Many web hosts offer Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting. In most cases, this service gives you full control over the server of your site.
There are a lot of relatively cheap VPS hosting providers, but you might still be wondering if these VPS Servers are worth it for your eCommerce site.
Budget hosting sometimes gets a bad reputation, but it can be a fantastic option for new websites with few resources.
Plus, VPS hosting is a scalable plan. As your site grows, you can upgrade to a more advanced service.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how VPS hosting works, and why it can be an affordable option for many website owners.
Then, we’ll discuss whether budget VPS hosting plans are a suitable option for online stores. Let’s get started!
What VPS Hosting Is (And Why It Can Be Cheap)
If you’re shopping around for hosting plans for the first time, you might notice that some services are a lot more expensive than others.
These plans offer better performance and more resources, but not everyone needs them.
New websites don’t necessarily need a great deal of resources, such as multiple CPU cores or a large amount of RAM. That’s why many people opt for shared hosting when launching a site.
You don’t get dedicated resources with this plan, but costs tend to be low. This can help you save money as you develop and grow your site.
The downside of shared hosting is that it doesn’t tend to offer the best performance. Essentially, you’ll be sharing a server with many other clients.
This means that, if another website gets a spike in traffic, it can affect the performance of all other sites on that server.
In fact, shared hosting plans are not designed to host sites that get a lot of traffic or require additional resources. That’s why many web hosts also offer VPS hosting.
A virtual private server can provide dedicated resources without the need for hosting providers to configure a full-on server just for your site.
This means they’re a lot cheaper than dedicated hosting, and since they typically work on the cloud, you’ll be able to scale the resources you use as needed.
In practice, most VPS plans will outperform shared hosting, especially if you’re using reputable providers. However, using a VPS can be intimidating if you’re completely new to web hosting,
and if you purchase a plan that requires you to configure the server through the terminal.
A lot of VPS web hosts have affordable prices for their entry-level plans. It’s not uncommon at all to find VPS hosting options starting at less than $10 per month.
They cost roughly the same as shared hosting – the only catch is that a lot of them are unmanaged plans.
Managed vs Unmanaged VPS Hosting
Unmanaged plans are the norm when it comes to hosting. When you purchase an unmanaged plan, the host gives you access to a server, sometimes with a control panel, and lets you do whatever you want with it.
In the screenshot below, you can see cPanel, which is one of the most common control panels offered by web hosting companies:
Cheap unmanaged VPS servers often come in one of two flavors. The first kind gives you access to a server, which you can manage using the terminal.
To configure this type of server, you’ll need to connect to it via Secure Shell (SSH) access and use the command line to set up its components.
Ideally, you should only attempt this if you have some server management experience.
The upside of this type of server is that it tends to be the most budget-friendly option. This is because the web host doesn’t have to do anything beyond spinning up new instances.
Other unmanaged VPS servers may come with a control panel. This enables you to configure the server and set up a Content Management System (CMS), eCommerce solutions, or other kinds of software, all through a Graphical User Interface (GUI).
This type of unmanaged VPS server can be more costly since you have to pay for a control panel license. However, some web hosts offer unmanaged VPSs with free control panels.
Managed VPS hosting plans (and managed plans in general) tend to be more expensive because the web host takes care of a lot of setup and maintenance tasks for you.
These plans come with hosting control panels (sometimes custom solutions) and your provider may help you configure the server.
When you purchase a managed plan, the web host may also handle updates and backups for you. This service may also include security features like malware scanning.
Can You Use a Budget VPS Plan for an eCommerce Website?
You can use a budget VPS plan for an eCommerce site if the plan comes with the necessary resources to run the website smoothly and handle traffic.
The most basic VPS setup you might find will typically offer 1 CPU core, 1GB of RAM, and variable storage.
That’s enough to run a new WooCommerce site, but as your online store starts getting more traffic, the server may be unable to handle the growing number of requests.
More traffic means you’ll need to upgrade to a better plan if you want to maintain a steady performance.
Fortunately, many web hosts offer multiple VPS plans, including basic services for small websites and more advanced options for larger stores:
You can find a lot of providers that offer basic unmanaged VPS plans for less than $10 per month. This is ideal if you’re planning to launch a new eCommerce store and have a small budget.
As the online store grows, you can upgrade to a higher plan as needed. A VPS should provide better performance than shared hosting (at a similar price point), and you get full control over the resources your server will use.
Conclusion
Budget-friendly VPS plans tend to be unmanaged. However, that shouldn’t be a problem if you can find a provider that will set up a free control panel for you.
This will enable you to manage the server without having to use the command line or pay extra.
Before you choose a VPS, you’ll want to check out the system requirements for the eCommerce software you want to use to set up an online store.
A basic VPS should be more than enough for a new store. As your store grows and gets more traffic, you can upgrade to a higher-tier VPS plan to access more resources.
Do you have any questions about using a VPS for your online store? Let us know in the comments section below!
FAQs
Is shared hosting good enough for my new eCommerce store?
Shared hosting might be a good starting point for a brand-new store with minimal traffic. It’s a budget-friendly option, but performance can be unreliable as you share resources with other websites.
What are the advantages of VPS hosting over shared hosting for eCommerce?
VPS hosting offers dedicated resources like CPU cores and RAM, leading to better performance and stability compared to shared hosting. This is crucial for eCommerce sites that need to handle smooth transactions and avoid downtime during traffic spikes.
What are managed vs. unmanaged VPS plans?
Unmanaged VPS plans are cheaper and give you full control over the server, but require technical knowledge to manage and configure. Managed VPS plans include server setup, maintenance, and updates handled by the hosting provider for a higher cost.
