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Virtual Private Server

A Virtual Private Server (abbreviated as VPS) is a dedicated section of a server that is divided or partitioned into several parts to operate like multiple servers. Virtual Private Servers are usually the next step up from shared hosting, and they're a step below dedicated hosting.

Virtual Private Servers afford the operator complete control over the dedicated section of the machine, which acts as its own operating system.

Advantages of Virtual Private Servers

  • Operators maintain full administrative access (root access) to their section.
  • Accounts are isolated (to some extent) from other accounts on the same server.
  • Hardware and network infrastructures are maintained by the hosting provider.
  • They're less expensive than dedicated server plans.

Disadvantages of Virtual Private Servers

  • They're more expensive than shared hosting plans, so they're cost-effective only if the allotted space is used.
  • Operators are responsible for some of the server-side administration, such as application installation and maintenance. Those who don't have the necessary skills may have to hire someone to administer their VPSes.
  • Hardware assets such as CPU, RAM, and Disk I/O are still shared.

See also



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Thanks to these contributors for creating this article for our web hosting community:

Tyler, writespeak, Orien Wu, avythe, layer0

Web Hosting Wiki article text shared under a Creative Commons License.

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