VPS Hosting is a mix of the best of both Shared and Dedicated hosting. With VPS, you get the features and dedicated resources of a dedicated server, while sharing the cost of the server with a few other websites. This is accomplished by dividing up a web server into separate virtual servers. The resources of the web server are shared, however they are allocated so that each virtual server is unaffected by another virtual server.
VPS website hosting is the alternative to shared hosting. It provides users the ability to have the stable, and set resources of a dedicated server while keeping costs down by spreading them among multiple users. Few website owners need all the resources and access to of a web server that dedicated hosting provides them. On the other hand most owners would like greater control of their server environment with less concern about site performance due to other sites on the shared server. VPS hosting has only a few users per server and with resources allocated specifically, performance as well as security is more consistent and more secure. If a website is hacked, the other virtual servers will be unaffected because only that file system for the hacked virtual server is accessed.
A step up from shared hosting and a step below dedicated hosting, VPS hosting is priced as such. It is more expensive than a shared plan but cheaper than dedicated. In reality, the majority of websites that need something better than shared hosting should look at VPS hosting. The only real disadvantage to this option is in it’s marketing. Web hosts try to maximize their web servers in shared and VPS hosting environments, knowing that most websites, most of the time, will not use all the resources that are specified in the hosting plan. Some even oversell a server, much like a hotel will oversell rooms assuming some visitors won’t show up. But if everyone does show up this can cause issues. As with all hosting plans and hosting companies, read the terms of service and be sure they define what you are getting.
Virtual Private Server hosting is a “best of both” solution and if your website needs better stability, speed and uptime, VPS hosting is your best option. Lower costs are shared by a few users and the reliability of having a server to yourself is provided by virtual servers allocated with set resources so you are unaffected by anyone else.