VPS Hosting Guide: How to Choose a Virtual Server

A VPS runs its own operating system and its own web, database and mail services. The resources you order belong to that server and do not change when other customers' sites get busy. You can restart it, change its settings and add software, within the limits of the plan.

Three things decide what you pay for and what you can do with a VPS:

• Resources. Processor cores (vCPU), memory (RAM) and disk space. You set each one when you order, and you can raise them later.
• Management. On a custom VPS, you run the server. On a managed VPS, our team runs it: updates, security, backups and monitoring.
• Extras. Extra IP addresses, control panels and other add-ons are optional, and each one has its own price. Free delta backup snapshots are included at no extra cost.

Every VPS we sell includes one Israeli IPv4 address. Extra addresses are charged separately.

The table below compares the three options we sell for websites. It describes what each option gives you. The prices are for the configurator; the price section explains how they are built.

Our cloud plans use the same kind of virtual infrastructure. The cloud hosting page describes them.

Most sites start on shared hosting, and most should stay there for a while. A shared plan is cheaper, needs no server administration, and is enough for many standard websites, including WordPress sites with normal traffic.

The usual signs that a VPS is the next step:

• The site is still slow after you have added caching, a CDN and optimized images.
• You need software that a shared plan does not allow, such as Node.js, Python services or a crawler.
• You run several sites that you want to keep apart, with their own resources.
• The site handles sensitive data and you want the server to be yours alone.
• You regularly reach the resource limits your provider reports.

VPS vs Shared Hosting: Which to Choose? walks through this decision in more detail. If you are not sure which side of the line you are on, read that guide first, then come back here.

The difference is who does the server work. Both kinds come with full root access.

A custom VPS gives you full root access and the choice of operating system and software. You are the system administrator. You install the web server, set up the firewall, apply security updates, plan backups and watch the logs. That is a good fit for developers and for teams that already run Linux servers. It is a poor fit if nobody on the team wants to do that work every month.

A managed VPS moves that work to our team. We handle updates, security, backups and monitoring, and you focus on the site. You also get full root access. On top of the server price you pay a monthly management fee of ≈$9. CloudLinux is included at no extra cost on the managed VPS. cPanel is a paid add-on on the managed VPS too, at ≈$17 a month. The managed VPS page lists what it covers.

If you are not sure, start by asking which tasks you would do yourself in a normal month. If the answer is "none", choose managed. If the answer is "all of them", choose custom.

A third option is to keep a server with another provider and buy our maintenance service for it. The server and website maintenance page describes that service. It works with a server we do not host.

The configurator builds the monthly price from a few unit prices, and the total changes as you change each setting. The unit prices below are the ones the configurator uses, in Israeli shekels. Prices are billed in ILS. Where we show a dollar amount on the site, it is an approximation.

As an example of how the total is built: 2 vCPU, 4 GB of RAM, 40 GB of disk, one IPv4 address and no add-ons come to ≈$34 a month (2 vCPU at ≈$4 each, 4 GB of RAM at ≈$4 each, and 40 GB of disk at ≈$3 per 10 GB). Adding a second IPv4 address adds ≈$3. The configurator shows the exact total for the settings you choose.

Free delta backup snapshots are included at no extra cost, so the configurator has no backup-space charge. Daily backups keep restore points for the last 30 days, as the custom VPS page describes.

Do not size a server from a guess. Measure what the site uses now and add a margin for growth. If you already run a site on shared hosting, ask your current provider or your own monitoring for the figures you need. If you are starting from nothing, begin with a size you can increase later.

Three rules help:

1. Memory first. A server that runs out of memory swaps and slows down everything on it. Check the memory use under normal traffic, then plan for the busiest hour you expect, not the average day.
2. Processor for busy work. Heavy pages, image processing, search indexing and background jobs use CPU. Measure it under load before you buy more cores.
3. Disk for the software and the data. The operating system and the software need space first. Add the size of your files and database, then the space your backups need.

You can raise CPU, RAM, disk and IP addresses later from the client area. Ask our support team how long each change takes on your plan before you make it.

The article 10 best tools for a VPS server covers monitoring, backups and security tools you can use to watch these numbers.

Our VPS plans run in our Israeli data center by default. The Israel Data Center page describes the facility and how the servers connect to the Israeli network. For a site whose visitors are mostly in Israel, a local server is the simplest choice. The location affects the speed of the site for visitors close to the server, and it affects which privacy rules and contracts apply to the data.

The configurator also offers servers in the USA, Germany and Australia. If your visitors are mainly abroad, or you have a team in another country, ask us before you order, so we can confirm the plan and the setup time.

The Hebrew and English articles about hosting in Israel versus abroad discuss this choice in more detail. For a site with customers in several countries, a CDN in front of the server is usually worth considering. A CDN does not replace the server, but it can serve static files from closer to each visitor.

A VPS is only as safe as its setup. On a custom VPS, you own that setup. On a managed VPS, we do it, and you still need to know what it covers.

These are the basics that matter on either kind of plan:

• Keys, not passwords, for shell access. Use SSH keys and disable password logins once the key works. Our guide to using keys in PuTTY covers the Windows side.
• Updates on a schedule. Operating system and software updates should happen regularly, and you should know who applies them.
• Least access. Give each person and each application only the access it needs. Remove accounts that are no longer used.
• Backups you have restored. A backup that has never been restored is a guess. Test a restore at least once.

The article on information security and cyber risks in professional server management covers server security and the basics of data protection.

A custom VPS is yours to set up. Most people start with a few tasks, in this order:

1. Log in with a key, create a non-root user for daily work, and turn off password login.
2. Apply all security updates, then set a firewall that opens only the ports you need.
3. Install the web server and the database, and check that a test page loads.
4. Set up backups and run one restore test.
5. Add your site, monitoring and the caching layer.

If you ever need to install a new operating system on a virtual server, the article installing a new operating system on a virtual server shows the steps. For sites that repeat the same database queries, the article on installing Redis or Memcached on a VPS shows how to add an in-memory cache. Our custom VPS page lists the choices available when you build a server.

Server management is the set of routine tasks that keep a server working: patching, monitoring, backups, access control and responding when something breaks. It takes less time than most people expect on a small server and more time than most people allow for when a server grows.

The article on server management and the benefits of professional maintenance explains why businesses that depend on a server benefit from professional maintenance. For a small business, the choice is usually between your own time and a managed plan. The article on virtual servers for small and medium-sized businesses explains why virtual servers suit that kind of business.

If you run a store, a membership site or a business application, check that the plan you choose includes monitoring and a tested backup. Our managed VPS page shows what is included.

Is a VPS faster than shared hosting? Not by itself. A VPS gives you guaranteed resources. Its speed depends on the resources you order, the software you run and how well the server is set up. A VPS with default settings can be slower than a well-run shared plan.

Can I run more than one site on a VPS? Yes. The limit is the resources you order. Each site needs its own domain setup, database and mail settings. A control panel helps with that, and the configurator lists the options.

Do I need to know Linux? On a custom VPS, yes. A managed VPS does not need it, though it helps to know the basics when you talk to support.

What is the difference between a VPS and a dedicated server? A dedicated server is a whole physical machine for one customer. A VPS is a virtual part of a physical machine. The article on virtual server or physical server compares them for business use.

Does a VPS need a lot of maintenance? A custom VPS needs regular work. A managed VPS shifts most of that work to us, as described above.

Some beliefs about VPS hosting do not hold up. The article on VPS myths that need to be debunked covers common beliefs about VPS cost and use. A slow site often has a software cause that a bigger server will not fix.

This guide links to every VPS article and product page on the site. Read them in the order that fits your question.

Choosing a VPS

• VPS vs Shared Hosting: Which to Choose? compares the two kinds of hosting by performance, cost, control and security.
• Virtual Server vs Physical Server: Which Fits Your Business? compares isolation, cost, compliance and operational complexity.
• How to Choose a Virtual Server: Workload, Ownership, and Risk argues for choosing by real workload and who runs the server, not by headline specs.
• Virtual Private Server: Myths That Need to Be Debunked answers common myths about VPS cost and use.

Managed VPS and server management

• Server Management: All the Benefits of Professional Server Maintenance covers why businesses that depend on a server need professional maintenance.
• Virtual Servers for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses explains why virtual servers suit small and medium businesses.
• Information Security and Cyber Risks in Professional Server Management covers server security and data protection.

Running your own VPS

• Using Keys in PuTTY for Secure Access to a Virtual Server shows how to log in over SSH with a key file.
• Installing a New Operating System on a Virtual Server describes installing a new system from the management interface.
• Installing Redis or Memcached on a VPS to Accelerate Websites explains both caching tools and how to install them.
• 10 Best Tools for a VPS Server covers tools for security, backups, monitoring and automation.

Our VPS plans and related services

• VPS servers is where you choose a plan.
• Managed VPS is for a server that our team runs.
• Custom VPS is for a server you run, with full root access.
• Cloud hosting describes our cloud plans.
• Israel Data Center describes where the servers are.
• Shared hosting is the place to start for a small site.
• Blog has the full list of articles.

Start with the answer to the managed-or-custom question. Build the configuration on the VPS plans page and read the total before you order. If you are not sure how many resources you need, contact us and describe the site: what it runs, how many visitors it has, and what breaks when it is slow. We can suggest a configuration from that.