Jimmy Parker| Rank | Web Hosting Company | Starting price/mo. | Disk Space | Starter Plan Fully Managed? | One Sentence Analysis (Top 5 only) | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  | $31.90 | 25 GB | NO (managed from $139.90/mo) | Australian servers, very affordable barebones! | View Plans |
| #3 |  | $11 | 15 GB | NO (managed from $224/mo) | Lots of choice! | Visit Site |
What Is A VPS
VPS hosting stands for Virtual Private Server. VPS hosting is in between a dedicated server and shared hosting. A dedicated server is just about what it sounds like: a server dedicated to your website. Australian dedicated servers are an expensive option for hosting but they also provide a lot of perks. Shared hosting involves sharing bandwidth and disk space with many other sites. Shared servers are cheap to use, but have many drawbacks.
In the world of best Australian website hosts, think of dedicated servers as having the whole office building to yourself. A shared hosting plan is like having a cubicle in the office. Different from both of those is VPS hosting. VPS hosting is like having an office to yourself. There are some restrictions but you have freedom for the most part.
Most websites begin in shared hosting and move to VPS as they grow. A VPS is ideal for higher traffic or more complicated web application needs. While you still technically share a physical server like you would for shared hosting, a VPS is your own, personal “virtual server”. The reason it is not called shared hosting is because there is no sharing of resources. Each VPS has its own RAM and hard drive space. In shared hosting, you may be affected by the activity on other websites. This is nonexistent on a VPS plan.
A VPS is ideal for small businesses with a high traffic or somewhat complicated website. Someone may also want a VPS for added protection and security. You’ll have to be willing to pay more, though.
Pros and Cons of Australian VPS hosting
Pros
Reliable
A VPS is more reliable than a shared hosting plan. Because you have your own separate data and hard drive space, there is no need to worry like you might in shared hosting. In shared hosting, you share all the things you get privately in a VPS. So, for instance, your site may be at risk to slow down due to other websites hogging bandwidth and data. On a VPS this is completely irrelevant; you pay for your bandwidth and you don’t have to share it with anyone else, which is great for hosting resellers.
More Control
One of the great benefits of VPS over shared housing is the increased control. In shared housing, the server administrator is in control of most everything involved in hosting your website. Because you are granted your own personal VPS you have more ability to control server settings. This allows you to customize certain aspects of the server to your needs. Another related benefit is the ability to remove and insert sites at your will. There is no need to wait for the server administrator because you are the server administrator. You can even install and modify software.
Security
Generally speaking, a VPS is more secure than shared hosting. For some companies or individuals, this may be worth the upgrade by itself.
Affordable
While a VPS will cost you more than shared Australian hosting, it isn’t outrageous (though it’s not cheap either). If you need them, the added value of customization and security make it especially worth the extra cash. A VPS can cost you anywhere from $5 to $60 per month depending on how much data and disk space you’re looking for.
Cons
More Responsibility
One of the major downsides of a VPS is the responsibility. As the website owner, you will have to know more about server administration. The freedom to customize and control your space on the server is what causes this. Choosing a VPS plan can also be somewhat difficult, especially for first-time buyers.
Cost
Even though VPS can be very affordable and worthwhile, the price jump is still sizable. A shared server can cost you under $5 per month. If you’re asked to upgrade from your shared server because you site is using too many data or bandwidth, the price jump can catch you off guard depending on what company on hosting you.
Another aspect of the price difference is maintenance and repair. If you mess up your section of the server, it can cost a pretty penny to get it repaired. Having the server knowledge can help prevent this, but if it does happen, you’ll have to pull out your wallet.
Cloud VPS Hosting
Within VPS hosting is a category called cloud VPS hosting. In short, cloud hosting allows you to backup your website. If the primary server device fails, there are backups ready to pick up the hosting. This is a great way to ensure there is less downtime if your site does go down for some reason.
To sum up cloud hosting, it results in less downtime if your site fails, but it more expensive and less secure. If that added protection against site failure is important for you, cloud hosting is a good way to backup your website.
VPS FAQ’s
What does VPS stand for?
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server.
Is shared hosting or a VPS better?
As for quality and functionality, VPS is better. But if you’re looking for a cheaper, usable hosting solution, shared hosting is the way to go.
Is site performance better on a VPS than shared hosting?
When it comes to site performance, a VPS will usually be better than shared hosting. This is because on shared servers websites all compete for bandwidth. On a VPS plan, you only compete with yourself for bandwidth.
How much do I actually need to know about server administration to have a VPS?
Australian Companies that offer VPS services will generally provide a control panel to make administration easy and simple for website owners. Companies may even provide a consultant to help guide you through administering your site.
What other hosting options are there besides VPS?
Below VPS hosting is shared hosting. Shared hosting costs less, but is less function and has limits. Above VPS hosting is a dedicated server. Australian dedicated servers are more expensive, but they give you complete and unfettered control of your server hosting experience. These are a good option if you have a large number of sites and pages or large amounts of data and traffic.