Are you really hosting your website on the Cloud? You might not be even if the hosting company you use has cloud in the title.
Many Cloud hosting platforms are not offering you a Cloud instance. These hosting platforms spin up a VPS (Virtual Private Server) on one of the top cloud providers like AWS, Google, or DigitalOcean, not a Cloud Instance. A VPS (Virtual Private Server) and a Cloud Instance share similarities but are not the same thing. Both technologies involve virtualization and provide a virtual environment for running applications and hosting websites. However, the underlying infrastructure and features they offer are different.
Virtual Private Servers
Using virtualization technology, a VPS is created by dividing a physical server into multiple isolated virtual environments. Each VPS acts like a separate server with its resources (CPU, RAM, storage) and operating system. VPS hosting is typically more affordable than a dedicated server, but the physical server’s resources can limit its performance.
Cloud Instance
On the other hand, a Cloud Instance is a virtual server that runs on a cloud computing infrastructure. Instead of being tied to a single physical server, cloud instances are powered by a network of interconnected servers working together as a part of a more extensive infrastructure. This setup provides more flexibility, scalability, and redundancy than traditional VPS hosting.
Some of the key differences between a VPS and a Cloud Instance include:
- Scalability: Cloud instances are generally more scalable than VPS, as they can easily be resized or added to meet changing demands without significant downtime.
- Redundancy: Cloud instances usually offer better redundancy and fault tolerance, as they can automatically switch to another server in the network if one server fails.
- Resource allocation: VPS hosting might have limitations due to the physical server’s resources, while cloud instances can draw resources from multiple servers in the cloud infrastructure.
- Billing: VPS hosting typically comes with a fixed monthly cost, whereas cloud instances often have a pay-as-you-go billing model based on usage.
In summary, while VPS and Cloud Instances involve virtualization, they have different underlying infrastructures and features. Cloud instances generally offer more scalability, flexibility, and redundancy than traditional VPS hosting.