Virtual Private Servers (VPS) are the next step up from regular hosting packages. Virtual Private Servers run their own operating system and grant you complete control over all aspects of your hosting. This blog post will help you narrow down the many VPS options available on the market!
1. What’s Your Budget Like?
It’s important not to make a decision based solely on price; however, your budget will determine the best VPS solution within your range. The more resources and features you need, the more you’ll have to pay. Reliable companies with good reviews also generally tend to charge more. With discount hosts, you’re at risk for long periods of downtime and support systems that are slow to respond to your requests. Quality of service and price are closely related.
Keep in mind the price you pay is also an investment in the security and support system that you have for your properties on your VPS. Discount hosting services aren’t very secure and as previously mentioned, generally have poor support systems. Getting clear on your budget will help you find the best company within your range.
2. Windows Or Linux?
Choosing an operating system is another vital part of narrowing down the right VPS hosting for your situation. Most hosting companies offer Linux and Windows as the two main options. Linux is an open source software that supports a vast range of applications. Linux is user-friendly and can be less expensive than running Windows software. However, many programs are supported by Windows only.
Windows is designed to support applications such as ASP.NET and ASP, and you’ll get better performance compared to using a Linux system. Your needs will dictate the best operating system for your VPS.
3. What Kind Of Customer Support Does The Company Offer?
Customer support is an incredibly important part of choosing the VPS hosting. Even if you’re skilled at troubleshooting your VPS, there’s still going to be times where you’ll need customer support to help you. Reading company reviews is an excellent way to eliminate companies with subpar support systems.
If you contact support and end up doing most of the troubleshooting yourself, they don’t deserve your monthly investment. Spend some time researching support departments before making a final decision.
4. Keep An Eye On RAM & CPU
RAM and CPU are two of the most important resources to keep an eye on during your decision-making process. RAM has a direct impact on the performance and availability of the content hosted on your VPS. If you’re going to be hosting a lot of resource intensive content on your VPS (high-quality videos, images, large websites), then you need at least a few gigs of RAM to compensate. It’s always best to have more RAM than you need than not enough.
CPU is responsible for scheduling tasks and allocating resources in the operating system. Anytime someone requests something from your VPS (if someone wants to load a web page, or video hosted on your server) the CPU is responsible for allocating the resources necessary to complete the request. Without adequate CPU power, you’ll suffer from sluggish performance and annoying disruptions.
5. Do You Want A Managed Or Unmanaged Server?
With VPS hosting, you gain full control of your hosting set up. This means you’ll have to monitor performance, execute maintenance and performance software updates. If you’re experienced in this field, then an unmanaged VPS might be a good choice. If you don’t have the time or energy to manage your VPS on your own, look for a provider who offers managed servers. Managed hosting plans handle all the maintenance for you. Generally, you’ll have to pay more for a managed server but when you’re busy, it’s easily worth the investment.
