Cloud Hosting VS. Dedicated Hosting

by Ken Morris on September 6, 2018

I challenge you to go one day without hearing the term `cloud computing.` It`s everywhere from Amazon to Apple, and it`s starting to pop up in random places too. Most people aren`t really aware of what the cloud is, though. Aside from being those things that you used to look at while lying on your back, staring at the sky, as a kid, clouds are virtual storage spaces (to put it simply). There are all kinds of clouds (for another article), and signing up for a cloud service can simply sound appealing (it does sound cool, right?). But, before you jump into the fluffy white stuff, you may want to compare a dedicated server option with a cloud option. Here are the pros and cons of both.

Benefits of A Dedicated Server

• Complete control
• Available help when you need it
• Plenty of room to expand
• Cheap bandwidth
• High performance

Benefits of the Cloud

• No up front costs or equipment to purchase
• Pay as you go or pay-per-use models
• No real disk scaling limit
• No hardware to upkeep

So, you might be thinking (after looking at those lists) that cloud options are just cheaper. That might be the case in some instances, but it`s not always the truth. Let`s look at the drawbacks of both cloud hosting and dedicated server hosting.

Cloud Drawbacks

• Very little control – this is the main concern in most cases
• Disk space can be pricey
• Bandwidth can be limited
• Security concerns

Dedicated Hosting Drawbacks

• Failures happen often
• Scaling restrictions (physically)
• You pay for the max output – not as you go

Okay, so now let`s look at those things in-depth.

A Closer Look

Because physical servers are susceptible to damage of all kinds, it is possible that anything store with this kind of server can be lost or ruined. The likelihood that your cloud storage system will be ruined is much lower. However, security in the cloud is much more lax, even with all kinds of crazy encryption options and key splitting. The fact remains that you shouldn`t move anything super sensitive to the cloud. That`s a risk that you should take, and sometimes files and data you may be tempted to put in the cloud aren`t yours to move at all. So, you see, the cloud isn`t always the best option. For small businesses, dedicated hosting plans are a much better bet. If you`re running or setting up a small business and you can`t decide between the cool cloud and a dedicated option, consider going with the old school physical way of storing your data. You can always move to the cloud or just move sections of data to the cloud. But, if you`re really sold on the cloud option, make sure to compare all the cloud packages that are available. You don`t want to jump on the biggest cloud bandwagon just because it looks good. In fact, when it comes to cloud storage, you should really consider going with a smaller company that has a good reputation over a much larger one.

Why Dedicated Still Rules

If you have the space and the know-how (or a tech team), it`s hard to replace the security of knowing that your stuff is within your reach, under your control, and secure. You do have to keep your servers safe from any kind of outside harm, but, again, that`s within your control. When you send things to the cloud, you are sending things into virtual air, and it`s a lot harder to control something that isn`t within reach. The cloud is kind of like BitCoin right now – it`s worth something, it can have value, but what happens when your files get hacked and it disappears? Until there`s a private cloud option that comes with some kind of very tight security, it`s best to stick with dedicated hosting plans. For more information about hosting company stats, make sure to check out SiteGeek.com.