Shared vs VPS vs dedicated hosting: which to choose?

The three main hosting types

When choosing web hosting, you'll encounter three main categories: shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers. Each type has specific advantages and disadvantages that determine if it's suitable for your situation.

Shared hosting

With shared hosting, you share a server with dozens to hundreds of other websites. This is the most common and cheapest form of hosting.

Advantages

• Low costs: from €2-5 per month
• No technical knowledge needed: provider manages everything
• Easy setup: online within minutes
• Included: SSL, email, databases

Disadvantages

• Limited resources: CPU and RAM are shared
• Performance fluctuations: busy neighbors affect your site
• Little control: no root access
• Scalability: limited when growing

Suitable for: blogs, portfolio sites, small business websites

VPS hosting

A Virtual Private Server gives you an isolated part of a physical server. You have your own resources and more control than with shared hosting.

Advantages

• Guaranteed resources: own CPU, RAM and storage
• Root access: full control over your environment
• Scalable: easily expand resources
• Isolation: other users don't affect you

Disadvantages

• Higher costs: from €10-30 per month
• Technical knowledge: server management required (unless managed)
• Responsibility: security and updates are your task

Suitable for: growing websites, online stores, web applications

Dedicated hosting

A dedicated server is a complete physical server exclusively for you. Maximum performance and control, but also maximum responsibility.

Advantages

• Maximum performance: all resources are yours
• Full control: hardware and software as desired
• No neighbors: no shared risks
• Compliance: easier to meet regulations

Disadvantages

• High costs: from €80-200 per month
• Complexity: server management expertise required
• Maintenance: hardware issues are your problem
• Overkill: too much for most websites

Suitable for: large online stores, enterprise applications, gaming servers

Comparison table

Feature	Shared	VPS	Dedicated
Price/month	€2-10	€10-100	€80-500+
Performance	Basic	Good	Maximum
Scalability	Limited	Flexible	Manual
Control	Minimal	Much	Full
Technical knowledge	None	Medium	High
Security	Provider	Shared	You

Which hosting to choose?

Choose shared hosting if:

• You're just starting your website
• Your budget is limited
• You have no technical knowledge
• Your site has less than 10,000 visitors per month

Choose VPS if:

• Your site is growing and needs more resources
• You want to install specific software
• You run an online store or application
• You need better performance

Choose dedicated if:

• You need enterprise-level performance
• You have strict compliance requirements
• You want full control over hardware
• Budget is not an issue

Most websites start with shared hosting and upgrade to VPS when they hit the limits.