Shared vs VPS vs Cloud vs Dedicated: Which Hosting to Choose?
Choosing the right hosting type can save money and headaches. Here’s a practical breakdown for South African websites.
Shared hosting
- Cheapest, easiest to start
- Shared resources; performance varies
- Ideal for small sites, personal blogs, brochureware
VPS hosting
- Virtual machine with dedicated resources
- Better isolation and performance
- Suits busy blogs, SMB ecommerce, and apps
Cloud hosting
- Elastic scaling across nodes
- High availability, pay-as-you-grow
- Perfect for startups with variable traffic
Dedicated servers
- Full control and max performance
- Highest cost and maintenance
- Enterprise apps or compliance-heavy workloads
Windows/MSSQL considerations
Choose Windows hosting only if you need ASP.NET, .NET Core with IIS, or MSSQL. Many SA hosts offer Linux by default; Windows plans are niche and costlier.
SLAs and support
Ask about uptime guarantees, response times, and backup policies. “Unlimited web hosting” is marketing—check fair use.
| Type | Performance | Scalability | Cost | Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared | Low–Medium | Low | Low | Easiest |
| VPS | Medium–High | Medium | Medium | Moderate |
| Cloud | High | High | Medium–High | Moderate |
| Dedicated | Very High | Low | High | Hardest |
Upgrade path and when to switch
- Slow TTFB or frequent resource limits
- Traffic spikes or ecommerce growth
- Need for custom server config
Next steps: compare providers in Best Web Hosting in South Africa, see performance/value in our Hostinger South Africa review, or plan a migration with How to Move or Transfer Web Hosting. Agencies should explore Reseller Hosting South Africa.