Virtual Private Server: What it is and When to Use One

If your website or application is starting to feel sluggish, restricted, or vulnerable on shared hosting, you’re not alone—and you’re in the right place. Many site owners reach a point where they need more control, better performance, and stronger security than shared hosting can provide. That’s where Virtual Private Servers (VPS) come in.

Let’s break down what VPS hosting really is, how it compares to other hosting types, and when it’s the right time to make the switch. Whether you’re running a growing business, a complex application, or just need more freedom to configure your environment, VPS offers a powerful middle ground between shared and dedicated hosting.

What is VPS Hosting?

VPS hosting is the best solution for performance, security, and customization. With a VPS, you get an isolated slice of a server, complete with dedicated system resources and full administrative control. You can host websites, run applications, manage databases, send email, and more—all on a server environment that you configure to fit your needs.

VPS hosting is ideal for users who want the performance of dedicated CPU cores and RAM, increased security, and the freedom to customize both software and system settings. Because it’s virtual, your server is easily scalable without the need for physical hardware changes, making it a flexible and future-proof option.

How a VPS Works?

A VPS uses one physical computer to create multiple virtual computers within itself. This is known as virtualization. Each virtual machine has its own operating system, a full suite of managed software, and operates completely independently. Each one is assigned a specific quantity of CPU cores, system memory, and disk space, allowing each user to experience the full capability of those resources without impacting, or being impacted by, other users on the system. 

The virtualization layer and its communication with the actual physical hardware of the machine are managed by a hypervisor. This software can create and destroy new virtual machines, assign them specific system resources like CPU cores or RAM, and manage how those virtual systems actually interact with the underlying hardware. The hypervisor is what makes a VPS ‘tick’ and allows for all virtual users to co-exist upon the same underlying physical hardware without any conflicts or resource bottlenecks. 

Virtual Private Servers vs Other Hosting Types

It’s important to understand the key differences between the three types of web hosting—shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting—before making a purchase. Each option offers varying levels of performance, control, and cost, making them better suited for different types of websites and business needs.

VPS vs Shared Hosting

In the Shared Hosting environment, multiple users share a physical server, including its operating system, CPUs, system memory (RAM), and disk space. Limitations on CPU and RAM usage ensure that no single user overwhelms the machine. However, performance can still be impacted by other users on the system. Shared hosting also offloads database and email services onto remote shared database servers or shared mail servers for those tasks. 

Shared Hosting is great for smaller sites that don’t require significant assets or computational resources. The cost savings offer a great way to get your site up and running online without worrying about resource management and hardware costs. The limitations of Shared Hosting can include per-user memory limits, inability to customize global settings, or restrictions on running certain software or processes. 

VPS Hosting eliminates all of those limitations and gives you full access to the system software, custom configurations, and system resources. It also keeps your server entirely private, so your data is completely secure and your performance cannot be impacted by other users. All services can be locally hosted on the VPS and allow for customization.

VPS vs Dedicated Hosting

In the Dedicated Hosting environment, a single user occupies a single physical server in a rack, so your system performance is 100 percent up to you. This can be based on system hardware, your software, and your traffic. All of the assets of the computer are at your disposal, and system configuration changes can be done by physically upgrading hardware, installing additional memory or disks, etc. Essentially, you are renting an entire computer and are responsible for its operating abilities based on the hardware you choose to rent. 

Dedicated hosting offers the greatest level of independence, but also comes with the additional costs of managed hardware. It does not scale as easily since physical maintenance will be required to upgrade, downgrade, or repair parts.

A VPS effectively provides the same user experience but without those additional hardware costs and maintenance requirements. Both VPS and Dedicated servers provide you with a secure single-user system and the same level of available system customization.

When Should You Use a VPS?

The primary reason to upgrade to a VPS is to escape the limitations of the Shared Hosting platform. With a VPS you can:

• Run standalone applications (daemons) like Node.js, Plesk, etc.
• Use unlimited CPU time and system RAM.
• Customize global operating system settings
• Run and customize MySQL and Mail services locally.
• Configure custom firewall rules

Beyond those technical reasons, you may also want to switch to a VPS if you want to quarantine all of your data, web, mail, and databases, for greater security. While our shared systems are of course highly secured, moving to a VPS adds another layer of security by isolating yourself and your data in a single secure location.

Pros and Cons of Virtual Private Servers

VPS Pros 

• A VPS can give you full control of your own hosting environment, from the hardware to the software, since everything allows for customization. Whether you’re in need of greater security, increased performance, or custom software configuration, a VPS can be configured to meet your exact needs.

VPS Cons

The most common mistake we see with users moving to VPS is building an underpowered system. Here are some considerations to evaluate before moving to the VPS environment: 

• Our Shared Hosting platforms run upon servers with high level CPU Core counts, and massive quantities of RAM. However, users are limited by factors like CPU time or RAM usage per process. Upgrading to a very bare-bones VPS with only two CPU cores and 2GB of RAM may actually impact performance negatively since there are less system resources available for your processes, even though you may now fully use those system resources without limitations.
• VPS systems require additional resources to handle additional tasks. For example, if you plan to host MySQL locally and run your own custom Node applications from the system, it may require an upgrade to your RAM or CPU cores. VPS systems provide a great environment to host all your services in a single secure location, but it does also require sufficient resources to process the additional workload. Gauging how much horsepower you need may take some testing, but thankfully VPS scaling can be done on-the-fly and is entirely painless!

Managed vs Unmanaged VPS

VPS systems typically come in two varieties, Managed and Unmanaged.

An Unmanaged system means that you have 100% full control over the server, and everything is up to you. Unless you’re a Linux system administrator, this is a daunting task for most. Unmanaged systems are no different than a computer in your own home, and you’ll need to figure out how to install software, update the system, apply security patches, and configure literally everything to operate how you desire. 

Pair specializes in Managed systems. We have 30 years of experience running fully managed hosting platforms, which means that we take care of all the system administration on your behalf. Our operating systems provide a full suite of software pre-installed, and we can install almost any other custom software upon request. 

We monitor system performance and security 24/7, handle all system updates, security patches, and regular maintenance so you can focus on running your websites and applications without distraction from system-level administration.

How to Find the Right VPS Provider

When searching for a VPS provider, here are some factors to check for: 

• Experience: It’s not hard to spin up a virtual server, put your trust into an experienced company (We have 30 years!) that has the know-how to create and maintain a great virtual environment. 
• Technology: Many hosts offer VPS, but not all VPS systems are created equal. Here at pair our VPS systems run upon latest gen underlying servers, utilize a 100GB data network for instantaneous disk access, and provide 2x 25gb network connectivity to ensure 100% uptime. 
• Support: Whether you’re looking to customize your system or get help with a problem, having first class support is essential for any VPS hosting platform. Our technicians are available 24/7 and are experienced Linux system administrators with access to make changes to your system when you need them.

Beware of Imposters

Many providers offer Managed VPS systems, but are they transparent about their underlying technology, connectivity, and reliability? The Pair support team is always willing to discuss our top tier VPS environments and what makes them great. We offer full customization of the system, 24/7 support, and seamless scalability, all while managing the system for you to ensure the best web hosting experience possible.

Compare Specs and Prices

Our VPS are fully built to order. You can customize your system and check prices at any time on our website.

 Ensure it’s Easy to Upgrade

When you need to adjust your system, whether it’s adding disk space, more memory, or additional CPU horsepower, be sure that your provider offers on-the-fly scalability and support. Not only are all Pair VPS systems fully scalable, but our monitoring follows every system change. Our dedicated VPS support staff personally attends to any issues that may present themselves and immediately communicates any issues.

VPS Search Tips to Remember

For VPS hosting, a fully featured environment and an experienced host make all the difference. From building the right system to maintaining it and supporting your usage, a truly great VPS can help you grow your online presence to the next level. You’ll want a host with years of experience in the industry, a knowledgeable staff with Linux administration experience, and a fully managed and customizable hosting environment. 

With a fully managed system at your fingertips, your partnership with your provider can allow you to focus on your goals instead of wasting time with system administration. Here at Pair, our 30 years of experience, 24/7 support team, and robust software and customization offerings give you all of the power and none of the hassle from a VPS system.