Traditionally, Dedicated Servers were the only options available to host websites. Subsequently, the need for cost-efficient hosting options brought the evolution of Shared Hosting plans and subsequently, VPS Hosting, Cloud Hosting, etc. With each plan, came variations in the platform (Windows, Linux, etc.) and managed/unmanaged services. Hence, for a new website owner, finding the right web hosting in India has now become a huge challenge. In this article, we will talk about Dedicated Server Hosting and highlight the differences between Unmanaged and Managed Dedicated Server Hosting plans.
Dedicated Server Hosting
As the name suggests, in Dedicated Server Hosting, your website resides on a web server that is dedicated to you. Hence, you do not share the server or its computing power with any other websites. This gives you the benefit of optimizing the performance of your site based on the available resources. It also gives you complete control over the hosting environment, allowing you to configure and customize the server to ensure server security and performance. It is available in SSD and HDD variants as well as Linux and Windows OS platforms.
As a site owner, you need to note that you will have to accommodate multiple site management tasks every day. These include updates, security checks, backups, maintenance tasks, etc. While most of these don’t require a high level of technical expertise, they are time-consuming. Most hosting providers offer managed services as an option where a team of experts takes care of these tasks on your behalf.
Differences between Managed & Unmanaged Dedicated Server Hosting
| Managed Dedicated Server Hosting | Unmanaged Dedicated Server Hosting | |
| Price of hosting plan | Since the hosting company manages server tasks, the price of the managed plans is higher than unmanaged plans. | Lower than managed plans since the host does not take care of any server management tasks. |
| Cost-efficiency | These plans are more cost-efficient than unmanaged plans since there are no recurring manpower costs. | Unmanaged plans are cheaper than managed plans, but the ongoing costs of in-house server experts can be costly. |
| Hassle-free hosting | Since the host takes care of most of the server-related tasks, you can focus on growing your business. | The host only ensures that the hardware is running properly. Hence, you will have to hire a team or a professional to take care of these tasks for you. |
| Control | Restricted to a certain extent | Unrestricted |
Conclusion
As you can see, unmanaged services are cheaper and offer more control over the server but require the site owner to be technically proficient or hire professionals and dedicate enough time to maintain the server. Managed Dedicated Server Hosting, on the other hand, allows you to benefit from the features of the Dedicated Server while remaining cost-efficient and freeing up your time to focus on your business. An important aspect that you must consider before buying is understanding your technical proficiency and the hosting requirements of your site. Remember to ask the right questions before buying.