Shared, managed cloud or VPS hosting: which do you need?

Choosing between shared hosting, managed cloud hosting and a VPS sounds technical, but it usually comes down to one question: do you want someone else to run the server, or do you need to touch it yourself? Here are the three options without jargon, a table to compare them and five questions to help you decide. And yes, we will tell you when a VPS suits you better than our hosting.

The short answer

• You want to publish a WordPress site, a PHP site or a Node.js app and you don’t want to maintain a server: shared or managed cloud hosting.
• You need root access, your own programs or control over the system: a VPS.
• You are not sure: start with managed hosting. If you later need more control, you can switch.

What each option is, in plain words

One word before we go on: root is the account with full permissions over a server. With root you can install any program and change how the system works, and you can also break everything.

Shared hosting

Many websites live on the same server and split its resources. The provider installs and maintains the system, and you get a control panel to upload your site, create email accounts and databases. You do not have root. It is the simplest way to start.

Managed cloud hosting

It is the same idea: the provider runs the server and you only look after your site. The difference is usually that the plans state clearly what resources you get (RAM, processor cores and disk). At QuimeraCloud these are HestiaCP control panel accounts on a server that we manage, located in Seattle (United States).

To be honest, the line between “shared” and “managed cloud” is less sharp than hosting websites make it look. In both, the provider runs the server and you do not have root. What really matters is the resources and limits of each plan.

VPS

VPS stands for virtual private server. You get a slice of a server with its own operating system, and you have root: you install whatever you want. In return, you (or someone you hire) handle system updates, the firewall, backups and fixing whatever breaks. There are VPS offers with management included, but here we mean the classic VPS, where the server is your responsibility.

Comparison table

	Shared hosting	Managed cloud (like QuimeraCloud)	VPS
Who runs the server	The provider	We do	You or whoever you hire
Root access	No	No (Cloud Startup includes SSH in a jailed shell)	Yes
System security	Maintained by the provider	Maintained by us (firewall with fail2ban, free SSL, daily backup). You look after your site and its plugins	All yours: updates, firewall and backups
Your own software	Only what the panel offers	Only what the panel offers (16 one-click installers and, on Cloud Startup, Node.js apps)	Whatever you want
Who it fits	Simple sites and blogs	WordPress, PHP, stores and Node.js apps without server administration	Projects with their own technical needs and someone who can run them

One point that is often misunderstood: a VPS is not more secure just because it is a VPS. With one, security depends on how well you set it up and maintain it.

Five questions to decide

1. Do you need root or your own programs? If your project requires services the panel does not offer (Docker containers, a language other than PHP or Node.js, or a database other than MySQL/MariaDB), you need a VPS. Our hosting does not give you root.
2. Is your project WordPress, PHP or Node.js? WordPress.org recommends PHP 8.3 or higher, MariaDB or MySQL, Apache or Nginx and HTTPS. Our server runs PHP 8.3, MySQL/MariaDB, nginx and Apache, so you do not need a VPS just to run WordPress. Node.js apps, on the other hand, only run on the Cloud Startup plan. How to publish one, step by step, is in deploy a Node.js app with your domain and SSL.
3. Who will maintain the server? If nobody on your team can administer Linux and you do not want to learn, avoid the VPS: an unmaintained server is a risk for your site and your email.
4. Where are your visitors? We have a single server, in Seattle, and there are no copies of your site in other countries. If your audience is in Bolivia or Latin America, your pages are served from the United States. If location matters to you, with a VPS you choose the provider and the place.
5. How much will you grow? Check the real plan limits in the next section. If you need more than 4 GB of RAM, 4 cores or 100 GB of disk, you exceed what our largest plan covers.

Where the three QuimeraCloud plans fit

	Premium	Unlimited	Cloud Startup
First year (annual payment)	US$3.99/month	US$4.99/month	US$9.99/month
Annual renewal	US$131.88/year (US$10.99/month)	US$203.88/year (US$16.99/month)	US$311.88/year (US$25.99/month)
Month to month	US$11.99	US$18.99	US$27.99
Websites	3	Unlimited	Unlimited
SSD disk	20 GB	50 GB	100 GB
RAM	2 GB	3 GB	4 GB
Cores	1	2	4
Databases	10	150	300
Email	6 email accounts per domain, on up to 3 domains	Unlimited	Unlimited
SSH (jailed shell)	No	No	Yes
Node.js apps	No	No	Yes

• Premium is for getting started: one to three sites, such as a business site or a blog. It has 1 core and 2 GB of RAM, and no SSH. If you are going to run a WooCommerce store (installed as a WordPress plugin), Unlimited gives you more disk, RAM and databases.
• Unlimited is for people who manage many sites. There is no cap on sites, but they all share 50 GB, 3 GB of RAM and 2 cores, so resources remain the real limit.
• Cloud Startup is the only plan with SSH and Node.js apps, and the one with the most resources. Even so, it is a jailed shell, not a server of your own.

All three plans include the essentials: free Let’s Encrypt SSL with automatic renewal, a daily backup, a firewall with fail2ban, email with SpamAssassin antispam and ClamAV antivirus, no data transfer limit on the plan, and server monitoring every minute. The HestiaCP panel is available in English and five other languages. All the data is in the facts sheet, and for details by service see WordPress hosting and Node.js hosting.

One limit worth knowing: no account has its own exclusive IP, because all of them share the server’s IPv4. If your project needs one, you will have to look at a VPS.

When a VPS is a better choice than our hosting

Choose a VPS if any of these applies to you:

• You need root to install and configure the system your way.
• Your project uses software the panel does not offer.
• You need an exclusive IP address for your project.
• You want your server in a country other than the United States.
• You exceed the resources of Cloud Startup (4 GB of RAM, 4 cores, 100 GB).
• You want your own backup policy. We keep only the most recent daily backup, on the same server.

And the other way around: if all you want is for your site to work, have SSL and email on your own domain, a VPS is extra work you do not need.

Practical details before you sign up

• Backups: you restore or download them from the panel. Before a big change, download a copy to your computer.
• Changing plans: message us on WhatsApp and we change your plan without moving your site; your files, databases and email stay where they are.
• Payment: by credit or debit card, through Stripe, in US$. If you use a Bolivian card, confirm with your bank that it is enabled for purchases abroad.
• Domains: we sell .com (US$20 the first year and US$25 annual renewal), .net (US$20 and US$25) and .org (US$16 and US$20), registered for 1 year. We do not sell .bo. To connect a domain you already own, use the nameservers ns1.quimeracloud.com and ns2.quimeracloud.com.
• Support: by WhatsApp, at +591 773 14890, answered by a person on the Quimera team, 24/7.

If your case fits managed hosting, compare the plans at QuimeraCloud. If you are comparing with another provider, see QuimeraCloud vs Hostinger, where we also say where Hostinger wins.