Virtual Private Server is a service that offers dedicated resources on a server utilized by multiple users. It is a balance between shared and dedicated hosting; you will share the server with others, but no one can access your resources due to virtualization technology.
VPS provides better scalability and security than shared host services. So, if you have medium-level page traffic that exceeds the limitations of shared hosts, yet you are on a tight budget for a dedicated server, VPS is your go-to choice!
In this article, we will evaluate the two types of VPS hosting, managed vs. unmanaged, by comparing their performance, security, ease of use, control, scalability, and price. Both have their respective pros and cons. So, go ahead and learn their core differences to help you choose the better solution for your needs!
What is Managed VPS Hosting?
Managed VPS hosting refers to a service where the provider manages all technical aspects of your website. In other words, the hosting provider takes care of all software installations, server maintenance, automatic backups, and service upgrades.
Furthermore, by choosing a managed VPS hosting plan, you’ll gain access to a team of technical professionals that will assist you with any issue you may encounter.
Additionally, this VPS type can be particularly appropriate for you if you lack the necessary knowledge for running and maintaining a server by yourself.
At AltusHost, you’ll get 24/7 managed support, top-notch security, high-quality hardware, and many more perks with every VPS plan you may choose!
Source: https://www.altushost.com/linux-vps/
What is Unmanaged VPS Hosting?
Unmanaged VPS hosting transfers the responsibility of managing the server to you. More precisely, the host service will only offer the physical server with an operating system. However, by choosing an unmanaged VPS server, you will need to update and maintain the software on your own.
On the other hand, you’ll have greater control and be able to configure the software according to your desires.
Even though unmanaged VPS hosting is more budget-friendly, it is only suitable if you have technical knowledge, as you’ll need to set up and maintain the server, which can be pretty tricky.
Managed vs. Unmanaged VPS Hosting – Detailed Comparison
Before you employ a VPS hosting solution, it would be best to understand the difference between managed and unmanaged support. It will help you choose the more suitable solution for your IT experience and budget limit.
Here’s a thorough analysis of their core differences, which can come in handy for your business!
Performance
Managed VPS hosting providers handle server updates, security patches, and performance optimizations, ensuring a stable and high-performing environment. Usually, you can expect fast speed and loading times and minimal downtime.
And once you find such a VPS host provider, you can be sure that their team of professionals will guarantee a superb performance of your website. They will carefully monitor the website activity, update security features, and implement a suitable solution for optimizing performance.
On the other hand, if you go for unmanaged VPS hosting, you will be responsible for these tasks. So, you need to have a better technical background as you need to monitor the performance at all times and be able to find the right solution for any issues that can appear. For example, if you notice slower loading times, you must find the reason for that and then implement a solution, such as enabling caching or optimizing your website images.
But if you have IT knowledge, you may still achieve a high-performing environment by configuring settings according to your needs and implementing proper practices.
Fortunately, at AltusHost, you will find managed VPS plans with pure SDD storage that will boost your site’s performance and speed.
Source: https://www.altushost.com/linux-vps/
Security
The main difference between managed and unmanaged VPS hosting regarding security is based on the responsibilities and expertise involved.
Managed VPS hosting plans usually come with security patches, SSL certificates, DDoS protection, firewalls, and anti-malware protection that the host maintains. Additionally, the expert team will take care of regular updates of the security features and constant monitoring for malicious attacks and other suspicious activity. As a result, you are less likely to experience data breaches and other cyberattacks.
On the other hand, using an unmanaged VPS hosting plan might not be so secure. You’ll need to determine what security features to include and then monitor for any malware threats, update them on your own, and conduct regular security audits. You may endanger your whole server’s security if you lack the required technical knowledge and don’t implement the right security features.
We ensure you that by purchasing any of the AltusHost VPS plans, you’ll get top-notch security with SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and regular recovery backups.
Source: https://www.altushost.com/linux-vps/
Ease of Use
Compared to shared hosting servers, VPS servers are not the easiest to use. Allowing dedicated resources on one server complicates things a lot. This means that it requires constant monitoring and maintenance for everything to operate smoothly. Moreover, setting it up and customizing it requires decent IT knowledge.
If you want to play safe, managed VPS hosting is always the right choice. First, the tech team will handle all setups, such as the control panel, OS, features, and network. Then, by monitoring the server, they will be able to identify whether your OS needs some kind of configuration. This is very helpful in terms of more page traffic, as they can take care of the RAM memory, CPU core, and bandwidth, which are crucial for fast speeds. Additionally, proper OS configuration leads to better SEO ranking.
In comparison, with unmanaged VPS hosting, you must set up your server, OS, control panel, and all other installations by yourself. Then, you need to pay attention to your server and determine whether it needs alteration. If it does, you must configure the OS, RAM, CPU, and bandwidth accordingly to its needs. This VPS hosting type doesn’t leave you space for mistakes as the whole website performance and security rely solely on you.
Control
Managed VPS hosting may restrict you from total control. This is a result of the host handling all website’s technical aspects instead of you. For example, as we mentioned, instead of configuring and maintaining the server on your own, the team of experts from your chosen VPS provider will do that for you. Therefore, you may not get access to the main functions of the VPS server.
While it’s true that you’ll get simple server management, this limitation can be an obstacle for tech-savvy users that have special needs or simply want to customize their server setups to fit their business needs the best.
On the other hand, you have complete control if you decide to go for unmanaged VPS hosting. As you are aware, unmanaged VPS requires you to customize the server, and due to that, you’ll gain root access to all VPS server operations.
You can install a different OS or customize configurations and settings according to your and your business requirements. Due to this, unmanaged VPS hosting is the best option if you have unique requests or want to experiment with different configurations.
At AltusHost, we combine the best of both worlds! You will get managed VPS plans with full root access to configure all crucial features that your business requires.
Scalability
When it comes to scalability, managed and unmanaged VPS hosting are not entirely different. They both will help your website grow vertically by increasing the essential resources like CPU, RAM, or bandwidth. However, the main difference is in the ease of scaling and support the service provides.
Managed VPS hosting will always help you scale your website easily. This is due to the provided monitoring of RAM, bandwidth, and CPU core resource usage, identifying when your server needs scaling, and monitoring the resource usage. Of course, you will need to pay additionally for more resources, but professionals will finish the rest of the adding process.
When it comes to unmanaged VPS hosting, then you need to not only decide which resources you want to add but also manage to scale the server yourself. This can be quite tricky and possible only if you have experience in scaling servers.
Price
Compared to shared hosting, VPS is more expensive, but it is cheaper than dedicated hosting.
Managed VPS hosting is more expensive than unmanaged because it offers help and technical support 24/7/365 for every aspect you may need. In addition, it calculates monitoring, installations, configurations, and all other activities in the end price.
On the other hand, unmanaged VPS hosting is more cost-efficient as you don’t get a team of professionals that looks after your server. Therefore, you significantly cut costs by monitoring and configuring your server on your own.
However, if you aren’t tech-savvy unmanaged VPS hosting may turn out more expensive than managed. The lack of technical skills causes you to spend more time and money on completing tasks, such as performance optimization, security features, and frequent updates. In addition, if not done correctly, your website can result in slower loading times and more downtime.
We at AltusHost offer you very affordable prices on VPS hosting plans. The smallest VPS plan with 2 CPU cores, 2 GB RAM, 40 GB SDD storage, and 4,000 GB monthly bandwidth can be yours for $19.95/month. You can even get a 20% discount if you purchase a plan annually.
Source: https://www.altushost.com/linux-vps/
Final Thoughts
VPS combines both shared and dedicated hosting. It comes with more storage, resources, control, and more effortless scalability. However, it’s crucial to determine whether you’ll purchase a managed or unmanaged VPS hosting plan, as the amount of responsibility for your server impacts your website performance, security, and costs.
Unmanaged VPS hosting is great if you have technical knowledge, as you have much more control over your server, and you’ll also cut costs. But one small mistake can cost you a lot of money as well as effort.
Due to this, if you are a beginner and your business is still at the beginning of its growth, we recommend you go for a managed VPS hosting plan. It will help you focus only on your business, while experts will finish the technical part of the job.
