What is a VPS?
A VPS (virtual private server) is created by splitting a powerful physical server into several virtual machines. Each one behaves like its own server: it has its own operating system, a fixed share of CPU, memory and storage, and full administrator access. It sits between shared hosting, where many sites share one environment, and a dedicated server, where you rent a whole machine.
Businesses use VPS servers for online stores, business software such as Odoo, custom applications, several websites in one place, or anything that needs settings a shared plan won’t allow. If you’re still deciding whether you need one, compare it with shared hosting first.
What is the difference between managed and unmanaged VPS?
| Task | Unmanaged VPS | Managed VPS |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware and network | Provider | Provider |
| Operating system setup | You | Managed team |
| Security updates | You | Managed team |
| Firewall and hardening | You | Managed team |
| Backups | You (sometimes a paid add-on) | Managed team, off-site |
| Monitoring and alerts | You | Managed team |
| Performance tuning | You | Managed team, with your approval |
| Fixing problems at 3am | You | Managed team |
Exactly what “managed” covers varies between providers — always ask for it in writing.
Which should you choose?
Managed VPS suits you if…
- Nobody on your team runs Linux servers day to day
- Downtime directly costs you sales or work
- You want security and backups handled properly
- You’d rather spend time on your business
- You need someone to call when it breaks
Unmanaged VPS suits you if…
- You have an experienced Linux administrator
- They have time for updates, nights and holidays
- You want to control every setting yourself
- It’s a test or side project, not critical
- You have your own backup and monitoring tools
Is an unmanaged VPS really cheaper?
The monthly bill is lower, but the server still needs looking after. Someone has to apply updates, configure the firewall, set up backups, watch disk space, renew certificates and respond to alerts. If that’s a developer whose time is better spent on your product — or nobody at all — the “saving” can turn into an outage, a security incident or lost data.
A fair comparison adds the hours your team would spend, plus the cost of things going wrong without anyone watching.
How big a VPS do you need?
Size depends on what you run, not on a generic package name. A handful of websites needs far less than a busy online store or an ERP used by a whole team. Look at your current usage — CPU, memory, disk and traffic at peak times — and leave room to grow. A benefit of a VPS is that it can usually be resized later, so it’s better to start with a sensible size and adjust than to overpay for capacity you may never use. A managed provider should help you size it based on real figures.
What should a managed VPS include?
- Security updates on a schedule, with urgent fixes applied promptly.
- Hardening — firewall, secure access, unused services removed.
- Automatic off-site backups, with restores tested.
- Monitoring with alerts that reach an engineer.
- Clear ownership — you keep owner-level access to your server and cloud account.
- Choice of cloud — so you aren’t locked into one provider.
How we manage VPS servers
- Any cloud — AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Vultr, OVHcloud — or our own servers.
- Linux expertise — Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux, hardened and patched.
- Protected — Live kernel patching, malware scanning, web firewall and off-site backups.
Questions we get asked
Can I switch from unmanaged to managed VPS later?
Yes. A managed provider can usually take over an existing server after reviewing it, or move your sites to a freshly built one.
Do I get root access on a managed VPS?
It depends on the provider. Ask before you sign up. With us, you keep owner access to your server and cloud account.
Does Speed Linx manage Windows servers?
No. We specialize in Linux servers — Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux.
Is a VPS the same as a cloud server?
Mostly, yes. “Cloud server” is often used for a VPS from a large cloud provider; both are virtual machines with reserved resources.
Something else on your mind? Ask us directly →
