The misunderstanding about the technological difference between Cloud Hosting vs VPS Hosting in the web hosting industry is becoming quite a buzz now.
Most people generally tend to misread the basic difference between the two. This is due to the lack of awareness about the differentiating factors of these two web hosting technologies.
With the advent of virtualization and remote operations, there is a considerable increase in most established organizations and even startups opting for similar solutions to host their websites.
They no more need to own a physical architecture (a CPU with certain specifications of processor, RAM, and storage), an operating system on top of this hardware, and then the particular web application (like WordPress, Magento, Drupal, Joomla, and many more, etc.) on which website is to be hosted.
And that’s not it!
Further, this arrangement will require efficient and redundant power supplies and periodic maintenance to ensure the server is up and running at all times.
Cloud vs VPS Hosting: Key Differences
Firstly, let’s jump to the basics for a while about what cloud and virtualization are. In simple words, cloud and virtualization is something that separates the hardware, operating system, and the application running on that hardware from each other.
The basic concept remains the same in both technologies. However, reliability, flexibility, and availability have been some major separating indicators between the two.
The comparison below shows the differences in both the infrastructure.
| Features | VPS Hosting | Cloud Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Server Deployment and Management | Yes | Yes |
| Server Sharing Model | Private Server | Dedicated Cloud Server |
| Scalability (auto/manual) | Yes | Yes |
| Low Cost | Yes | Yes |
| Pay As You Go | No | Yes |
| Flexibility | No | Yes |
| Customization | Yes | Yes |
| Security | Yes | Yes |
| Instant Provisioning | No | Yes (in managed hosting) |
| Performance | Depends on the vendor | Fast |
| Reliability | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple Data Centers | Depends on the vendor | Yes |
What Is VPS Hosting?
Virtual Private Servers (VPS) Hosting, sometimes known as “Private Cloud,” is based on servers crafted using a virtualization mechanism.
The architecture has multiple individual dedicated slots on the same virtual machine. Each slot can be assigned to dedicated resources. Nonetheless, the technology generally works on a time-shared or resource-shared phenomenon.
One of the major disadvantages that are stopping the VPS hosting industry from reaching the next level is its vulnerability which can cause a particular slot or resource to go down in any crash scenario, and the application or website on that particular space will be unavailable with no redundant online availability unless and until the issue is fixed.
However, the rest of the applications on different slots will be up and running without any service disruption.
But, there remains a possibility, although in exceptional cases, where major trouble hitting a certain slot, such as unexpectedly excessive traffic on a random day or a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, can cause the entire machine and the subsequent applications to go down as all the resources belong to the same machine.
However, VPS hosting does have some useful points as it brings the margin closer between the dedicated and shared hosting solutions.
Benefits of VPS Hosting
- VPS hosting offers total and complete freedom. Free to manage your server as you like, you have access to everything, and you can install all the software you need.
- Hosting in VPS is very efficient. Unlike shared hosting, the VPS is not dependent on traffic or audience. You have your resources, and you are isolated from other servers.
- Hosting in VPS is secure. All your files are private and inaccessible to other clients regardless of their rights on the server.
What Is Cloud Hosting?
Cloud hosting is the top-of-the-line website (or application) hosting solution available presently. The technology has already achieved a tremendous level of acceptance in a short period of time.
Websites hosted on the cloud are accessible anytime, anywhere. This means that hosting resources for each website are replicated on every cloud server in the cluster. For example, if one cloud server already has maximum traffic, it automatically routes the query for the specific site to the idle cloud server in the cluster.
In other words, the cloud runs the web hosting services, like files storage, SSH, FTP, SFTP, and email services (e.g., SMTP), etc., on many different servers simultaneously.
This simultaneous allocation of equal resources on the cloud servers in the cluster provides a great deal of reliability. For example, if one of the machines malfunctions, it will not cause failure or disruption in the entire hosting service.
Benefits of Cloud Hosting
- Cloud hosting is relatively reliable because your website is hosted on a virtual partition that takes advantage of multiple physical networks. When one of the servers goes offline, it will slightly reduce the resource level to the cloud but will not add up to your website. No inaccessibility or anything else.
- Cloud hosting is secured by many physical servers that are protected from third parties who want to access their premises or interrupt their services.
- Cloud hosting is extensible, flexible, and scalable. It does not have the same constraints as a single server. Resources are available according to your requests and in real-time.
- Cloud hosting is economical because you only pay for what you use.
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Trends and Expert Opinions
Let’s now look at Google Trends worldwide! It’s evident that users prefer Cloud Hosting as compared to VPS Hosting. And there must be multiple reasons for it that experts have also highlighted in the next section.
The debate continues over the choice platform as time passes. In all honesty, it is a matter of preference. I found some different perspectives on Reddit regarding Cloud vs VPS hosting:
And the debate certainly does not stop here. If you want to add more on this topic, feel free to do so.
Which Server Should You Choose?
VPS hosting is generally less efficient since it allocates a specified amount of computing resources to each client. Hence, the system cannot handle the additional inflow if the requirement increases. It will simply crash. The same would be the case if the server malfunctions.
Cloud hosting, on the other hand, tackles the increase differently. Under the cloud environment, the website is hosted on a pool of unified computing resources. This simply means that if one server reaches its optimum level, a second server is ready to function.
Similarly, if a server fails, the website will still be running as other servers will continue to serve the incoming traffic.
If you want reliability and powerful functionality, then Cloud hosting is a great choice. The recent price slashes in cloud infrastructure from Amazon and the likes show that the market has immense growth potential. Furthermore, it shows that cloud hosting is getting affordable too.
Even application hosting providers, such as Quickbooks desktop hosting services, prefer air-tight cloud servers to host the applications because they are affordable, secure, easy to use and provide limitless advantages.
VPS is made for people who are interested in hosting just a website. While it is powerful, VPS does not guarantee uptime should your website fail due to high traffic or a technical glitch.
Why Cloud Hosting Stands out?
The cloud-based hosting, however, is more stable as there will not be any effect on performance when a part of the component goes down as it is decentralized.
In the Cloud, there is an option to integrate additional resources if needed. RAM, disc space, bandwidth, etc., can be added with few clicks and dismissed when no longer needed without financial loss. Thus, Cloud hosting can also be defined as a web hosting solution that provides resources on demand. It is dynamically scalable and customizable according to the needs of the customer. No significant investments are required. Unnecessary resources can be removed without any cancellation or further fees.
Click n’ Go: Cloud Hosting Reinvented
Currently, cloud hosting is too technical for an average Joe or Jane to comprehend. People want to deploy their websites but do not want it to be a headache. This is where Cloudways WordPress hosting comes into play. It is not only reliable but also one of the fastest WP hosting providers available. Our cloud hosting platform allows you to launch websites on any of the six different open-source applications within minutes. Our powerful platform allows you to monitor 15+ server and application-related metrics.
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Mansoor Ahmed Khan
Passionate about technology, entrepreneurship, and marketing, Mansoor Ahmed Khan is in computing since he knows how to type on a keyboard. His daily life is rocked by his family, projects, and his screen. Probably in this order, he likes to be convinced at least. You can reach out to him at [email protected]
