There are three common alternatives to shared hosting, and all three describing and comparing them here. Many times it is a question of the budget as to which one you choose.

What are dedicated servers?

When a client buys a dedicated server hosting then the client has to lease an entire server from the host company. It is not shared with anyone else unless the client gives other people direct permission to do so. The client gains full control of the server, from a choice of operating system to even the selection of hardware.

What are Virtual Private Servers?

A VPS is similar to having your own dedicated server but it is on a shared basis. However, your hosting package gets insulated from the effects of other websites. You are allowed to install your software and such as you are with dedicated servers. But you often have fewer administration or control options. The speed and usability of your website are going to be far faster and better than shared hosting, but just a shade less useful than a dedicated server.

What are cloud servers?

When people speak of this, they are speaking about cloud hosting. It is very similar to VPS except that the service pulled from an extensive underlying network of physical web servers. The best analogy of this is with electricity. When you use electricity from the national grid, you are tapping into a network powered by many power stations. You tap into it and use as much as you need. It is what happens when you use cloud hosting services.

The benefits of each

With a dedicated hosting service, you get far better email stability, service control and a far higher performance than other services. The security may also be better if you take control of it and do an excellent job of it. If you have a website that has a lot of traffic, then a dedicated hosting service is probably the best for you.

The best quality of VPS is that you get almost all the benefits of a dedicated server except that it costs less. With VPS you may only pay for as much as you use, and that fact makes it very appealing to many businesses.

The benefits of cloud computing mostly revolve around effective load balancing, which often means you get a more even service. There are also benefits to be had around the fact that cloud computing is highly scalable.

ServerPronto offers the best affordable and secure hosting service in all dedicated server packages.

Photo credit Flickr/Alan Levine

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