Which is better: Managed Windows VPS or Unmanaged Windows VPS?

When you run an ecommerce site or an individual site, choosing Windows VPS hosting makes sense because of the many benefits it offers. Microsoft has been in this industry for many years and Windows hosting offers enterprise-grade solutions to all types of businesses, large and small. When you have made up your mind about Windows VPS, the next task is to decide whether to opt for managed Windows VPS or unmanaged Windows VPS.

How to choose between managed Windows VPS and unmanaged Windows VPS?

To make a choice between managed and unmanaged Windows VPS, you need to assess your business needs and budget constraints. These are some of the factors which you will need to take into account when making this decision:

To start with, setting up and managing VPS server on-site needs dedicated IT staff. They should be highly qualified and experienced to troubleshoot server related problems. When you are choosing unmanaged solutions, you have to be prepared to give staffing for managing the virtual servers. Otherwise, you will need to pay more to get support from the host for every incident which is beyond your control. This payment may be quite steep as most hosting companies charge nearly $200 for every hour of tech support.

When you choose managed Windows VPS, you will need to pay more. This is because here the host will take care of server management for you. So, when you are planning to pay more for managed solutions, you need to calculate and compare costs that you would have to otherwise bear to get additional staff to handle technical issues. In the end, you will probably find managed Windows VPS to be more pocket-friendly than keeping additional staff.

To choose between unmanaged and managed Windows VPS, the most important factor to consider is how experienced your staff is. When your IT personnel possess thorough knowledge of Windows OS and Microsoft products, you can safely choose unmanaged solutions. The staff should have enough expertise that allows them to manage the servers in such a manner that clients can get a consistently high uptime, high reliability and unmatched stability.

Differences between managed Windows VPS and unmanaged Windows VPS:

When you have unmanaged Windows VPS, the host will simply install the server for its client. Client will enjoy complete control over the server, having full freedom to install applications, and custom security measures. With managed hosting however, these will be provided by the host. So, all applications, installations and maintenance will be taken care of by your provider. The host will also deal with operational issues of the servers.

Unmanaged Windows VPS is cheaper because you will not get technical supports and regular maintenance benefits. Managed plans are costlier as the host will look into day-to-day management of the servers and offer customer support.

Unmanaged VPS Hosting plans make the client responsible for monitoring resource allocations, and the client alone decides when to scale up resources. But with managed solutions, the host monitors the virtual server on a day-to-day basis. It advises you on when to scale up or scale down resources.

When you have quality in-house staff which is equipped to deal with technical issues, unmanaged solutions work just fine for you. But, if you do not have this advantage, it is best to pay more to get the host to do it for you. The host will offer maintenance and round-the-clock support.

Some hosts will insist on clients buying control panels when they choose managed solutions. However, when you opt for unmanaged Windows VPS, your server will be customized to cater to your specific business needs only.

Unmanaged hosting will give you autonomy regarding memory, bandwidth, space and software. This flexibility is not available in managed Windows VPS. When you need unlimited access to your server, unmanaged solutions are the best. With managed Windows VPS, you will only get limited access.

For businesses that need more bandwidth unmanaged servers are ideal because they can cater to your needs promptly.

When you decide in favor of unmanaged Windows VPS, you will not get support from your hosting provider. The host will continue to offer support for hardware or networking problems. So, when you have experienced staff, it is best to choose unmanaged Windows VPS.

When you have signed up for unmanaged hosting, you will be expected to take care of third party installations and configure these. You must configure firewalls for security, maintain regular backups, deal with email hosting and site issues, and troubleshoot all technical problems, install OS updates routinely and handle security provisions. Most businesses prefer unmanaged Windows VPS because of the freedom and flexibility it offers. With managed Windows VPS, your host becomes responsible for routine maintenance of the servers, configuring these, carrying out routine software updates, updates of OS etc. These may give you peace of mind and you can focus better on your business matters. But “managed” services are tricky as the degree of management varies from one provider to another.

When you have a limited budget or run a small business, unmanaged hosting works best because you can save money on technical supports. But if you decide to choose managed Windows VPS, you should ideally enter into a contract only after consulting the hosting company sales personnel. You need to know which tasks your host will not do for you.

Interesting Topic :

What is managed and unmanaged VPS?

Who is the best Windows VPS hosting provider?

Which company offers the best VPS hosting?