Finding the proper host holds the secret to your eCommerce business’s success. Your site’s performance, security, and availability may have a direct influence on customer satisfaction and sales. VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting and Shared hosting are two of the most popular hosting plans. Although both of them possess their own merits, choosing the best among them depends upon your business requirement, budget, and room for growth. Here in this post, we will compare VPS hosting with Shared hosting so that you can make an informed decision.
1. What is Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is a type of web hosting in which many websites share the same server resources like CPU, RAM, and bandwidth. It is one of the most affordable types of hosting, and thus it is ideal for small businesses, startups, and beginners who are launching their eCommerce stores.
Since the server is shared by many individuals, all the technical aspects such as maintenance, security, and software updates are taken care of by the hosting company. It implies that business owners are not required to deal with servers, thereby making shared hosting a convenient choice. But, since the resources are shared, your online store will slow down or become unresponsive whenever there is a sudden traffic spike on any other website sharing the same server.
2. Definition of VPS Hosting
VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting is a higher-level hosting where dedicated server resources are offered but at a cheaper rate compared to a dedicated server. In VPS hosting, a physical server is partitioned into several virtual servers through the use of virtualization software. Each VPS is allocated guaranteed resources of CPU, RAM, and disk space for more performance and stability compared to shared hosting.
In VPS hosting, your business website online will not be affected by other people’s traffic patterns with whom you would be sharing the same server. You have more control over your own hosting environment, and you can add your own custom applications, set up your own configuration, and include security. That being said, VPS hosting does demand a bit of technical knowledge, especially if it is an unmanaged plan, in which case the site owner will have to perform the server updates and maintenance.
3. Performance and Speed
Website speed is one of the biggest factors that affect an eCommerce business. Slow websites result in cart abandonment, bad user experience, and search engine rankings.
Shared hosting will be slow since resources are being shared among numerous sites. When one site utilizes more resources, the others are bogged down. It is frustrating for eCommerce sites, where each second of delay means a loss in business.
Conversely, VPS hosting is more responsive and quicker because your website is allocated dedicated resources. Your store will handle more traffic and process payments quicker, and it is a choice for medium-sized to large stores or stores with high traffic requirements.
4. Security Factors
Security is a necessity for any eCommerce site because it handles customer data, payments, and transactions.
Security threats are greater in shared hosting because the majority of the websites are using the same server. If any website is compromised due to some security hole, then other websites using the same server will be compromised. There are no many ways to handle the security features because they are managed by the hosting firm.
VPS hosting is also more secure since your website operates in its own isolated space. You have full control over your security settings and can easily install firewalls, add SSL certificates, and configure security options at your convenience. This makes VPS a top option for eCommerce sites with highest security and data protection compliance needs.
5. Scalability and Growth Potential
As your company grows with your eCommerce venture, your site traffic, products, and customers will increase. Your hosting service should also increase along with your business needs.
Shared hosting is not scalable to a large degree because server resources are limited. When your website receives a sudden burst of traffic, your site can become slow or even crash. Upgrading in shared hosting involves purchasing an upgraded plan, which can still have resource limitations.
VPS hosting is scalable, though. You have no problem scaling CPU, RAM, and storage to match the demands of your business as it expands. That degree of scalability ensures that your eCommerce website will run at its best even when you have traffic spikes, such as special holiday deals or Black Friday sales.
6. Cost Considerations
Cost is also a significant consideration for most eCommerce businesses when selecting a host solution.
The shared hosting is the cheapest, and the plans themselves are also available at a few dollars per month. It is one of the best solutions for small-scale businesses or entrepreneurs with limited budgets. The only drawback is that while cheap to start with, performance limitation can force the companies to upgrade to upper levels sooner than expected.
VPS hosting is pricey compared to shared hosting, where the price varies based on resources allotted. The additional price has admirable advantages like performance, security, and scalability. In case your web venture is expanding or your website already gets a good consistent flow of clients, VPS hosting investment will bring higher ROI in the longer run.
7. Simplicity and Ease of Management
Shared hosting suits beginners well since the server maintenance, updates, and patches are managed by the hosting service. Even most hosts offer user-friendly control panels such as cPanel, where users have complete control over their websites.
VPS hosting is more technical, especially if it is an unmanaged one. The customers are required to deal with servers, install programs, and configure security themselves. Managed VPS hosting provides a means for those who want to reap the advantage of VPS but without having to subject themselves to technicalities but at added cost.
Which One Do You Need for Your Ecommerce Store?
It will be depending on your business needs:
Use Shared Hosting if:
- You have a small online store with low traffic.
- You are on a very tight budget.
- You prefer a hands-off hosting experience with the company managing maintenance.
Use VPS Hosting if:
- Your online store is growing and requires additional performance.
- You need better customer transaction security.
- You expect more traffic and must scale up.
- You desire more control of your server environment.
Final Thoughts
Both VPS hosting and shared hosting are excellent in their own right, but for an eCommerce company, speed, security, and reliability are a high priority. If you‘re starting and have very little capital, shared hosting is where you’d begin. But if you‘re going to expand your company and need a more reliable hosting arrangement, VPS hosting will be worth it in the long run.
By choosing the best hosting service, hosting your eCommerce site is easy and providing fast and secure online shopping for the customers.
