VPS, dedicated server or cloud: how to choose for your business
· 4 min read
Real differences between VPS, dedicated and managed cloud: cost, performance, maintenance, and what fits your system.
Three options, three ways to pay
- VPS: a virtual machine with reserved resources on a shared server. Affordable and flexible.
- Dedicated server: an entire physical machine for you. More consistent power, more responsibility.
- Managed cloud: services that scale on their own (databases, storage, containers). You pay for usage and the provider handles part of the maintenance.
What fits each type of system
| System type | Usual choice |
|---|---|
| Corporate site or small store | Small VPS |
| Dashboard or platform with dozens of users | Medium VPS |
| Tracking platform with thousands of devices | Dedicated or large VPS, with a tuned database |
| Highly variable traffic or seasonal peaks | Cloud with autoscaling |
What almost nobody budgets for
- Backups stored off the same server.
- Monitoring and alerts when something goes down.
- Operating system security updates.
- Who responds at 3 a.m. if the server stops working.
A cheap server with no backups or monitoring gets expensive the day it fails. The real price is the server plus the cost of maintaining it.
Our recommendation
Start with a well-configured VPS with automatic backups and monitoring, and scale up when the numbers call for it. We handle setup, backups, monitoring and migrations, with prices on our pricing page.
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