What is a VPS?

A VPS (Virtual Private Server) is your own partitioned server inside a larger physical machine. You are allocated a fixed share of the memory, the processing power and the storage — plus root access, so you decide yourself which software runs on it. Unlike shared hosting, other customers do not affect your performance.

Below you can read how a VPS differs from shared hosting and from a dedicated server, when the move makes sense, and what "managed" actually means.

Shared hosting, VPS or dedicated server?

Shared hosting VPS Dedicated server
What you get Space on a server you share with others A partitioned share of a physical machine The entire physical machine
Root access No Yes Yes
Installing your own software No — you work within the control panel Yes Yes
Impact from other customers Possible during peaks Allocated resources, so partitioned None
Technical knowledge None Limited when managed, considerable when self-managed Considerable
Typically for Business site, blog, small web shop Busy site, custom application, test environment Heavy load or specific hardware requirements

What does "managed" mean?

An unmanaged VPS is delivered bare: from that moment on you are responsible yourself for updates, security, monitoring and recovery. That is fine if you have a system administrator in house — and a problem if you do not. With a managed VPS we take that work off your hands.

Updates and patches

The operating system and the core software stay up to date, so known vulnerabilities are closed without you having to keep an eye on it.

Monitoring

We monitor the server and step in whenever something fails — outside your office hours as well.

Security and backup

Baseline security is configured and a backup arrangement is in place, so a mistake or a failure does not immediately mean data loss.

When do you move on from shared hosting?

Not because a VPS is "better" — for an ordinary business site, shared hosting is the logical choice and a VPS is needless complexity. Moving makes sense when one of these signals applies:

  • You need software that does not fit inside a control panel — a custom application, a specific server service, a particular version of something.
  • Your site slows down at the busiest moments and it is no longer down to the theme or the plugins.
  • You need root access for configuration that falls outside your hosting plan.
  • You want a separate test or development environment that does not touch your live site.
  • Your memory limit is structurally too tight despite the largest hosting plan.

If none of the above sounds familiar, shared hosting saves you both money and work.

Configure your own VPS

At WWW4 you configure memory, processing power and storage yourself instead of choosing from fixed plans. The calculator immediately shows the monthly price for your configuration — along with an indication of the energy consumption and the CO₂ emissions, so you can factor those in. Everything runs in Belgian data centres.

Configure your VPS Dedicated servers Request advice

Frequently asked questions about VPS

A VPS or Virtual Private Server is your own, isolated server within a larger physical machine. You are assigned a fixed share of the memory, computing power and storage, plus root access so you decide which software runs on it. Other customers on the same machine do not affect your performance.
With shared hosting you share a server with others and work within a control panel: you cannot install your own server software and a spike at a neighbour's can affect you. With a VPS you have dedicated resources and root access, so you can install and configure whatever you need.
With a dedicated server you get the entire physical machine; with a VPS an isolated part of it. A dedicated server is appropriate for heavy, sustained load or specific hardware requirements. For most applications that outgrow shared hosting, a VPS is more than sufficient.
With an unmanaged VPS the server is delivered bare and you are responsible for updates, security, monitoring and recovery yourself. With a managed VPS we take that over: the operating system and base software stay up to date, we monitor the server and there is a backup arrangement.
For a managed VPS, only to a limited extent: we manage the operating system. If you want to install and configure software yourself, you do need some experience with a server. If in doubt, give us a call — sometimes shared hosting is simply the better choice, and we will tell you so.
When you need software that does not fit in a control panel, when your site becomes slow at the busiest moments without the theme or plugins being the cause, when you need root access, when you want a separate test environment, or when your memory limit is structurally too tight. If none of that sounds familiar, shared hosting saves you both money and work.
Yes. You compose memory, computing power and storage yourself instead of choosing from fixed packages, and you can adjust that composition whenever your needs change.
In Belgian data centres. For your configuration, the calculator also shows an indication of the energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, so you can factor those into your choice.
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