Choosing between shared hosting and a Cloud VPS is one of the first decisions you make when putting a website online. Both can host fast, secure websites. The difference is how server resources are allocated, how much control you get and how much you pay.

What is shared hosting?

With shared hosting, many hosting accounts live on one powerful server and share its CPU, memory and storage. Each account is kept separate, so other customers cannot see your files, but you all draw from the same pool of resources.

Because the cost of the server is spread across many customers, shared hosting is the most affordable way to get online. On our shared hosting plans, each cPanel account gets 2 CPU cores and 3 GB of RAM, NVMe SSD storage, free SSL and daily backups.

What is a Cloud VPS?

A Cloud VPS (Virtual Private Server) is a virtual server with its own dedicated CPU cores, RAM and storage. Those resources are reserved for you, so traffic on other servers does not affect your sites. You also get WHM, a dedicated IP address and more control over how the server is configured.

Our Cloud VPS hosting is fully managed, which means we handle hardware, software updates, security patches and monitoring for you.

The main differences

• Cost: shared hosting starts at a few dollars a month. A Cloud VPS costs more because the resources are reserved for you.
• Performance: shared hosting is fast for most websites. A VPS gives consistent performance for busy sites because nothing else uses its resources.
• Control: shared hosting gives you cPanel. A VPS adds WHM, so you can create and manage cPanel accounts and server-level settings.
• Scaling: both can grow, but a VPS lets you add CPU, RAM and storage as your needs increase.

Choose shared hosting if

• You are launching a new website, blog or portfolio.
• Your site gets low to moderate traffic.
• You want the simplest, most affordable option.

Choose a Cloud VPS if

• Your traffic is growing and pages slow down at busy times.
• You run an online store, membership site or web application.
• You host many websites, or websites for clients. See agency hosting.

Start small, move up when you need to

Most websites start on shared hosting and move to a VPS when they outgrow it. Moving is not a big project: new customers can have their website transferred for free. If you are unsure which option fits, talk to our team and we will help you decide.