A virtual private server (VPS) is used for hosting websites (e-commerce, content, visual media) and software applications (portals, extranets, collaborative solutions, wikis, CRM). Unlike shared hosting, the data is isolated onto a virtual machine which is dedicated to the user. The VPS is a perfect compromise between web hosting plans and physical servers, combining reliability with the high performance of a dedicated server — but without the difficulty of managing a server's physical hardware.

Using a VPS requires basic knowledge of server administration. It is essential for managing the operating system (Linux, Windows, PrestaShop or WordPress) installed on the machine, and configuring the applications. Think you might need a VPS, but don’t have the technical knowledge required? We recommend getting in touch with one of our partners. If you'd like to benefit from guaranteed resources but don't know how to manage servers, we would recommend Performance web hosting plans.

Yes. A VPS can be partitioned, and organised to suit your requirements. This means you can use it to host several websites or projects, by allocating a private space to each one. You choose the volume of each space, too. To simplify how you do this, you can install a web hosting control panel like Plesk or cPanel.

Using a VPS is the next logical step up from using a web hosting plan. Virtual private servers offer a wider range of options, and more flexibility in terms of configuration, access and features (root access, Apache PHP.init). You can also install an SSL certificate and any other software you want. However, we would like to emphasise the importance of choosing the right VPS for you. A VPS needs to be configured in a way that suits your application requirements, and the growth of your business.

With a Plesk web hosting plan, you are provided with a storage space that has Plesk pre-installed. You can manage your websites, but you are not the administrator of the service. You can only use it for managing your projects. If you choose a VPS, you are the server admin, and OVHcloud has no access to its content. This way, you are free to configure it in whatever way you like.

The advantage of a VPS is that you don’t have to worry about hardware management — so you would not need to monitor the status of hard disks, RAM, and CPU. They are adapted to host most types of web projects that are moderately sized. We recommend using a dedicated server if you want to manage the hardware aspects yourself, build more elaborate architectures, create an infrastructure that includes a private network (vRack), and deploy other complex solutions that are not web services. As a general rule, users with a growing volume of web activity either move up to dedicated servers, or Public Cloud solutions. These services offer more complex, flexible infrastructures that can adapt to a high level of growth.