VPS vs Shared Hosting: Which is better for my agency?

By Nick | 26 Sep 22

Introduction
What is shared hosting?
What is VPS hosting?
The risks with shared servers
More control, more confidence, better support

As long as your websites are live, it can feel like only a minor concern what kind of hosting is behind them. Surely it doesn’t make a huge difference what kind of server environment your sites are part of, since they all get you online? But there are huge differences in the experiences of hosting your sites on a shared server or something more private, like a VPS or dedicated server.

And those differences don’t only apply to the kind of management platforms you get access to – they also impact the very basics of website performance; like site speed, security, and the chances of experiencing downtime.

What is shared hosting?

Just like the name suggests, shared hosting is an arrangement in which multiple clients and websites all share the same server resources. That means things like the disk space, CPU, and memory are shared between all of the users on the server.

Clients on the server in question won’t be aware of the sites they share resources with, so you could be sharing processing power with a tiny micro-site, or a total powerhouse. That matters, because with shared hosting there’s no barrier between hosted sites when it comes to the allocation of resources. All of them will be attempting to utilise the server at the same time, and competition for processing power and CPU can be fierce.

What is VPS hosting?

VPS, or Virtual Private Server, hosting refers to a method of hosting that mimics a dedicated server within a shared server environment. What does that mean in practice? Well, while you’ll still technically be ‘sharing’ a server, with VPS hosting your section of that server’s resources is protected. So even if one of your neighbours undergoes a traffic spike, they’ll never be able to encroach on your resource (CPU) and cause downtime for your clients.

You’ll also get more control, as root access means you can customise your server with any configuration style – helping you to spot any potential problems before they affect your sites.

UK hosting expertise you can rely on.

Our UK-based support team are techie experts, and they’re ready to help you deliver for your clients.

The risks with shared servers

That said, there’s no use pretending that shared servers don’t come with one significant benefit: they’re cheap. In fact, some hosting options out there are cheaper than a cup of coffee. But that one positive comes with more than its fair share of risks. So, before you make your hosting decision, consider the possible issues you could be signing-up for:

1 Increased risk of downtime

Nobody likes downtime. If your site is offline, you’re not reaching any customers, communicating what you need to, or closing any sales. There’s a lot you can do to optimise your sites in order to reduce the risk of downtime – more on that in our blog on the 6 ways to reduce server downtime – but there’s one thing you can’t control: other people’s actions.

When you share a server, you’re at the mercy of your neighbours. That means that if they go down, there’s a chance they’ll drag you down with them. And, since the issue didn’t stem from your sites, there’s very little you can do to get the problem resolved and get your sites back online.

2 Compromised security

When you don’t have control over your server configuration, you can’t be certain that your sites are secure. For example, within a shared hosting environment, all of the hosted sites’ files and data are contained within a single directory. If this directory is compromised – even via a site completely unrelated to your own – all of the sites on that server are vulnerable to an attack.

Hackers target vulnerabilities on all the sites in the directory, looking for cracks like an outdated plugin. And once they’re in? They can access the main directory and target every site within that server, including yours. As a single-tenant solution, VPS hosting puts you fully in control of your server, with full root access, and means that you can confidently work to secure your sites and software in the way you decide.

3 Limited site speed

When you have to compete for resources, it only takes a couple of high-traffic spikes from your neighbours to rob your sites of the processing power they need. That means that, even despite your own careful website optimisation efforts, you’ll lose out on fast load times, search engine rankings – and potentially customers, too, since research has shown that customers aren’t willing to wait around on a site that loads slowly.

On the flip side, VPS and dedicated servers protect your resources, meaning that even if another client on the same server experiences a period of high-traffic, they won’t encroach on your resources. So you can rest assured that your site speed won’t be negatively affected, and your customers will be able to keep seeing consistently fast results. Learn how to optimise your site speed.

4 IP blocking

Noisy neighbours don’t solely exist in the physical space – you’ll also find them creating problems on servers, too. Commonly, all sites on a shared server environment will share an IP. That means that if you end up sharing server space with a nuisance site, you could end up tainted with the same brush.

Should Google, or other search engines, decide to remove the nuisance site from their index (known as IP blocking), you’ll be blocked too. That’s a real problem, because it means losing 95% of your website traffic instantly, and getting the block lifted is no easy feat.

And it’s not only the disreputable sites you need to watch out for. Even if you’re lucky enough to end up sharing server space with other customers just like you, it only takes one of them getting hacked and sending spam to get everyone blocked.

Remember: the only security you can really rely on, is the security measures you have control over yourself.

5 Support

This one isn’t necessarily a direct result of a shared server situation, but you can be sure that if you – and your clients – are simply one in a crowd of hundreds all crammed into one server… You’re going to be joining a long queue when you request support.

That means that, should you encounter any of the risks listed above, you’re going to find it difficult to get the problems resolved in a timely manner – and there’s no knowing how long you’ll be left in the lurch.

More control, more confidence, better support

At Nimbus, we only offer VPS or dedicated hosting – no shared hosting options. That’s because we’re committed to bringing our customers only the very best service, and we just don’t believe that’s possible in a shared server environment.

With VPS hosting, you can be sure that your website portfolio is protected. Whether that’s from problem-neighbours causing IP troubles, or downtime when resources run low. With your own allocated section of the server, you’re never at the mercy of anyone else, which means control, and confidence, is firmly in your hands. Explore our packages.

Plus, since we’re not interested in a ‘pile them high and sell them cheap’ approach, we can take the time to get to know our customers. Our UK-based support team answers all calls within 60 seconds, and your Account Manager is always on hand to help support your growth.