How to Decrease the Cost of a Virtual Private Server (VPS)

When it comes to hosting a server, every penny counts. The more you’re able to save on setting up a server, the more you’re able to redirect towards other important aspects of your site. Shared hosting offers a nice alternative to dedicated hosting in this respect, but it also lacks a lot of the features that make a dedicated server worth the cost.

Virtual private servers (VPS) are the compromise between these two. They offer many of the same perks like a dedicated server but are cheaper to set up and manage. Odds are if you’re looking for a cost-effective hosting solution, VPS is the way to go. Even so, cheaper is always better. So it’s good to know some ways you can decrease the cost of your virtual private server.

Shop Around:

First and foremost, you’ll want to make sure that you’re doing business with a company that can both offer you a fair price as well as live up to their promises. As with most industries, reading reviews can help you be sure you’re not throwing money away on a service that won’t work as expected. Your VPS should have things like anti-DDoS protections and a disaster recovery plan.

When looking at what different companies offer keep in mind the general demand your site is going to need. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to servers. Compare price points at the level of service that you’ll plan on using.

Seek Out Scalability:

To build off of the point above, the worst thing you could do for your business is to pay for something that isn’t being used at all. If for example, you need a VPS to host your retail site, there are trends in the market that should be considered. By this I mean not every day will have the same quantity of sales, maybe your demand increases around the holiday season. If that’s the case, then you’re going to need extra resources available to match that demand and ensure none of your users experience a choppy site.

And when the holiday season is over you’ll want the capability to scale down your resources to match the consumer trends. Sure, if you keep things at the level they were during the high-traffic season your users are going to have great load times, but it will come at the tradeoff of unnecessary cost. Making sure your VPS has scalability when you need it helps ensure that you’re always spending the right amount.

Don’t Skimp Out Just to Save:

While the goal of this post is to help you cut costs, it’s important to note that you’re still paying for a service. The phrase “you get what you pay for” holds some truth. You want a low price, but skimping out on the protections mentioned above could be disastrous. Distributed Denial of Service attacks are prevalent in the online landscape, and moving forward with a business without the proper protection is asking for trouble.

As mentioned earlier in this post, security features like anti-DDoS protection are must-haves. According to Neustar, a global information and technology provider company, DDoS Attacks in Q4 of 2019 rose 168% compared to last year. A DDoS attack involves a large number of fake requests being launched at your server in an attempt to overwhelm it. If enough requests come through your server can start to be bogged down and might even freeze up on your users. Long story short, it’s not something you want to have to deal with.

Selecting a VPS with built-in security can put your mind at ease and allow you to focus on all the other things that make your site great.

Take Things Into Your Own Hands:

It can be a great ease of mind to have your server management taken care of. But if you really know your stuff and are looking to shave cost then taking things into your own hands offers a cheaper approach. Unmanaged plans tend to be cheaper for the simple reason that you’re taking work off the web host’s plate and putting it onto yours.

Be wary of doing this without the proper knowledge though. To manage your own server, you should have a solid understanding of networking and server mechanics. Additionally, you can monitor which OS and applications your server is using, while cutting the fat on things that you don’t ever put to use. If you know what you’re doing, managing your own server could be a smart move. Otherwise, it’s probably best to leave management to the web host and focus on your product.

Wrapping Up:

VPS hosting plans are a great way to leverage many of the pros that come with a dedicated server while still cutting costs. It will usually not be as cheap as the shared hosting alternative, but there are steps you can take to cut down your price while still getting a great product. Whether it’s taking things into your own hands or finding a scalable service plan, VPS hosting is now more affordable than ever before.