Client area
Quick comparison: shared hosting vs VPS
The essential differences at a glance.
| Criterion | Shared hosting | Linux VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Root access | No | Yes |
| Resources | Shared with other sites | Dedicated to your server |
| PHP version | Limited choice (versions offered by the host) | Any version, your call |
| Installable software | Limited (no root) | Anything Linux supports |
| System administration | None (handled by the host) | Up to you |
| Control panel | cPanel included | Install one if you want it |
| SSL | Included and automatic | To be configured (Certbot, free) |
| Automatic backups | Included | To be configured |
| Free domain | Yes (depending on the plan) | No |
| OuiHeberg entry price | $3.49/month | $2.10/month |
Shared hosting: who it is for, what it includes, where it stops
Who is it for?
- Brochure sites, blogs, portfolios
- Small online stores (WooCommerce, PrestaShop in a standard configuration)
- Projects without server administration skills on hand
- Tight budgets that need a turnkey environment
What it includes
Shared hosting is a complete, ready-to-use environment. OuiHeberg shared hosting includes, from $3.49/month:
- cPanel to manage files, databases and email from a graphical interface
- Automatic SSL certificate (Let's Encrypt)
- Automatic backups
- Free domain (depending on the plan)
- Technical support that handles infrastructure problems for you
Those inclusions represent a meaningful amount of administration time you would otherwise spend yourself on a VPS.
Where it stops
Shared hosting is not the right fit when:
- You need a PHP version or an extension that the plans do not offer
- Your application requires root access (Docker, Redis, Node.js as a system service, and so on)
- Shared resources cause slowdowns during traffic peaks
- You need to isolate several projects with different configurations
These boundaries are not design flaws: they are inherent to the shared model, which keeps costs down precisely by pooling the infrastructure.
The VPS: who it is for, what it brings, what it asks in return
Who is it for?
- Developers and agencies hosting several projects with different stacks
- Applications that need Docker, Redis, Node.js, Python, or custom system services
- Sites with variable traffic that need guaranteed resources
- Projects that have outgrown shared hosting (see the 5 signs below)
What it brings
- Full root access: install any software, choose any version
- Dedicated resources: CPU and RAM reserved for your server, no noisy neighbours
- Complete isolation: your projects do not share the environment with other customers
- Scalability: add resources without changing host or reworking your configuration
What it asks in return
This is the part comparisons often leave out. On sticker price, the entry-level VPS ($2.10/month) sits below the Essentiel shared plan ($3.49/month), and an OuiHeberg Linux VPS 04G (4 GB of RAM) at $8.17/month stays in the same range as a Premium shared plan ($70/year, about $5.83/month). But those comparisons forget the time:
- System updates to apply regularly
- Security to configure (firewall, SSH, Fail2ban)
- Backups to set up
- SSL certificates to issue and keep an eye on
- Logs to watch when something goes wrong
For anyone who lacks those skills or that time, shared hosting remains the better choice, even though a VPS is technically more powerful.
5 signs it is time to move to a VPS
These situations indicate that the shared framework has become a constraint.
-
The imposed PHP version is blocking your project.
Your framework or CMS requires a PHP version or an extension that shared plans do not offer. On a VPS, you install the exact version you need.
-
A dependency requires root access.
Docker, Redis, Node.js as a system service, Elasticsearch, FFmpeg: these tools need either root or system privileges that shared hosting cannot grant by design.
-
Your site slows down during traffic peaks.
On shared hosting, resources are pooled. If another site on the same node consumes a lot, yours feels it. On a VPS, resources are dedicated and guaranteed.
-
You host several projects with different configurations.
One project on PHP 8.1, another on PHP 8.4, a third one running Node.js: impossible to manage cleanly on shared hosting. On a VPS, each project gets its own environment.
-
You need a service that is not supported.
A message queue (RabbitMQ, Redis), a non-relational database (MongoDB), a game server, a Discord bot running as a system service: these cases call for root access and an environment you control.
What changes day to day
Moving to a VPS means taking on tasks your host used to handle for you.
Security
Configure the firewall, harden SSH, install Fail2ban, manage security updates. The OuiHeberg VPS security checklist covers these steps in order, with the exact commands. Plan for roughly an hour for the initial setup.
Updates
On shared hosting, the host applies system updates. On a VPS, that is your responsibility. Setting up automatic security updates (unattended-upgrades) takes 5 minutes and covers the essentials.
Backups
Automatic backups are not included by default on a VPS. You configure them through cron or through the snapshots available in the OuiHeberg panel. Something to sort out before going live.
Monitoring
Keep an eye on logs, active connections, CPU load and memory. No complex tooling is needed to get started: journalctl, top and ss cover the common cases.
How to migrate from shared hosting to a VPS
If you have concluded that a VPS is the right next step, the migration is a structured process: inventory of files and database, rsync transfer, reconfiguration, testing before the DNS switch, then the switch itself with a lowered TTL to keep downtime short.
The full step-by-step guide: Migrate a website from shared hosting to a VPS.
One important point: keep the shared hosting active for 1 to 2 weeks after the switch. That gives you a quick way back if a problem shows up, and a way to retrieve anything the inventory missed.
Frequently asked questions
The entry-level VPS is cheaper than shared hosting at OuiHeberg. Why not always pick the VPS?
Because the sticker price is not the total cost. Shared hosting at $3.49/month includes cPanel, automatic SSL, backups, a domain and infrastructure support. The VPS at $2.10/month is an empty server: everything is yours to configure. If you do not have the skills or the time, shared hosting is cheaper in real terms.
Can you host WordPress on a VPS?
Yes, and it often performs better than shared hosting for high-traffic sites. The setup involves installing Nginx, PHP-FPM, MariaDB and Certbot. The full guide is available: Host WordPress on a Linux VPS.
Can you have both at the same time?
Yes. A common setup: simple client sites on shared hosting (turnkey, no maintenance) and personal or complex projects on a VPS. The two types of plans coexist without any constraint.
What comes after a VPS?
If a VPS runs out of resources, the next step is a dedicated server or bare metal. Both options are compared in detail in the article VPS or dedicated server: which one should you choose?