What Is the Difference Between Shared Hosting and VPS Hosting?
Choosing the right hosting plan is important for your website. At Vivint Host, we offer both Shared Hosting and VPS Hosting. Each has its purpose depending on the size and needs of your website. Here, we explain the difference in simple terms to help you decide.
Shared Hosting: Best for Small Websites
Shared Hosting is perfect for personal sites or small businesses that receive up to 1,000 visitors per day. It’s cost-effective, easy to use, and requires minimal technical knowledge.
What It Offers:
- Optimized server hardware for up to 50% faster server response times
- 1 to Unlimited websites depending on your plan
- FREE cPanel, Auto SSL, and Website Migrations
- NVMe Storage with CloudLinux OS and LiteSpeed Caching
- FREE imunify 360 security
- FREE Domain with Extra and Business plans
- Up to 4 GB RAM and 2 CPUs powered by AMD EPYC™
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
Hosting Plans:
- Starter Cloud – $9.95/mo: 1 Website, 1 GB RAM, 1 CPU, 15 GB Storage
- Plus Cloud – $14.95/mo: 7 Websites, 2 GB RAM, 1 CPU, 25 GB Storage
- Extra Cloud – $19.95/mo: Unlimited Websites, 3 GB RAM, 2 CPUs, 35 GB Storage
- Business Cloud – $29.95/mo: Unlimited Websites, 4 GB RAM, 2 CPUs, 45 GB Storage, FREE Dedicated IP
All plans include unmetered bandwidth and essential features for growing websites.
Example Use:
A typical WordPress site uses around 500MB to 1GB of space. If you upload a lot of images or videos, you might need more. Also, if you use our hosting for email, it can take up a lot of space, especially if you don’t delete spam or old messages.
Add-On Domains:
If your business has more than one site, add-on domains let you manage them all under one login. But keep in mind, shared hosting is not meant for hosting websites for clients because all the sites are under one control panel.
Which Plan Should You Pick?
Our Plus Cloud plan is a good start for most people. It gives enough space and lets you manage more than one domain. For sites that get more traffic but don’t yet need VPS, we offer Turbo and Business Cloud plans. These come with more memory and can handle more visitors.
VPS Hosting: For Websites That Need More Power
VPS Hosting is ideal for larger websites, eCommerce stores, or businesses running custom apps. With dedicated resources and root access, it offers advanced performance, scalability, and control.
Why Choose VPS?
- Powered by AMD EPYC™ processors
- Complete root access for maximum flexibility
- SSD Cloud Servers with free daily backups
- 99.99% Uptime Guarantee
- 24/7 Expert Support
VPS Hosting Plans:
- Cloud VPS 1 – $26.92/mo: 3 CPUs, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD, 20 TB Bandwidth
- Cloud VPS 2 – $32.42/mo: 4 CPUs, 8 GB RAM, 160 GB SSD, 20 TB Bandwidth
- Cloud VPS 3 – $43.42/mo: 4 CPUs, 16 GB RAM, 160 GB SSD, 20 TB Bandwidth
- Cloud VPS 4 – $54.42/mo: 8 CPUs, 32 GB RAM, 240 GB SSD, 20 TB Bandwidth
All plans include WHM and flexible server location options (US West, US East, EU Central, Finland).
When Do You Need VPS?
If you run an online store, a large blog, or any site with a lot of users or content, VPS makes sense. It gives you more control and better performance.
How VPS Plans Differ:
Each VPS plan offers different amounts of:
- RAM: More RAM means your site runs faster, especially when there are many visitors.
- Storage: Needed for files, media, and databases.
- CPU Cores: These help process tasks like loading pages and running apps.
We also offer Flex VPS plans. These let you build your own plan based on what your site needs, so you're not paying for things you won’t use.
How to Choose Between Shared and VPS Hosting
If you’re launching a simple website or running a small business, Shared Hosting will work fine. It’s easy to use and doesn’t cost much.
If your site is growing, or you need more control, more speed, or special features, then VPS Hosting is the better option. It costs more, but you get dedicated resources and better performance.
Not sure what to choose? Reach out to our support team. We’re here 24/7 to help you pick the right hosting plan for your website.