What’s the difference between an stcPlan (virtual dedicated) Server, Shared Hosting and a Dedicated Server?
Good question? Shared hosting essentially provides you with the ability to serve web pages to the Internet. You are provided with some storage space on to which you load your web page(s) and the web server software ensures that when a user wants to look at your page, it is ‘served’ to them. You can utilise databases and other specially developed routines but most hosting companies have strict rules about the level of access and capability you have to run particular types of software/utilities. This can seriously compromise the ability of your website / application to deliver the service you require to your prospective customers and is a real headache for web developers. The good news is that shared hosting is cheap but if it doesn’t deliver what you need, it is of little use to you!
Until recently, the only option – should you not be able to use Shared Hosting - was to use a totally dedicated server….a Windows, Linux or Apple Mac server on to which you could effectively load what you wanted – although some hosting companies even limited this on servers they rent to their customers (most inflexible!). The problem with dedicated servers is the jump in cost – typically from less than £100 per annum to £000’s per month!
Enter Virtual Dedicated Servers / Virtual Machines - there are many names for them and we call our stcPlan Servers (stc stands for Slice The Cloud). This can almost be viewed as a best-of-both-worlds hybrid solution – a single server split into several (virtual) dedicated servers. Unlike Shared Hosting, an stcPlan Server provides each user with their own ‘complete’ server, with access to the core operating system so that you can load whatever software is compatible with your OS. There are a few limitations (for example, see FAQ “Can I run database software?”) but in the main, you have all the benefits of a dedicated server at much lower prices.
If you are in doubt which one best suits your needs, just call our Business Development Team on 0800 5426 555 or email sales@jpci.net.
