VPS And Cloud Server: What’s The Difference?

Updated on 24 October 2024 3 min Read
VPS Server vs Cloud Server

Often, the terms VPS and Cloud Server appear together, as if they are similar or interchangeable. Although there are similarities, they are two distinct types of hosting, each with its advantages. To make the decision as to what is the best hosting for your site, it is important to know what the possibilities are for each one.

In many cases, the marketing discourse ends up preventing the real characteristics of these two structures from appearing. Using VPS or Cloud Server can make a big difference in the success of a website or application, especially if your business is highly based on online presence.

What is VPS?

VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. A VPS server is actually a dedicated server divided into several parts, each acting as an individual server.  That is, it is a single machine, running several web applications (websites, software, among others), but that provides unique spaces for users.

Cloud VPS can be an inexpensive solution for customers with specific needs, who need more resources, such as memory and processor that go beyond what a shared solution can offer. However, just like on a dedicated server, the configuration and security possibilities are entirely up to the user. This also means some risks, especially with regard to availability, which can be compromised if there is a problem with server hardware.

What is Cloud Server?

Hosting your site on a Cloud Server means that instead of having a physical machine, you are using a space in the cloud. The structure in the cloud consists of several physical machines, dividing resources. In this way, if there is a problem with the servers, another machine takes over the load, reducing the risk of downtime of your site or application, meaning high availability.

Another issue that differentiates Cloud Server from physical structures is the ability to scale resources. Let’s say that your site grows, start receiving more visitors and consume more resources: this is a very welcome situation and that every business wants to live.

When you host your site in a cloud structure, you can increase resources at any time: this flexibility occurs because the cloud has no resource limitation like a physical machine. The use of Cloud Server falls into the category of IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service, a way to hire servers according to the need of your business.

vps vs cloud hosting

VPS vs. Cloud Server: Which is the best option?

As with many business decisions, the answer to this question is that it depends on the needs of your business and your website or application. The main advantage of a VPS hosting is the price, which is lower than that of a dedicated server, but still, offers some benefits in common. The downside of this option is that if your site or application needs to address critical missions, VPS can offer downtime risks and can cost your company money.

For sites that use a lot of resources or have access volumes that vary according to the weather, a Cloud server is the best option, because it offers flexibility. Although the price of the Cloud Server is higher and varies according to machine configuration, this structure is very suitable, especially for businesses that are very badly affected by your website being down or unavailable, since it provides high availability.

In addition to the free public IP, optimal infrastructure, backup and scalability possibilities, know why Cloud Server Networking is the best solution for your business.

The Author

I am an experienced technical content writer with a proven ability to translate complex information into clear, concise prose. I have extensive experience writing for various technical audiences, including software engineers, IT professionals, and product managers. I approaches each writing project with a customer-centric mindset, focusing on understanding the audience's needs and pain points.