Plesk.
• Advanced Security - The VPS hosting provider you choose should offer robust security features to keep your website and its data protected. Look for features like built-in firewalls, SSL certificates, malware scanners, and DDoS protection.
• Speed Optimization - A slow website can negatively impact your search engine rankings and the user experience. So, be sure to pick a high-performance VPS hosting solution that doesn't compromise on speed.
• Uptime Rates - The longer your website is down, the more traffic and sales you're losing. That's why your VPS hosting provider should have an uptime guarantee of at least 99.9%, anything less than that is considered unreliable.
• Website Migration - To make the process of moving to VPS hosting easier, choose a hosting provider that will migrate your existing site to your new virtual server. Many hosting providers, such as Hostinger, offer this service for free.
• Dedicated Customer Support - Select a VPS hosting provider that provides 24/7 technical support via live chat, phone, and email. That way, if you ever have a problem with your website, you'll be able to get help relatively quickly.

Depending on the specific needs of your business, there may be other factors you need to consider. For example, a popular eCommerce store would need a host with plenty of bandwidth, so that they can handle large spikes in traffic during big sales and holiday promotions.

If you have a photography website with a lot of high-resolution images or self-hosted videos, plenty of storage would be important when choosing the right VPS hosting provider.

Now that you've read all about VPS hosting and you know what to look for, it's time for you to make a decision.

We run several sites that get millions of pageviews per month. We have tested and worked with all the top web hosting companies in the industry. After having helped 2 million+ users and years of experience, our founder Syed Balkhi has personally hand-picked some of the most well-reputed VPS hosting providers for you.

Each of these VPS hosting companies provide excellent service and support. We give each of them a perfect 5 out of 5 star rating. Check out the list of best VPS hosting providers.