What VPS to choose for your shop?

Hosting based on virtual private servers is one of the most popular solutions for e-commerce websites. It can give an online store the needed resources to run smoothly.

When it comes to the e-commerce sector, the competition is fierce. Therefore, any irregularities in the functioning of your online store can worsen the user experience, which can lead to losing a customer. A virtual private server can help you avoid that thanks to the power it provides for your website.

There are reliable providers you can rent VPS hosting from. But to choose a server and, ultimately, a provider, you need to know what kind of VPS to choose.

In this article, we will tell you about different types of VPS, and requirements that the virtual private server has to meet.

Types of VPS

When we talk about different types of virtual private servers we imply that the overall technology, structure, and concept of VPS are the same across all variations. However, several categories determine the difference in virtual private servers.

By management authority

• Managed VPS

A managed virtual private server refers to the fact that the hosting provider is the one taking care of the every-day management of your server. This includes software updates, backups, and security monitoring. You should lean towards a managed VPS if you want to focus on your business objectives and don’t want to spend time figuring out the details of server configuration and management.

Managed VPS usually comes at an additional cost.

• Unmanaged VPS

Unmanaged virtual private servers imply a basic configuration of the VPS hosting plan. This means that you get access to a virtual environment and installation tools. Like with any VPS, you can install any software you deem necessary above the basic configuration. However, with this level of control, you get the level of responsibility for managing the server yourself.

You will be the one responsible for configuring the server, updating the software, following security practices, and resolving any issues that may arise. With this in mind, unmanaged VPS would be a better choice for tech-savvy individuals or professionals (developers or system administrators) who know their way across the server’s environment. For an e-commerce business, it means that to opt for an unmanaged VPS you should have a technical team that knows how to operate it.

By operating system

• Linux-based VPS

Linux is an affordable OS for virtual private servers you can start using for free; many Linux-based tools for server management are also free to use. This is attributed to the fact that the Linux operating system is open-source. Linux VPS allows accessing a pool of open-source software and various tools that can help you manage your e-commerce website.

Linux is more of the starting point for businesses than the end choice. This is because you need to be proficient in Linux’s command line interface for your VPS, and thus your website, to function properly. If you don’t yet know how to do it yourself or you don’t have a specialized team, starting with Linux VPS might not be a good solution for your online presence.

• Windows-based VPS

Microsoft has a server version of the Windows operating system. This operating system supports many Windows-based applications and tools such as Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft Exchange Server.

Typically, companies, including e-commerce businesses, choose Windows-based VPS because it comes with Microsoft’s technical support you can turn to in case of any issues, and easier interoperability. Businesses that heavily rely on the Windows infrastructure should go with Windows VPS.

By hosting technology

• Cloud VPS

Cloud virtual private servers are based on cloud computing technology, which makes it possible to host a server in a cloud environment and access scalable computing resources when you need to. Cloud VPS solutions can host multiple applications and services, which makes them very flexible. They are often associated with better security and easier backup automation.

Cloud VPS servers are budget-friendly and are a great choice for those who don’t want to rely on conventional data storage.

• SSD VPS

Virtual private servers can also operate on solid-state drives (SSDs) instead of hard disk drives for their storage capacity. Solid-state drives are much faster and more reliable than HDDs, which influences the server’s performance, reliability, and the loading speed of your website.

You can choose SSD VPS if you’re not entirely comfortable with having your data in the cloud due to security concerns, and look for better reliability.

What you should look for in a VPS

An online store or an e-commerce website, in other words, is usually associated with big amounts of daily traffic. Therefore, you need to make sure that a virtual private server can handle customers’ operations within your website, and database queries.

To make sure that a VPS will be able to withstand significant traffic, ensure that it has:

• A CPU with multiple cores for robust performance;
• At least 4 GB of RAM (8 GB and more are recommended);
• Significant storage amount (SSD or cloud) to hold your data;
• High bandwidth capacity (unlimited bandwidth is preferred);
• Different security protocols implemented within your server;
• Compliance with database requirements since your online store will largely depend on the database’s functioning.

Also, take into account how scalable the VPS hosting is. Your traffic might have peak periods, and increase with time, so you need to make sure that you have options to upscale your resources if you ever need to do so.