How to Choose a VPS

When it’s time to upgrade from shared hosting, your natural next step is a VPS.

There are a few more resource limits and other criteria to consider with VPS hosting.

Here’s what we’d recommend.

Consider VPS RAM

The RAM in your VPS may dictate the overall price, so it’s important to get it right.

cPanel or Plesk require at least 512mb RAM, realistically, although you may cope with less. Go for more RAM if you can afford it.

Also, consider burstable RAM – RAM that’s only used during an extreme scenario like a traffic spike.

How Many IP Addresses?

You clearly need at least one IP. Two is better, but some hosts prefer you to stick to one.

Some hosts offer four IP addresses: two for the nameservers, two for your sites.

If you do not have a specific reason for needing more IP addresses, expect to be allocated one or two (or pay for more).

Choose a Control Panel

If you don’t have a lot of experience with server management, you need a control panel. Which you choose is up to you. cPanel is slightly more common and is viewed as more of an industry standard.

Normally, control panel software is only available pre-installed if you purchased managed hosting.

Choosing the Basics

If you’re just stepping up from a shared hosting, a VPS with between 512 MB and 1 GB of RAM and a control panel is a good place to start.

Try not to overspend or underspend: monitor your usage and switch later if you need to.