If you are looking for something that mimics a dedicated server in function, but does not have the same price, you might consider a virtual private server (VPS). A virtual private server is a server that exists virtually. This means that it appears to be private, and that it is partitioned in such a way as to keep it separate from the other private servers on a physical server. (A physical server is basically a computer. Virtual servers are located on the physical server, and a Web host can sell several virtual private servers on the same physical server. This provides a customer with many of the same features of a truly dedicated server, but at a much lower price.

Multiple domain hosting

If you have multiple domains that you want to manage, it can be helpful to have a VPS. This provides you with access to all of your domains, but without having to go through different servers and Web hosts. Using multiple domain hosting on a VPS can be a good way to more easily manage all of your domains. This can be especially convenient when your domains are connected to each other.

As your business grows, or if you want to start a number of Web sites, you might find that multiple domain hosting on a VPS is desirable. However, you should realize that multiple domain hosting and a virtual private server will cost more than regular shared hosting. However, if you want many domains, you are probably better off paying for the VPS, since getting hosts for all of your disparate Web sites can start to add up.

Dedicated hosting

VPS hosting is the step directly below true dedicated hosting. Dedicated hosting is when you buy or rent an entire physical server just for your use. Web hosts themselves usually have dedicated hosting, and then parcel out their servers to others in the form of shared hosting or VPS hosting. Dedicated hosting has a number of advantages if you get to the point where you need to take up a lot of disk space, bandwidth or if you want much faster processing.

With shared hosting, and to some extent VPS/multiple domain hosting, the fact that you are sharing space with other Web sites can cause problems. If there is a problem with another Web site being hosted, it can affect all of the Web sites on that server. Additionally, in some cases the quality of service you get with shared hosting is, well, what you pay for. Which may be cheap.

With dedicated hosting, you pay a lot more to have exclusive use of a physical server. This can offer you heightened security, stability and reliability. It can also mean faster speeds, since your Web site is not hampered by having other sites hosted on the server. Most small businesses, medium sized businesses and individuals cannot justify the cost of dedicated hosting. VPS hosting makes for a happy compromise between shared and dedicated hosting.

While VPS web hosting does have some of the problems that come with a shared host, they are usually much smaller than those encountered by those who used shared hosts. VPS hosting allows you to take up more space than shared hosting, and it is usually a little more stable and reliable. And it costs much less than dedicated hosting. In many cases, VPS/multiple domain hosting offers what many businesses need, at an affordable cost.