VPS vs shared hosting: which one do you need?
Pick shared hosting if you run one small site and do not want to maintain a server. Pick a VPS if you need root access, your own software, or resources that other customers cannot use. The price gap is real, and so is the extra work a VPS brings.
By VPSRely Editorial, Editorial team. Published . 6 min read.
The difference in one paragraph
On shared hosting, many customers run inside one operating system and the host decides what is installed. On a VPS, you get your own virtual machine with its own operating system, reserved CPU and RAM, and full root or administrator access.
That is why a VPS can run software shared plans do not allow, and why a noisy neighbour cannot slow your server down by taking your CPU.
Side by side
The practical differences come down to a short list.
- Access: shared hosting gives a control panel and file manager; a VPS gives root over SSH or administrator over RDP
- Software: shared hosting offers what the host installed; on a VPS you install anything your operating system supports
- Resources: shared hosting divides one server between many accounts; a VPS reserves vCPU and RAM for you
- Upkeep: shared hosting patches the server for you; on a VPS you handle updates, security and backups
- Price: shared plans usually cost less; our [VPS plans](/pricing/) start at $9.99 a month
When a VPS is the better buy
Move to a VPS when you hit a limit that shared hosting cannot lift. The common ones are a custom application stack, several sites that need their own settings, a database that needs tuning, or a Windows desktop you reach over RDP.
Check how much RAM a VPS needs before you choose a size, and pick the operating system on the Linux VPS or Windows VPS page.
The work a VPS adds
You are the administrator. That means installing security updates, setting a firewall, taking backups and watching disk space. None of it is hard, but it is yours to do. Our first-hour checklist covers the basics for a new Linux server.