Hosting guide
What Is a VPS, and Do You Actually Need One?
In short
A VPS sits between cheap shared hosting and a whole server: a guaranteed share of one machine, with root access. Move to one when shared hosting slows down under traffic or won't run the software you need.
A VPS (virtual private server) gives you a guaranteed share of a physical server: reserved CPU and RAM, root access and isolation from other customers, without the cost of a whole machine.
How a VPS works
One physical server is split into several virtual ones. Each VPS has its own reserved resources and operating system, so a busy neighbour can't slow you down the way they can on traditional shared hosting. You get root access to configure it however you like.
Signs you've outgrown shared hosting
If your site is slow under traffic, you're hitting CPU or memory limits, you need specific software, or you run several sites that deserve their own resources, it's time to move to a VPS.
What you can do with a VPS
Host busy WordPress or WooCommerce sites, run apps and databases, set up staging environments, or host email and tools. Our UK VPS plans run on AMD EPYC, with a Ryzen upgrade for faster single-thread work. For more ideas, see what you can do with a VPS.
Managed vs unmanaged
Unmanaged means you handle updates and security; managed means the host does. If you'd rather not touch the command line, choose a managed VPS so the maintenance is covered.
UK VPS hosting with DDoS protection
Guaranteed AMD EPYC cores, SSD RAID storage and DDoS protection on every plan, from £5.99 a month. Need faster cores? Upgrade to Ryzen.
See VPS plansQuestions
What's the difference between a VPS and shared hosting?
Shared hosting splits one server among many sites with no guarantees; a VPS reserves CPU and RAM for you and gives you root access.
Do I need technical skills to run a VPS?
For an unmanaged VPS, some. For a managed VPS, no: the host handles setup, updates and security.
Is a VPS faster than shared hosting?
Usually yes, because your resources are guaranteed and not shared with busy neighbours.