What is the difference between VPS and Cloud Hosting and the best choice for your new Website?

What is the difference between VPS and Cloud Hosting and the best choice for your new Website?

Are you planning a new website, and you still haven't decided on hosting? To run a website, you need website files on a web server. Given the multitude of hosting options, you should consider which one to choose.

Nowadays, companies need to store large amounts of data. As a result, physical servers no longer meet modern demands. But what are the options?

In this post, you will learn everything about two types of virtual hosting: VPS and cloud hosting, their advantages and disadvantages, and which one is best for you. Read on to know the difference between VPS and cloud hosting.

What is VPS hosting?

VPS (Virtual Private Servers) hosting, also known as Private Cloud, is a virtual machine sold as a service by an Internet hosting service.

VPS splits a powerful physical server via virtualization technology into multiple virtual servers. Private means that a piece of this virtual server is only reserved for you. You don't have to share data like CPU, RAM, and other ones with other users.

A VPS simulates an independent, dedicated server, although you share the physical server with other users.

VPS hosting combines the advantages of shared hosting and dedicated hosting. VPS hosting gives you the resources to customize and configure your server partition precisely the way you want.

This is especially important if you need to install custom software instead of building your site with WordPress or other Content Management Systems.

Such advanced actions are forbidden in a shared server, so an upgrade to VPS hosting is the better option in this case.

Is VPS hosting shared?

With VPS hosting, you only share one physical server with other users. But you will get a specified part of this server - a virtual server - exclusively to your resources.

Who should choose VPS hosting?

VPS hosting is the right solution for you if you only host one website and scaling up quickly, the server space is not so important to you.

If adequate data protection is critical for you, VPS hosting is the right choice.

Since you don't share your operating system with anyone like in shared hosting, there are no other websites on your server that could have access to your files.

The Top 3 VPS Hosts (2020)!

  • Bluehost
  • Hostinger
  • InMotion

Advantages of VPS hosting

  • In short, VPS hosting is the right combination of the affordability of shared hosting with the power and control of a dedicated server. Like in the shared hosting, you share the physical server with other users and keep costs down.

But your website is the only domain allocated to your virtual private server. That means you will have your CPU, RAM, and operating system - like in the dedicated hosting - but for a lower price.

  • Data protection: You don't share your operating system with anyone.

  • Control: You can install server applications that require a system restart anytime because you can restart the VPS without affecting other users.

  • Configuration is easy thanks to the various management applications (control panels) of the VPS hosting platforms. With these control panels, such as our free CloudPanel, you can manage your server and install software without any advanced knowledge of server administration or integrate domains and free Let's Encrypt SSL certificates.

Disadvantages of VPS hosting

  • Since you only allocate a specific amount of computer resources with VPS hosting, the system cannot react flexibly to increasing requirements. If there is high traffic, your website may no longer be accessible.

  • Furthermore, you are dependent on the physical server. If it fails, every VPS is also affected.

What is cloud hosting?

Cloud hosting works similarly to VPS.

However, instead of a single physical server that provides virtual memory for your website, the resources are spread out among many physical machines.

This gives you an unlimited number of virtual machines, all of which depend on an extensive network of physical servers.

With cloud hosting, you have the guarantee that resources will always be available to you.

When a server reaches its maximum load, it automatically forwards further traffic to another server within the cluster.

This makes cloud hosting a very reliable solution because even if one server fails, your site remains accessible.

Currently, cloud hosting is the most popular form of hosting due to its flexibility.

Is cloud hosting cheaper than VPS?

No, cloud hosting is more expensive than VPS hosting. But you get excellent scalability and unlimited resources for your money. Note that cloud hosting’s monthly cost is less predictable than VPS hosting because of the scalability options.

Who should choose cloud hosting?

If you need flexibility and reliability, cloud hosting is a great choice.

It gives you the opportunity to always be available online even when demand increases.

Besides, associated management options such as cloud control panels give you the possibility to realize personalized settings quite quickly. We recommend using free CloudPanel for the best results.

Try our CloudPanel now - it's free!

Which are the top cloud hosting providers? - The Top 4 (2020)!

If you choose cloud hosting, we have put together a list of the top providers for you together with a link to install the appropriate CloudPanel.

Advantages of cloud hosting

  • Its reliability: You host your website on a virtual partition that can use resources of a network of multiple physical servers. If a server goes down, your website remains accessible because another server takes over.

  • Cloud hosting is cheap because you only pay for the resources you need.

  • With cloud hosting, you are very flexible due to its scalability. Additional resources are made available in real-time. Specialized Hosting Providers such as MGT-COMMERCE for Magento Hosting, offer flexible Auto Scaling Plans.

Disadvantages of cloud hosting

Although cloud hosting has many advantages, it is not suitable for every website.

  • Data is stored on different servers around the world, making it vulnerable to cyberattacks. With the right hosting provider, security is not a concern, and cloud hosting usually meets all needed security requirements.

  • You need technical knowledge to make adjustments yourself. You can configure aspects such as firewalls, network architecture, and load balancing, but advanced host settings are only possible for the most experienced users.

  • Maximum scalability and reliability of cloud hosting also come at a price. It is usually more expensive than VPS hosting, and the fees vary depending on the resources used during that period.

Here is a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of VPS and cloud hosting:

VPS Hosting Cloud Hosting
Customization and individualization Highly customizable Adaptable, but more technical know-how required
Security Does not meet highest security standards Meets the highest security standards
Scalability Not scalable Highly scalable
Performance Very efficient, but limited by infrastructure Maximum performance through scalability
Price Usually cheaper than cloud hosting and predictable monthly amount Fees vary depending on the resources used
Reliability A failure of the host server can mean that nobody can reach the website Very reliable

What is the most significant difference between VPS and cloud hosting?

The main difference between VPS and cloud hosting is scalability and security.

With cloud hosting, you get access to a near unlimited supply of server resources. This is particularly great for websites that are prone to sudden spikes in traffic.

If needed, you can integrate additional resources such as RAM, disc space or bandwidth, etc.

Therefore, large web-based companies are increasingly turning to cloud hosting - despite higher operating costs and less adaptability, because it impresses with a consistent, scalable, and reliable service.

For smaller businesses, VPS is the better option. Because the running costs are lower and more predictable. Customization is more manageable and possible without a lot of technical knowledge.

At the same time, stricter security protocols can be adhered to with VPS.

But remember: VPS doesn't have much to offer in terms of scalability!

Once you've reached your storage and processing power limits, you'll need a hardware upgrade or switch to cloud hosting. Although you need a bit more technical knowledge to use cloud hosting, cloud panels help you adapt the settings precisely to your needs.

Try our CloudPanel now - it's free!

Dhaval D.
Dhaval D.
Technical Writer

Dhaval has over 6 years of experience as a Content Writer in the Professional Industry. He is also a Certified Digital Marketing Executive with Google & Facebook Certifications. As a passionate writer, he loves to write challenging content and go out of the box to make the article worth it.


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