Managed Dedicated Servers vs. Shared Hosting

While there are many ways to get your website online, hosting it on a managed, dedicated server has some distinct advantages that aren't usually possible with cheaper shared hosting accounts.

Total Control Over the Server Environment

With a managed dedicated server, you have complete control over the server environment. This allows you to change any configuration settings that you will need to in order for your website to function the way you want it to. Settings related to how email is handled, security, applications, PHP, MYSQL, account functions etc., can all be changed through the server control panel, SSH, or by contacting the company that is managing it for you.

There are many different types of software available, like Zend Optimizer and Ioncube, which make services like PHP function better and faster. With a managed dedicated server, you can choose which to install whereas with shared hosting accounts, you often don't have that option, if you can use them at all.

The "Managed" Part Makes A World of Difference

If your hosting company has good support, the "managed" part makes all the difference in the world. Server management is a complex task that should only be done by knowledgeable professionals. Server security alone is a good reason to have a managed account, because many different server settings impact how secure the system is to threats, and professional hosting providers have experience in mitigating these types of attacks.

When you pay for server management, you're essentially hiring a team of experts to help you with all of the complex tasks involving the server. Here are some of the typical tasks that server management covers:

• Preventative security measures
• Handling security breaches
• Linux and Apache configuration settings
• PHP configuration settings
• Software installation
• Hardware installation
• Hardware replacement
  
• Troubleshooting
• Uptime monitoring
• Upgrades and new services

With a manged dedicated server you should expect fast, responsive support from knowledgeable staff who have experience managing machines like yours. You're paying a premium for managed service so make sure you get what you pay for.

Dedicated Servers - You're Not "Riding the Bus" Anymore

I call shared hosting "riding the bus" because you're stuck on a server with a bunch of other websites, you're all sharing the same resources, and you have no idea who those other websites are or what they are doing. Suppose you're on a shared server that's well know for spam? You have no idea, but Google or email blacklist services might know. This can harm your website's credibility with the search engines or email service providers.

Suppose the other sites on your shared host have security vulnerabilites that affect the whole server? Suppose they suddenly start using up server resources and your site becomes unavailable? Typically, shared hosting providers offer poor support because they are dealing with many more customers who are not paying as much for their services. On top of that, they try to cram as many websites as possible onto a server so that they can make the most profit. When you're "riding the bus," expect "bus driver" service and speed.

Shared servers also typically have strict rules in place regarding what you can and can't do with the account. There is good reason for this since they want to avoid security problems like those mentioned above, but often times those rules can conflict with a script you want to run or service your website needs in order to run. Most shared hosting providers are not flexible with regards to their system policies; which means that you could be forced to upgrade if you run into a conflict, and upgrading could mean moving your entire website.

The advantage to having your own dedicated server is that you know exactly which websites are hosted on it, how much traffic they get, and how much of your server's resources they use. Typically, managed dedicated servers can handle large traffic spikes with ease because their resources are not being pushed to the limit by server overcrowding. If you have a dedicated server, be sure to talk with your host about how much of your services resources are being used and be aware of when you should upgrade as traffic grows.

Dedicated Server Costs

The only downside to having a dedicated server is the cost involved. Managed dedicated servers typically start at around $150 / mo. and go up from there. If your website is profitable though, you can end up saving money by hosting on a managed server, because they typically have much less downtime. Downtime can really get expensive when you're running costly ad campaigns that deliver traffic to a dead website. All of the shared hosting accounts I've had over the years experienced unacceptable length and frequency of downtime for me, and that was one of the biggest reasons I upgraded to a dedicated server. To help offset dedicated server costs, some webmasters "resell" or rent out server space to other site owners. These setups are really good for web designers or people who do internet marketing for lots of clients because it helps to recoup costs and can even be profitable.