Hello,

I need to find a host for a business website. I do not currently have any idea of bandwidth usage or anything as this is a brand new site for a brand new company. I was looking at a VPS because, although a shared hosting solution might suffice for now, I feel like it will offer more flexibility once we figure out what we will need or our needs start to change making it easier for us to grow without jumping from host to host (making the choice even more important to me). Maybe I'm wrong (and if I am please say so) but I feel like a shared solution wouldn't be right.

I was looking at Linode, KnownHost, and 6sync because of positive reviews. I also was looking at BuyVM because their pricing seems so good, but I think the reliability might be a step behind the others so I'm not sure. I'm trying to compare features (pro/cons) between them and was hoping someone could help. Basically what does one have that the other might not (I think I'm missing some things in my comparison). Differences in # of IP addresses, backups, panels, visualization approach, server hardware, etc? A few questions I have already on my mind is:
  • Why does KnownHost offer more bandwidth on their $35 plan (2,000 GB) then any of Linode's plans? How does that make any sense?
  • When KnownHost says "managed VPS" what type of "management" am I getting with that?
  • What type of reliability, uptime, customer support would I get with BuyVM and is it fair to compare them with the other providers here?
  • How big of a deal is Linode having datacenter is 6 different regions (one being in NJ where I'm from)? Should I be concerned that KnownHost only has datacenters in TX/CA?
  • How does 6sync's "biscuit" compare to the others offerings? Would it be wrong to say that 6sync might be to "new" to go with when you are concerned about longevity and a host that you can stick with for a long time? (sorry to say, but it is something on my mind)


I'm very new to all of this. My background is Computer Engineering. I have programming (java, c++, perl, python, etc.) and linux experience, but I do not have any experience with website design/programming/administration/etc except some practice I've done setting up my own home web server following slicehost guides a while back. I know how to setup firewall stuff, dns, install necessary software and for the most part configure it. I'm not sure if my experience will be sufficient to really set everything up without a control panel. It's hard to know this when you've never been formally trained and don't really know anyone who does know this stuff and basically you are going off of what guides are telling you is correct. So I guess my question here is should I be concerned about using any of these hosts with my current linux experience and ability to follow a decent guide?

Sorry for the length and number of questions, but any help would be appreciated. Thanks.