Glossary
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
A VPS is a virtual machine with guaranteed CPU, RAM, and disk carved from a physical server, giving root access and isolation at modest cost.
A VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a virtual machine running on a physical host, with its own guaranteed slice of CPU, RAM, and storage. Virtualisation isolates it from the other VPS instances on the same hardware.
How it compares
- More powerful and isolated than
shared-hosting— a neighbour cannot consume your guaranteed resources. - Cheaper and more flexible than a
dedicated-server, since one physical machine hosts many VPS units. - You usually get root access and choose your own OS and software stack (
nginx,litespeed,php,mysql, etc.).
Managed vs unmanaged
- Unmanaged — you handle the OS, security patches, and
wafyourself. - Managed — the provider maintains the system, closer to
managed-hosting.
Why it matters for hosting
A VPS is the common step up when shared-hosting becomes too limiting, offering predictable performance and control without the cost of bare metal or full cloud-hosting.
See also
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting places many websites on one server that pools its CPU, memory, and disk, making it the cheapest but least isolated option.
Dedicated Server
A dedicated server is an entire physical machine rented by one customer, delivering maximum performance, isolation, and control.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting runs your site across a pool of virtual servers that scale on demand, billed by usage for elasticity and high availability.
Managed Hosting
Managed hosting is a service where the provider handles server administration, updates, security, and backups so you can focus on your site.