Unmanaged VPS Hosting and Managed VPS Hosting: the Differences

All businesses start small, and as you grow, you’ve probably had to upgrade a few things to accommodate the expansion. Whether that involves hiring more employees, buying new technologies, or even renting out a larger office space, all these signs of growth can be incredibly exciting. However, what many entrepreneurs forget to upgrade is their hosting. Most new businesses start on a shared hosting platform, as it’s the more affordable option. However, shared hosting platforms aren’t known for their security, which poses a significant threat to your company as it grows in prominence. A hosting type you’ll want to consider is Virtual Private Server or VPS hosting. It is the perfect mix of Shared Hosting and Dedicated Servers. It has two types: Managed and Unmanaged VPS Hosting. Here’s what you need to know about the two:

All About Managed VPS Hosting

In managed VPS hosting, the service provider will oversee all server-related tasks, like maintenance, updates, and software installation. Since operating a server demands lots of time, effort, and expertise, you’ll have to either dedicate yourself or hire a specialist to take care of this. However, as managed VPS hosting handles all this for you, you can focus entirely on scaling your business without worrying about hosting solutions.

Essentially, managed VPS hosting is a hands-free method of maintaining your website’s server, giving you one less thing to manage. It’s also ideal for new business owners or those with little to no technical experience.

All About Unmanaged VPS Hosting

Meanwhile, unmanaged VPS hosting requires you, the business owner, to manage all server responsibilities and maintenance tasks. Your hosting provider will be in charge of maintaining the physical server and ensuring it stays available, but everything outside of that will be your duty.

Unmanaged VPS hosting is excellent for those who already know how to manage the tasks that come with it or those with in-house resources to designate to the platform’s management. Even if you’re confident in your technical skills, it’s essential to keep in mind that this type of hosting works best for established businesses instead of those still rising in popularity. You’re still concentrating on becoming a well-known name in the industry, requiring your full attention.

What are the Main Differences between Managed and Unmanaged VPS Hosting?

When looking for a Windows VPS hosting package, eCommerce business owners have a dilemma between a managed and unmanaged VPS account.

With an unmanaged account, the web hosting provider will only set up the server for the client, and the client receives full control over the system. All other steps like security hardening, app installation, etc. are on the customer.

With the managed option, the VPS service provider will offer a full range of services to the client. The web hosting provider will perform all installations, setups, and maintenance, and will also offer ongoing support in case of operational issues with the VPS server.

As evidenced, by the varying levels of service between managed and unmanaged VPS hosting, many differences exist between the two types. Some of the considerable differences are:

Cost

Unmanaged VPS hosting is available at lower costs, as no technical support, no day-to-day maintenance, and no monitoring is offered. Managed VPS hosting presents higher costs due to the higher level of services, from day-to-day administration to customer support offered by your hosting company.

Scalability

With the managed support option, your hosting provider will monitor your VPS on a day-to-day basis. With day-to-day monitoring, they can easily advise you for scaling up/down your VPS resources. With unmanaged VPS hosting, the customer will have sole responsibility to monitor his VPS resources and decide on scaling them.

Convenience

Depending on your company’s level of expertise in troubleshooting technical matters, either managed or unmanaged VPS hosting might work better for you. For instance, if you have qualified in-house staff that can perform installations, maintenance, and support functions, then trying to offshore your needs to an outside entity (your hosting provider) may be less efficient than handling it yourself. On the other hand, if your business lacks these capabilities, managed web hosting may be a worthwhile investment.

Customization

Most of the hosting companies have conditions for offering managed services. For example, with some of them, buying a control panel is mandatory for managed VPS services. That means some unnecessary software is forced with the managed VPS option. On the contrary, all the unmanaged servers can be tailored to meet your company’s unique needs, rather than offering a “one size fits all” option. As a client, you can choose between standard and non-standard applications depending on your preferences and desired functionality. You may also utilize programs or software that cannot be offered as a part of a managed hosting service.

Autonomy

With regards to memory, bandwidth, usage, storage space, and software installation, you (the client) receive complete control. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the knowledge and capabilities of your IT staff.

Access

If you or your IT personnel need to have unlimited access, an unmanaged server may be the right choice for you. On the other hand, managed plans offer varying levels of access, and one of these may offer the right balance between access and support.

Performance

For businesses that require higher bandwidths, unmanaged VPS hosting may be cost-effective and better suit your needs.

Support

When you select an unmanaged VPS account, you opt out of receiving help from your provider in case of problems with software, resources, configuration, or performance, although your web host will provide assistance for hardware or network issues. With capable in-house staffing, however, you benefit from instant access to support rather than waiting for remote assistance from your provider.

Conclusion

Managed and unmanaged VPS hosting both have their advantages and disadvantages, as they’re tailored to accommodate different business needs. By selecting the most appropriate one for your business, you’ll enjoy heightened security and customization levels that can improve your website and make your customers happier.