What is a Dedicated Server? What Is It And Its Pros and Cons

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The type of web hosting you choose determines the performance and speed of your website.

Finding a reliable, secure, and faster web hosting service is NOT easy. Go for a dedicated server if you’re running an enterprise-level business or high-traffic website.

Dedicated hosting servers are EXTREMELY powerful and reliable when compared to other types of web hosting. With dedicated servers, you get 100% access to all of the resources of that server, including the CPU, RAM, disk space, and bandwidth.

If you’re new to dedicated hosting and looking to learn more about it, you’re in the right place. In this post, let’s discuss;

  • What does a dedicated server mean
  • Pros and cons of dedicated server hosting
  • Types of Dedicated Servers and more

Are you ready? Learn about dedicated servers and why they might be the right choice for your website.

Dedicated Server Hosting: Everything You Need to Know In 2024

what is a dedicated server

What is a dedicated server?

A dedicated server is a web hosting service where you rent out an entire server that is not shared with anyone else.

Imagine a house. A shared server is like an apartment where multiple people live in different apartments. A dedicated server is like an independent villa, where you have the entire house to yourself. 

Here’s an excellent illustration that helps you understand the difference easily;

What is a Dedicated Server? What Is It And Its Pros and Cons

The BIGGEST reason to choose dedicated servers is this: you’ll have more control over your storage space and resources like RAM, bandwidth, CPU, etc.

Having full control over your servers is extremely important if you’re running a high-traffic website or business. 

Pros and Cons of Dedicated Server Hosting

So, what are the pros and cons of dedicated servers? Let’s find out.

Pros of dedicated hosting:

  • You’ll have 100% complete control over the server’s hardware and software
  • You don’t have to share the server’s resources, including RAM, storage space, etc. with anyone else
  • Dedicated servers are MORE powerful than shared hosting servers. These servers can handle more traffic and offer you superior website loading times
  • You can customize a dedicated server however you want. You can change the server settings according to your website needs.
  • Higher level of security, as you’ll have exclusive access to the entire server
  • Reliable performance as you don’t share your server with others, which ultimately improves the performance of your website
  • Most dedicated servers use modern hardware like a solid state drive (SSD) rather than a standard hard drive (HDD). SSD-based servers are MUCH faster than the rest.
  • You can change the server setup, add new applications, and modify resources whenever you want
  • You’ll get priority customer support when you opt for dedicated hosting services

Cons of dedicated hosting:

  • Dedicated servers are often more expensive than shared servers. It’s NOT recommended if your website gets less than 100K visitors monthly.
  • You need technical knowledge to install, configure, maintain, and operate a dedicated server

Types of Dedicated Servers

There are 3 major types of dedicated servers;

  • Cheap or entry-level dedicated servers
  • Business-level dedicated servers
  • Enterprise or high-performance dedicated servers

Let’s talk about these three dedicated server types.

1. Cheap or entry-level dedicated servers

Estimated Pricing: Between $99 to $199 each month

Entry-level dedicated servers are a good choice for small businesses and websites with low traffic. Also, a great choice for website owners who want their own dedicated servers for better security and performance. 

Common specs:

  • CPU: 4-6 cores
  • RAM: 16-32 GB
  • Disk space: 1-2 TB
  • Bandwidth: 100 Mbps – 1 Gbps

2. Business-level dedicated servers

Estimated Pricing: Between $149 to $399 each month

Business-level dedicated servers are suitable for medium to large businesses with high-traffic websites. They are also good for people who run multiple websites on the same server.

Common specs:

  • CPU: 8-12 cores
  • RAM: 32-64 GB
  • Disk space: 2-4 TB
  • Bandwidth: 1 Gbps – 10 Gbps

3. Enterprise or high-performance dedicated servers

Estimated Pricing: Between $399 to $999 each month

Enterprise-level dedicated servers are suitable for large businesses with enormous information examinations. They are also a good option for businesses that manage multiple high-traffic websites on the same server.

Common specs:

  • CPU: 16-32 cores
  • RAM: 64-128 GB
  • Disk space: 4-8 TB
  • Bandwidth: 10 Gbps – 100 Gbps

Apart from the above three, there are also a number of specialized dedicated servers available, such as;

  • Gaming servers
  • Database servers
  • Streaming servers and the list goes on

Who Needs Dedicated Hosting?

Any large business or high-traffic website needs dedicated hosting servers. Dedicated hosting is MOSLTY used by big eCommerce stores, video streaming websites, websites that host games, email servers, etc. 

You need a dedicated server when you need:

  • More storage space for your website and applications
  • The fastest processing speeds
  • Enterprise-level security with security firewalls
  • 100% access to and control of a server and all of its resources
  • Expert customer support for 24/7/365

In a nutshell, dedicated servers are ideal for large businesses or high-traffic websites that need lots of storage space, process sensitive data, and bulletproof security.

How To Choose the Right Dedicated Server Plan?

Dedicated servers give you complete control over the server and its resources; you don’t have to share them with anyone else. 

So, if you’ve decided to go for dedicated server hosting, what do you need to consider?

Here are some things to consider when choosing a dedicated server plan:

dedicated server tips

Consider your needs: The first thing you need to consider is what kind of websites you will host on the server. How much traffic do you expect in a day (or month)? 

Once you know your needs, you can consider various servers. Make sure to look at the specs of the server. Pay attention to the amount of CPU cores, RAM, and storage space that each plan offers.  

Processing power: The server’s processing power determines how fast it can handle requests. You’ll need a high-performance server with a powerful processor if you have a high-traffic website.

RAM (or) Memory: The server’s memory determines how much data it can store at once. If you need to store a lot of data, you’ll need a server with a lot of memory. Generally, the higher the RAM, the faster your files load.

Storage space: The server’s storage capacity determines how much data it can hold. If you need to store a lot of data, such as files, images, or videos, you’ll need a server with a lot of storage.

Bandwidth: The bandwidth of the server determines how much data it can transfer per second. You’ll need a server with much bandwidth if you have a high-traffic website or need to transfer large files.

Security: Dedicated server providers offer a variety of security features, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and DDoS protection. Choose a provider that offers the security features that you need.

Above all, make sure to compare prices, as dedicated servers from different web hosts cost differently. Go for a web host that has been in the hosting business for several years and has a good reputation. 

For more information about the hostings, check out my best web hosting guide.


FAQs on dedicated server hosting

Here are some commonly asked questions on dedicated server hosting.

Is dedicated hosting worth it?

Dedicated hosting is worth the money if you’re looking for more reliability and stability to run your websites. If your website gets less than 50K monthly visitors, it’s NOT worth it.

When should I use dedicated hosting?

If you want more storage, RAM, and better security with your own isolated server – dedicated hosting is the BEST option for you.

Who should use dedicated hosting?

Dedicated hosting is extremely useful for big agencies, large businesses, and high-traffic websites.

What are the disadvantages of dedicated hosting?

You may need technical expertise to manage and run a dedicated server, especially if you’re going with unmanaged dedicated hosting plans. Also, it’s MUCH more expensive than other hosting types.

What is the difference between shared hosting and dedicated hosting?

Shared hosting is cheaper and much slower when compared to dedicated hosting. In dedicated hosting, you’ll get superior performance and lots of storage.

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Final thoughts on dedicated servers

Dedicated hosting is the BEST choice for high-traffic sites and large businesses. Make sure to consider a few things like RAM, storage space, CPU cores, etc before picking a dedicated server.

Also, consider getting dedicated servers from a reputed and reliable web hosting provider, as the website speed and resources rely upon the hosting infrastructure you go with.

What do you think about dedicated server hosting? Have any more questions in mind? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. 

About Author
Hey, I'm Rahul Kuntala, full-time blogger, content marketing specialist, and content lead who primarily works at BloggersPassion for over 10 years which has been featured on top sites like Forbes, The Huff Post, Neil Patel, Crazy Egg and so on.

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