What is Shared Web Hosting?
Shared web hosting is when multiple websites share the same server. In a shared hosting environment, all of the websites stored on the server share the same resources. Most small websites and blogs do fine with a shared hosting plan. However, if your site has heavy bandwidth needs and receives a decent amount of traffic, you are probably better off using a virtual private server.
What is VPS Hosting?
A virtual private server is almost a perfect balance between a dedicated server and a shared web hosting plan. A VPS is a partitioned section of a server that acts like its own server and his housed on the same machine as other accounts. A VPS hosting plan gives you higher performance and more functionality than a shared hosting account. A VPS does not have the same power of a dedicated server, but offers powerful performance all the same. And it costs less.
What is a Dedicated Server?
A dedicated server is a machine in a network that dedicates all of its resources to a single plan. A dedicated server is typically rented from a web hosting company by a single client. Depending upon if your plan gives you standard or managed hosting, you will be responsible for maintaining updates and system software on your server. You can also opt for managed dedicated hosting and this means that your host will maintain the software, manage updates, and keep your system up-to-date. Dedicated hosting offers extreme performance and functionality, but is the most expensive option, mostly used by large businesses and websites.