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Virtual Private Servers, or VPS hosting, is used to fill the gap between inexpensive, but relatively low resource shared servers, and more expensive dedicated servers. Virtual Private Servers are exactly what they sound like, one physical server divided into 5-10 ‘virtual’ servers that act as their own miniature dedicated machines. It is a less expensive, but very efficient way of offering dedicated-like packages at a fraction of the cost. I always recommend starting with a shared company unless you are sure that your website is going to need more resources than a shared plan has to offer. If this is the case, or your website has outgrown your shared host, then you will want to upgrade to a VPS account.

The best VPS companies I have tested are below. #1 is VPSDepot, which is actually where I have this website hosted.

RANKCOMPANYFEATURESPRICE
1Up to 300GB Disk Space Unmetered Bandwidth
Up to 4GB RAM Free cPanel/WHM
100% Network Uptime 30 Day Money Back
24x7 Support		  $19.95
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The first thing I tell people when I say they need a VPS is not to worry, this is a great thing! It means your website is growing and the amount of traffic you are getting is more than shared hosting can handle. Don’t be scared off by the price of a virtual private server, it is a wise investment to make sure your website is reliable.

While VPS is more expensive than shared, it gives you a lot more flexibility and freedom with your website and your account. You have much more server resources to handle higher amounts of traffic and in most cases (unless you opt for a managed service which is much more expensive) you get to act as your own administrator. You also don’t have to worry about sharing a server with hundreds (or possibly thousands) of other customers who have no clue what they’re doing. You don’t have to worry about someone else abusing the server and causing your website to crash, making it more reliable to your visitors and customers.