Web servers —the place where your website can hang its hat at the end of the day. Or rather, the actual place where your website’s cloud information is stored and maintained. Given our reliance on computers and the cloud, servers are essential these days.

What are your choices when it comes to servers? Should you use a dedicated server, or go with a non-dedicated one? We will cover all that and more in this article, so keep reading to find out!

What are Dedicated Servers?

Essentially, dedicated servers and dedicated hosting means that your website will have the entire server to itself. Dedicated servers only contain your data in their hardware, which makes them incredibly secure.

These kinds of servers give you lots of power and flexibility, even though it might cost more than storing your information in a shared server. But if you need the most power for your investment, hosting through a dedicated server is the best option for you.

Do You Need a Dedicated Server?

Dedicated servers are ideal for dealing with a rise in traffic or growth of your site, because of their enhanced security features and beneficial impact on loading times for your webpages.

Here are 4 reasons you might need a dedicated server:

Website Growth

If your site has achieved immense growth, you will need a server that can handle the increase in website traffic. If your site relies on a shared, or non-dedicated, server, it will negatively impact performance when the traffic spikes, including longer loading times and higher bounce rates.

Your site should be able to handle traffic spikes of up to 30 times the normal daily traffic, to prepare for promotions and special events that take place and draw more users in. Not having a reliable enough server means your site can lag and crash.

Page Loading Times

Your website loading times can have a large impact on all aspects of your business. The slower the pages load, you will have higher bounce rates and low engagement metrics. With a dedicated server, you can easily optimize your bandwidth and website load times, and correctly allocate server resources.

Security Concerns

If your website is dealing with credit card details or personal client information such as emails and phone numbers, security is very important. Protecting this information and your website from hacking, viruses, and other risks is essential.

You are completely in charge of your website’s security with a dedicated server, which not only means that you are in command of your security protocols, but you also have the flexibility to arrange the stored information in the way you need.

Direct Control of the Server

Another reason you might want to go for a dedicated server is the ability to control your hardware completely. Dedicated hosting gives you the power to make changes and store information the way you want.

You can even choose your preferred server software—do you prefer the resource control of Apache or NGINX? Do you want to install your own operating system? It’s all up to you when you have a dedicated server.

What are Non-Dedicated Servers?

This shared hosting type of server stores your website information in a shared environment with other separate organizations’ information. This means that your website will be sharing the server configurations with others, and you will not have control over the server’s allocations and how it stores your information.

Because non-dedicated servers share their resources and allocate energy between several clients, they are not as powerful as their dedicated counterparts. This should not completely deter you, however, as non-dedicated servers are more than adequate for any smaller capacity business or start-ups.

Do You Need a Non-Dedicated Server?

Because your website would be sharing a server with other websites, the server resources are not going to be exclusive to you. But that should not be too big of an issue overall, as shared servers are still secure and a more budget-friendly option.

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when looking into non-dedicated servers. If these are applicable to you and your website, you might be able to go with a shared hosting system!

Saving on Cost

Because a non-dedicated server has more than one client using it, shared hosting systems are definitely a cheaper option. You do not have to pay any premium like you do for dedicated servers, saving you money.

Small Business

A website for a small business with less traffic coming to your site doesn’t have to worry as much about user surges. If this applies to your website, a non-dedicated server will do the job just fine.

Security Isn’t an Issue

If your business does not primarily deal with personal information and billing or credit card details, you can definitely rely on a non-dedicated server. Even though you will not have a unique IP address, and will share an IP with other websites, you should be safe to stick with a non-dedicated server.

Dedicated and Non-Dedicated Servers: The Choice

When it comes to choosing the best type of server for your needs, it can be challenging to weigh the pros and cons between dedicated and non-dedicated servers. Dedicated servers offer enhanced security and control over your information and how it is stored. But non-dedicated servers do offer a more competitive price point and are also reliable, especially for a smaller business or start-up.

However, if you anticipate your website and business to have growth and enjoy higher rates of traffic and interaction, going for a dedicated server is your best option. Because of the direct control over server resources, better security, faster load speeds for your website, and more, the dedicated server is an incredibly reliable piece of hardware for your needs.

If your next step is purchasing the perfect unit for you, head over to https://budgetvm.com where you can browse a huge range of servers at a variety of price points. Then sit back and enjoy as your website grows even more.

Dedicated and Non-Dedicated Server Overview