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Best Dedicated Hosting

Are you serious about growing your business? Your website needs to be able to grow with you. Shared hosting limits your site’s space, and you’ll soon outgrow it. But what’s the next step?

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Dedicated hosting gives you everything you need for your business. It allows for customization, more storage, and lets you make the most of your online presence.

So, how do you choose the best-dedicated hosting service to give you the most value for your money?

Let’s talk about some of the best-dedicated hosting options in 2021 to make things easier for you.

 

Top 7 Options for Dedicated Hosting

• Bluehost—Best for Comprehensive Dedicated Hosting Features
• HostGator—Best Customer Support with Dedicated Hosting
• DreamHost—Best for Managed Dedicated Hosting
• InMotion—Best Dedicated Hosting for Technical Websites
• A2 Hosting—Best Dedicated Hosting for Website Performance
• Liquid Web—Best for Customizable Dedicated Hosting
• TMDHosting—Best Dedicated Hosting for Quick Startup

 

How to Choose the Best Dedicated Hosting for You

When you choose a dedicated host, knowing the features you need will save you time. You want one that helps your website perform at its best at all times. Factoring in these additional elements of a dedicated hosting service will help your website stand out.

Managed or Unmanaged

Whether you choose a managed or unmanaged host depends on your server knowledge and how much control you want over your dedicated hosting.

A managed hosting service means that the host takes care of server problems for you. They manage the operating system (OS), control panel, setup, and anything else that comes with the platform when you buy it.

Unmanaged hosting is cheaper, but that’s because you manage everything yourself. The host still does the bare minimum when it comes to network maintenance, but they won’t help you manage software, servers, security, or errors.

An unmanaged system means you have more control, but that doesn’t mean much if you don’t know what you’re doing. Feeling comfortable with a managed hosting service can make it worth the extra cost.

Scalability

If you want to grow your business, get dedicated hosting that will grow with it. Scalable hosting allows you to configure your hosting to your individual website’s needs. It also prevents downtime associated with server limits.

Security

According to Forbes, data breaches cost companies an average of $3.9 million. A dedicated host with high-quality security helps protect your business.

It also means your customers feel comfortable shopping with you. That way, you can avoid problems and build trust with your customers.

Availability

A dedicated host helps you keep your website’s uptime as close to 100% as possible. Downtime can cost you website traffic and, by extension, conversions.

Find a provider that keeps up availability and guarantees maximum uptime. Ideally, you want a host with an uptime of at least 99.98% or higher.

Administration

Dedicated hosting gives you control over configuration and software installation, so you can work your website as you wish. Administrative access helps you tailor your service to your business. You control which services you use with your dedicated host.

Operating System and Hardware

Some hosts support more than one OS, but others don’t. If you choose the wrong one, you might not be able to use it with your website.

Hardware determines whether the server can meet your business needs. Check things like the CPU model and speed, RAM size, bandwidth, and hard disk capacity before you buy.

 

The Different Types of Dedicated Hosting

Different types of dedicated hosting servers focus on various areas of your website. What might be an advantage for one business could hurt another. You want the right kind of dedicated host so that you have everything you need for the future.

Basic Dedicated Hosting

Most people upgrade from shared hosting to basic dedicated hosting. Basic dedicated hosting is significantly better than shared hosting, but it still only gives you the bare bones of a hosting service.

These hosts usually have less RAM and customizability, and they have fewer features overall. They might not grow with your business as well as other higher-tech options.

High-End Dedicated Hosting

High-end dedicated hosts bump you to the next level when basic doesn’t cut it. They offer more space, better features, and you can do more to make your website stand out. They also have higher overall performance without getting too tech-heavy.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth servers work well for sites with a lot of streaming, audio, video, and similar content. They focus on speed when people visit your site and with uploads and downloads during data transfer.

These hosts range from standard metered to unmetered bandwidth, so you have the space to run streams without overloading your site.

Database

Database hosts are some of the most complex servers. They need high-end configurations and more resources in place to manage since they hold more information. With database hosts, you can run specific databases on the server, like MySQL.

Application

If you have a lot of apps on your site, an application server can manage them. It works with apps ranging from media files to chat software and tons of other stuff. When you have so much on your website, you want a dedicated host that can handle it.

Server-Mirroring

You’ve heard that you should back up your data, and server-mirroring hosts do it best. They synchronize your servers, so you don’t lose your hard work. They transfer your data from one server to the other and prevent data loss.

 

Examples of Dedicated Hosting

#1 Bluehost—Best for Comprehensive Dedicated Hosting Features

Bluehost is one of the best dedicated hosting services out there and for good reason. It’s cheaper than other dedicated hosts while still giving you tons of features for your website. Its 99.98% uptime also puts it near the top of the list when it comes to performance.

Bluehost has all of the basic dedicated hosting features, plus several more advanced ones, giving you room to grow. With access control and database management, you have everything you need at your fingertips and 24/7 access to customer support if you have a problem.

You can get three different hosting packages with Bluehost:

• Standard: $79.99 per month
• Enhanced: $99.99 per month
• Premium: $119.99 per month

Standard gives you four cores at 2.3GHz and 500GB of mirrored storage so you can back up your data. With 4GB RAM, you don’t get an impressive amount of storage, but it works well for simpler websites. 5TB bandwidth gives you the speed you need to keep things up and running with three IP addresses.

The Enhanced package bumps you to the next level with the same number of cores at 2.5GHz and 1TB of mirrored storage. It doubles the bandwidth to 10TB and gives you four IP addresses.

Premium, the highest tier, also gives you four cores at 3.3GHz and 1TB of mirrored storage. It once again doubles the RAM to 16GB, adds to the bandwidth for 15TB, and gives you five IP addresses.

With Bluehost, you get a free domain name for the first year, a free SSL certificate, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The biggest downside to Bluehost is that they only have one server location. It’s in the United States, so if you run your website internationally, you might want a different host.

#2 HostGator—Best Customer Support with Dedicated Hosting

HostGator’s 99.99% uptime and unmetered bandwidth make it an attractive option for business websites. HostGator is known for its excellent customer support, which you can access 24/7/365. It also has online resources like videos and knowledge base articles to help you set up your site.

HostGator gives you three options for dedicated hosting:

• Value Server: $89.98 per month
• Power Server: $119.89 per month
• Enterprise Server: $139.99 per month

The Value Server gives you four cores with eight threads and an Intel Xeon-D CPU. Its 8GB RAM and 1TB HDD make for plenty of storage.

The next level, Power Server, comes with eight cores with 16 threads and the same CPU as the Value Server. However, it doubles your RAM to 16GB and gives you a combined 2TB HDD and 512GB SSD to store bigger applications.

The Enterprise Server has the same number of cores and threads as the Power Server and the same CPU. The upgrades come with RAM at 30GB and 1TB of SSD for your most complex applications.

You can choose between managed or semi-managed hosting based on how much you want to customize your server. Plus, each of HostGator’s packages comes with unmetered bandwidth and compatibility with Linux and Windows OS.

HostGator has two servers, but like Bluehost, they’re both in the US. Despite the host’s superior performance, it’s not a great choice for businesses with primarily international customers.

#3 DreamHost—Best for Dedicated Hosting Storage

DreamHost doesn’t have the same features or performance as many other dedicated hosting providers on this list, but it does offer a lot of storage. With a fully managed server, 24/7 tech support, and 100% uptime guaranteed, the basics are definitely covered.

You can get two packages: Standard and Enhanced. The Standard plan starts at $169 per month and comes with four cores with eight threads and 4GB RAM. Its 1TB HDD and RAID 1 storage mean DreamHost has more capacity than most other hosting services.

When it comes to the Enhanced package at $299 per month, you upgrade to 12 cores and 24 threads, 16GB RAM, and 2TB HDD with RAID 1 storage. It’s a big price jump, but remember that each feature more than doubles—and, in some cases, quadruples.

You can choose from three Standard levels and six Enhanced ones that go up to 64GB RAM.

With each package, you get root access so that you can control your settings even with a managed server. Plus, it comes with DDoS protection.

The downside comes with the high price despite its fewer features. The most expensive option sits at a lofty $379.

DreamHost has international servers in the US, Asia, and Europe, making them a solid choice for international customers.

#4 InMotion—Best Dedicated Hosting for Technical Websites

InMotion accommodates businesses that have a lot of tech needs. This high-performance platform comes with features like:

• 99.99% uptime
• Tier 1 network
• Free SSD24/7 support
• Multi-layer defenseFast start times

It might look at first like InMotion only offers basic packages, but their Bare Metal and Managed options have plenty more in store. At $99.99 per month, Bare Metal is an unmanaged server with full root access. You can choose your OS, get automation with Ansible, and get up to 15 IP addresses. You even have RAM options starting at 16GB.

The Managed option, at $139.99 per month, gives you a fully managed server with cPanel and WHM included. You also get automated backup, so you won’t have to worry about losing data. It’s Linux-based, so you only have one OS option, but you still have RAM starting at 16GB and 15 IP addresses.

InMotion offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and customized solutions for your website. Considering its features, it’s an affordable dedicated hosting service.

#5 A2 Hosting—Best Dedicated Hosting for Website Performance

A2 Hosting is known for keeping websites running at top speed. With a commitment to 99.9% uptime and 24/7 customer service, it has the tools to keep customers on your site.

A2 Hosting offers three options for management, including unmanaged and two types of managed servers. With the managed version, you have no root access. Core gives you root access to your managed server for more customizability.

They use the SwiftServer platform for faster performance and claim to give you a website up to 20 times faster than other hosts.

A2 Hosting comes with three tiers:

• Sprint: $141.09 per month
• Exceed: $207.49 per month
• Mach: $290.49 per month

The Sprint package comes with 8GB RAM and 2x500GB storage with 10TB transfer. It gives you two cores with Intel 3.1+GHz.

The Exceed package offers a small upgrade with the same amount of RAM and storage. You get a 15TB transfer, plus four cores and Intel Xeon 2.4+GHz for a faster system.

With Mach, you make a wider jump to 16GB RAM, 1x1000GB storage, and 20TB transfer. This package sets you up for speed with over eight cores and the 2x Intel Xeon 2.1+GHz processor.

Unlike other hosting services, A2 Hosting has an anytime money-back guarantee.

#6 Liquid Web—Best for Customizable Dedicated Hosting

Liquid Web has fully customizable servers with real-time monitoring and root access. It looks pricey at first, but don’t let that deter you before you’ve explored what this hosting service has to offer.

Liquid Web comes with SeverSecure advanced security, Worldwide Cloudflare CDN, and business-grade storage. It also has a support team to manage its servers, and they offer 24/7/365 customer service.

You can get three packages of dedicated hosting service:

• Intel Xeon 1230: $199 per month
• Intel Xeon 4108: $299 per month
• Intel Xeon Gold 6130: $499 per month

The Intel Xeon 1230 comes with four cores, 32GB RAM, and 5TB bandwidth. It gives you impressive storage with 2x240GB SSD on the primary disk and a 1x1TB SATA backup disk.

When you upgrade to Intel Xeon 4108, you double your cores, RAM, and storage on both the primary and backup disks. With 8TB bandwidth, you guarantee speed and performance.

Despite its significant price jump, the Intel Xeon Gold 6130 doesn’t seem to offer anything new in terms of RAM, storage, or bandwidth. However, you do get 16 cores.

Every package comes with 250 Acronis Cyber Backups. Liquid Web also has value bundles if the basic packages don’t meet your bandwidth or memory needs.

#7 TMDHosting—Best Dedicated Hosting for Quick Startup

TMDHosting might not be as big or fancy as other dedicated hosting services, but it does give you a quality site fast. It focuses on power and speed, so you’ll have no problem upgrading if your site struggles with lots of traffic or other changes. With fully managed servers, you don’t need to sweat the tech.

TMDHosting offers four dedicated hosting packages:

• Starter: $159.95 per month
• The Original: $199.95 per month
• Smart: $249.95 per month
• Super Powerful: $299.95 per month

For a basic package, Starter gives you an impressive 1TB storage with RAID-10. You also get four CPU cores with eight threads and 8GB DDR4 RAM, so you have plenty of space for everything on your site.

The Original upgrades you to 2TB storage and six CPU cores with 12 threads. You get the same amount of RAM, so it’s not a huge jump. Then again, neither is the price.

At the Smart level, you get the same amount of storage as the Original. The upgrades come in the form of eight CPU cores with 16 threads and 16GB DDR4 RAM.

At the top, Super Powerful comes with 2x2TB storage with RAID-10. You still get eight CPU cores and 16 threads, but with 32GB DDR4 RAM, you’ve got plenty of room for memory and storage.

Each level comes with unlimited bandwidth, free setup, premium support, and a cPanel and WHM. TMDHosting claims that they can have your website up and ready to go in 20 minutes, blowing the 24+ hours of other hosting services out of the water.

Summary

A website is only as good as its dedicated hosting service. Choose one that gives you everything you need, whether that’s speed, customization, or support when you need it. You can find dedicated hosting you trust, so explore your options and determine which one fits your business. Use this guide as a resource for narrowing down your options with our methodology and top choices.

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Best VPS Hosting Plans

Upgrading to a virtual private server (VPS for short) will drastically improve your site performance if you’re currently on a shared hosting plan.

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

In a world filled with different web hosting options, VPS hosting has become a popular choice for websites in various categories.

Upgrading to a virtual private server (VPS for short) will drastically improve your site performance if you’re currently on a shared hosting plan.

For those of you who are starting a new site from scratch and expecting tons of traffic from the beginning, getting a VPS hosting plan out of the gate is a viable option as well.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of web hosting providers on the market today.

That’s why finding the right web hosting plan for your site can be such a tough decision.

Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place—this guide will provide you with everything you need to know about VPS hosting.

 

The Top 5 Options For VPS Web Hosting

1. HostGator — The Best For Reliable VPS Hosting
2. InMotion — Best VPS Plans For Ecommerce Sites
3. GoDaddy — Best Self-Managed VPS Hosting
4. Media Temple — Best Managed VPS Hosting Plans
5. InterServer — The Best Cheap VPS Hosting Plans

 

How to Choose the Best VPS Hosting Plan For You

As previously stated, the list of web hosting providers is seemingly a mile long.

But in terms of actual contenders, there are a couple dozen at most. When it comes to VPS hosting, specifically, the list is even shorter.

But as you’re shopping around and evaluating different VPS hosting providers, these are the factors that you’ve got to take into consideration:

Site Performance Metrics

Site performance needs to be the top priority for everyone seeking a VPS plan.

The term “performance” can be pretty subjective, but there are two metrics that matter the most:

UptimeSpeed

Most people searching for a VPS are upgrading from a shared hosting plan that they’ve outgrown.

Uptime and speed are the first two things to be affected when you’re sharing server resources with other sites.

You want to make sure that your VPS plan can accommodate your traffic needs.

If performance is affected at scale, then you need to look elsewhere.

Lots of web hosting providers will give you a guaranteed uptime rate.

However, those offers typically come with some contingencies (like planned outages).

Some sites can’t afford any downtime or slow loading times.

If you fall into that category, make sure you get a premium VPS plan.

For those of you who would rather save some money, just know that your site performance might be affected.

Dedicated Resources

Technically speaking, you’re still sharing server resources with other websites on a VPS hosting plan.

However, the number of sites on the same main server is much lower compared to shared hosting.

Plus, each virtual server will have its own dedicated resources.

As you’re evaluating plans, consider the following:

• RAM
• Storage
• Bandwidth
• CPUs

These resources will have a direct impact on your site speed and uptime (mentioned previously).

If you’re maxing out your resources, you can’t expect your site to run at peak performance.

Optional Root Access

Not everyone needs root access.

This feature only really matters if you’re a developer or need the ability to make custom changes to your virtual server at an advanced level.

If that’s the case, then you should be looking for a self-managed VPS plan.

Most people will be better off with a fully managed plan (no need for root access here).

It’s also worth noting that you can find fully managed VPS plans with optional root access, but that feature won’t really be utilized by the average user.

Operating System

On the technical side, there are two main options for VPS hosting—Windows VPS and Linux VPS.

A Windows-based platform will provide you with access levels and performance that’s similar to a dedicated server.

If you’re on a self-managed plan, you would be able to install common windows databases and applications like Microsoft SQL, ASP, SharePoint, and ASP.NET.

With a Linux VPS, your virtual servers will support web features like PHP, MySQL, and POP3.

Since Linux is an open-source OS, these hosting plans are usually more cost-effective.

You could eventually convert your Linux server into a Windows server, but doing the opposite would be much more complex.

Customer Service

Customer support piggybacks on our last point, especially true if you’re on a fully managed plan.

You want to make sure that your web hosting provider has your back.

• What happens if something goes wrong?
• Who do you contact if you have a problem or question?
• How do you resolve a time-sensitive issue?

If your site crashes at 10:00 PM on Friday night, waiting to contact a customer support representative at 9:00 AM Monday morning isn’t going to cut it.

Look for a VPS provider with 24/7/365 support via phone and live chat.

Features like free migrations from another provider or hosting type to your new VPS plan would also fall into the support category.

Some hosting providers are undoubtedly better than others when it comes to customer service.

Budget

The price for VPS web hosting varies significantly from provider to provider and plan to plan.

We’ve seen VPS hosting plans starting as low as $6 per month.

Other plans start at $250+ per month.

Most of you will likely fall somewhere between these two extremes.

In many cases, you can expect to get what you pay for.

If you’re signing up for the cheapest VPS hosting plan that you can find, don’t expect to have extremely high uptime rates and fast page loading speeds.

For those of you who want as many dedicated resources as possible, just know that they come at higher price points.

So you’ll have to weigh your performance and resource needs against your budget.

 

The Different Types of VPS Web Hosting

There are essentially two different types of VPS hosting—managed and unmanaged plans.

I’ll explain the differences between these choices below, and I’ll also provide you with more information on alternative options for web hosting (to make sure a VPS plan is right for you).

Managed VPS

If you’re not very technically inclined and don’t have a dedicated IT team, a managed VPS plan is definitely the best option for you.

In short, you won’t have to really handle anything on your own.

You’ll be able to just focus on running your website while the hosting provider takes care of the server behind the scenes.

Here are a handful of examples of what most VPS hosting providers will do for you on a fully managed plan:

• Set up the server from the start
• Install your control panel, applications, and OS
• Handle all application updates and OS updates
• Server monitoring and maintenance
• Automated backups
• Security patches

Some providers will offer a little more or maybe even a little less, but this is generally what you should expect if you choose this type of VPS plan.

Unmanaged VPS

An unmanaged, or self-managed VPS, is just the opposite of a managed plan.

You’ll be completely on your own when it comes to installing your software, control panel, security, maintenance, updates, and everything else listed above.

If you experience a hardware failure or an outage, don’t expect a ton of support from your hosting provider either.

This type of VPS plan is really intended for those of you who need complete customization at the server level.

Self-managed plans are usually cheaper as well since the hosting provider doesn’t have to do nearly as much.

 

Other Types of Web Hosting

VPS hosting isn’t for everyone.

So if you’re new to the world of web hosting, I want to quickly take a moment to explain your other options.

Shared Hosting —

Shared web hosting is the best option for new websites that aren’t expecting a ton of traffic.

You’ll be sharing resources with other sites on the same server.

These plans are cheap, but performance can be an issue.

If another site on your shared server has a traffic spike and uses up the shared resources, it can impact the uptime and loading speeds on your site.

Cloud Hosting —

Cloud hosting is pretty similar to VPS hosting.

Think of this as a hybrid version of a virtual private server.

Cloud plans come with several remote servers, each one with different responsibilities.

If something goes wrong with one of those servers, the others will pick up the slack and keep your site running smoothly.

Cloud hosting is generally cheaper than VPS hosting, and it’s easier to scale resources on-demand.

However, customization is limited to cloud plans.

Dedicated Hosting —

Dedicated hosting is the top of the line in the world of web hosting.

It’s designed for large sites with tons of traffic.

As the name implies, you’ll have one server completely dedicated to your website.

This also gives you ultimate control in terms of customizations at the server level.

Dedicated hosting comes at a higher price point, but the performance is second to none.

 

Top VPS Hosting Plans on the Market Today

With all of this in mind, let’s dive into the top VPS hosting plans on the market today:

#1 – HostGator Review — The Best For Reliable VPS Hosting

HostGator has been around for roughly two decades. The hosting provider powers 2+ million websites worldwide.

As one of the most trusted names in the web hosting industry, you really can’t go wrong with a HostGator VPS plan.

Here’s a look at the different plans and price points:

The VPS hosting plans from HostGator come with full root access and dedicated resources.

You’ll also benefit from features like:

• Complete customization and total control of the virtual server
• Free off-site backups of your server data every week
• Script installers, site templates, and development tools
• Unlimited domains, databases, email addresses, and FTP accounts
• Ability to scale CPUs, RAM, and disk space
• Exceptional customer support, 24/7/365

In addition to traditional web hosting, HostGator’s virtual private servers are commonly used for ecommerce sites, testing environments, gaming, and heavy application use.

All plans are backed by a 45-day money-back guarantee.

 

#2 – InMotion Review — Best VPS Plans For Ecommerce Sites

InMotion has a wide range of VPS hosting plans for you to choose from.

They offer managed VPS hosting and self-managed cloud VPS hosting, both powered by Linux SSD servers.

Managed plans start at $29.99 per month, and the entry-level self-managed VPS starts at $5 per month.

Most of you will benefit from the managed plans, as these virtual servers are optimized for ecommerce out of the box.

These plans are configured for speed and reliability with ecommerce platforms like WooCommerce, Magento, Prestashop, and more.

Other advantages of using InMotion for VPS hosting include:

• Free private SSLs and scheduled snapshots
• Update databases, email, and domain settings with cPanel
• Security updates and server management (with a managed plan)
• DDoS protection and secure SSH keys (with a self-managed plan)
• Fast and automatic software installs, like NGINX

Overall, InMotion’s virtual private servers are fast and reliable.

Even the managed plans come with full root access.

InMotion’s 90-day money-back guarantee is arguably the best in the hosting industry.

 

#3 – GoDaddy Review — Best Self-Managed VPS Hosting

GoDaddy is a name that’s usually synonymous with domain registration and controversial marketing strategies.

But if you’re in the market for a self-managed VPS plan, this will be a top option for you to consider.

Standard RAM VPS plans from GoDaddy start as low as $4.99 per month.

The high RAM plans start at $9.99.

The self-managed plans are perfect for developers and system admins.

Features and benefits of using GoDaddy’s virtual private servers include:

• Full root access with SSH keys
• Command-line for complete power and flexibility
• Scalable performance options and a wide range of custom server configurations
• Unlimited hosting accounts with easy administration
• Easy monitoring and alert notificationsDDoS protection and free SSL certificate
• Ability to choose your data centre (North America, Asia-Pacific, EMEA)
• Backups and recovery console

These plans are great for testing environments, database servers, resource-heavy apps, email servers, and admins running multiple websites.

GoDaddy does have fully-managed VPS plans starting at $99.99, but the self-managed option is definitely the standout from this provider.

 

#4 – Media Temple Review — Best Managed VPS Hosting Plans

For businesses, ecommerce websites, agencies, and resellers, Media Temple is my top recommendation for managed VPS hosting.

The pros at Media Temple will handle all of the technical aspects of managing your server.

So you can spend more time focusing on your website and business.

In addition to the best customer support team in the world of web hosting, your managed VPS plan comes with benefits like:

• Ability to choose your control panel (cPanel or Plesk) and version
• MySQL, PHP, Python, and Perl come pre-installed
• Customize your virtual server with any Linux-based app, software, or OS component
• Easily resell your hosting to clients with built-in reseller tools99.99% uptime guaranteed
• Scale your server resources on-demand with just a few clicks

Media Temple’s servers are fast and reliable.

These managed VPS hosting plans start as low as $55 per month.

 

#5 – InterServer Review — The Best Cheap VPS Hosting Plans

InterServer definitely isn’t the most well-recognized name in web hosting.

But for those of you who want a cost-effective VPS plan, InterServer is worth taking a closer look at.

This hosting provider offers managed and unmanaged VPS hosting, starting at just $6 per month.

Let’s takes a closer look at some of the features, benefits, and highlights of using InterServer for VPS hosting:

• 450+ cloud apps supported by one-click installs
• No limits on accessing or updating data
• Full root access with total control of your OS and control pane
• lAutomatically redirect server issues to another node
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• No fees for incoming or outgoing site transfers
• Remote backup service to keep data safe and secure

Unlike other hosting providers on the market today, InterServer doesn’t offer a free trial or any money-back guarantees.

However, they do offer month-to-month pricing, so you can cancel at any time.

The performance of these servers won’t be as high as some of the other plans on our list.

But when you’re paying rock bottom rates, top of the line performance probably isn’t your first priority.

 

Summary

 

VPS (virtual private server) hosting is an excellent option for sites that have outgrown a shared hosting plan.

Which VPS is the best?

Naming just one as the top pick is a tough call.

But you’ll be happy with any of the options on this list.

Just make sure you follow the methodology described earlier in this guide for choosing the best VPS plan.

For self-managed and managed plans alike, there’s something for everyone on my list.

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What is an SSL Certificate and How It Can Help Your Website

You might be wondering: “Why is my website showing up as an unsecured site in Google Chrome?” The answer is because you don’t have an SSL certificate that converts your pages into secure, encrypted HTTPS pages.

Some people may think that there’s no need for an SSL certificate if your website isn’t used to store or process sensitive information, or that an HTTP protocol is enough.

That may have been the case a decade ago, but it simply doesn’t hold true today.

When visitors see the “Not secure” tag that comes along with the lack of an SSL certificate, they’ll be less likely to stay on your site or interact with your company.

Or buy anything from you at all.

In this post, we’re going to cover what an SSL certificate is and how it can be used to help your website.

So what does SSL stand for, anyway?

 

What is an SSL Certificate?

SSL certificates are data files that add a cryptographic key together with a company’s details. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer.

In layman’s terms, SSL certificates bind a domain name, server name, or hostname together with a company name and location.

When they’re installed on a web server, they activate a padlock that shows that a secure connection is present between a browser and the webserver.

These padlocks, which are added to most of your favorite websites, look something like this:

They signify to site visitors that the owner of a website is encrypting connections on the page, which makes for a more secure experience.

Usually, SSLs can be used to secure transactions, logins, and data transfer. In today’s world, it has become commonplace for social media sites to have SSL certificates, too.

When you open an SSL certificate up, it usually looks something like this:

This particular certificate lists who it was issued to, who it was issued by, and the dates that it is valid from and to. This one is valid until 2019.

That way, site visitors won’t have to second guess if your web page is safe, secure, or legitimate.

The bottom line? If you want your site to be trustworthy, you’ll need an SSL certificate.

Here’s how an SSL certificate works.

 

How Does an SSL Work

When you access a website, the browser or server requests that your web server reveals its identity.

A webserver with an SSL certificate sends the browser or server a copy of it for review.

Then, the browser or server will check to determine whether or not it trusts the certificate. If it does, it relays the message back to the webserver.

Then, the webserver sends back a digitally signed acknowledgment and an SSL encrypted session begins.

Encrypted, secured data is then shared between the browser or server and the webserver.

The benefits of using SSL certificates are huge. For starters, SSL makes browsing safer for your customers, builds trust and boosts conversions, and protects both internal and customer data.

They also help you rank higher in Google since they’re made possible with HTTPS.

But what is HTTPS and why is it important?

 

Why HTTPS?

HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It is an application layer protocol that was created to transfer and receive data over the internet.

In comparison to plain old Hypertext Transfer Protocol, or HTTP, HTTPS encrypts all communication between a browser and a website.

HTTP does not. The added S in HTTPS is much more than a letter.

This means that data sent through an HTTPS connection is converted into a nearly impenetrable code to prevent unauthorized hackers from getting their hands on it.

And even if they do, they won’t be able to understand it or make sense of it. Encryption can take a simple message, like “hello” and turn it into an unidentifiable code, like “6EB6957008E03CE4.”

An application layer protocol doesn’t discriminate when it comes to how information is transferred between sources, so your site visitors will all be treated with equal security.

HTTPS is commonly used by e-commerce websites in order to ensure secure transactions for customers when purchasing products.

Let’s take a closer look at the importance and advantages of the HTTPS protocol that SSL certificates provide.

 

The Importance and Advantages of SSL

Google’s main goal is to provide users with secure browsing options. That’s why they’re encouraging site owners to make the switch over to HTTPS.

In fact, Google is now marking all non-HTTPS sites as insecure.

And if you’re selling products or services from your site, an HTTPS seal of approval could help you sell even more.

Think about it: would you hesitate if you were ready to buy something and you saw a header like “Secure payment?” Probably not.

But if you saw something on a checkout page mentioning that things were “not secure,” you’d probably be gone faster than a toupee in a hurricane.

Once you have an SSL certificate and an HTTPS protocol, don’t be afraid to show it off to your customers and boast about it to help boost sales and transparency.

HTTPS can also help your SEO and conversions.

 

How SSL Can Help Your SEO And Conversions

Google rewards URLs with HTTPS protocols for being secure, which gives them a minor SEO boost in comparison to sites without them.

This means increased rankings and more referral data.

Referral data is preserved when it passes through HTTPS sites, which can also help to increase your search engine placements.

Rankings will continue to increase over time if your site operates on HTTPS since visitors can always rest assured that browsing on your site is secure.

But there are several different types of SSL certificates you should be aware of.

 

Types of SSL Certificates

When choosing an SSL certificate, you need to pick the one that works best for you and your site.

There are three main types of SSL certificates.

1. Domain Validated (DV SSL) Certificates
2. Organization Validated (OV SSL) Certificates
3. Extended Validation (EV SSL) Certificates

DV SSL certificates are issued almost immediately, and no company paperwork is required to obtain one.

No company identity is displayed on this type of SSL certificate other than encryption information, but it is enough to activate the “secure” padlock on your URL.

While there’s no questioning that your information will be encrypted when visiting a site with a DV SSL certificate, there’s no way for customers to verify who is on the other end of the data.

These certificates are the easiest and quickest to get, and they’re also the cheapest. But they’re the least secure of all SSL certificates.

If you just have a small personal website or forum that needs some added encryption, a DV SSL certificate is a solid choice.

OV SSL certificates are more secure than DV SSL certificates but less secure than EV SSL certificates. They’re also usually right in the middle of the two when it comes to cost, as well.

They are issued within a couple of days and require you to:

• Authenticate your organization
• Prove your right to request a certification

When you obtain an OV SSL certificate, the “secure” padlock will be added to your URL, as well as some kind of site seal, depending on where you purchase it from.

If you have a large, public-facing website that handles some non-sensitive transactional data on a regular basis, an OV SSL is a good certificate to go with.

EV SSL certificates, on the other hand, require several steps before they can be obtained. To get an EV SSL certificate, you must usually:

• Verify the legal existence of your company
• Verify that the identity of your company matches official records
• Verify that your company has the right to use the domain listed in the EV SSL certificate
• Verify that your company has authorized the issuance of the SSL certificate

EV SSL certificates are harder to get in comparison to other types, but they are more secure than DV SSL and OV SSL certificates.

You know exactly who is on the other end of the website with this kind of certificate.

These certificates are usually issued within several days and are the most expensive to obtain. The company name is displayed in the URL next to the “secure” padlock.

Your address bar may also turn green.

If you are an e-commerce site or you handle credit card payments and other sensitive data regularly, you need an EV SSL for maximum security.

How do you know what the best SSL certificate is for you?

 

What’s the Best SSL Certificate?

While all three different kinds of SSL certificates are better than no certificate, you have to pick the one that works the best for your budget and site needs.

Most sites that offer SSL certificates, like GoDaddy, Cloudflare, and Comodo, offer all three.

Let’s analyze GoDaddy first.

GoDaddy

All SSL certificates from GoDaddy include SHA-2 and 2048-bit encryption, which is about the strongest out there on the market today.

With a certificate from GoDaddy, you’ll be able to protect unlimited servers, reissue your certificate as many times as needed for free, and reach 24/7 security support.

You’ll also receive as much as $1 million in liability protection and 30-day money-back guarantee.

A DV SSL is $59.99 a year, an OV SSL is $103.99 per year, and an EV SSL is $99.99 per year.

With Cloudflare, you can get a base SSL for a more affordable price.

 

Cloudflare

With Cloudflare, you can get the base SSL service for free. There are no hidden details or fine print.

For more advanced features or SSL certificates, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.

All that you need to implement Cloudflare’s SSL services is to create an account and update your site’s DNS records.

Cloudflare’s HTTPS options provide additional services beyond regular HTTS that can help you boost page loading times and site speed.

Cloudflare serves your site visitors a cached version of your site to help make it faster for users.

However, SSL with Cloudflare only encrypts the connection between site visitors and the cached version of your site.

It doesn’t encrypt the connection that exists between your site and your server.

This means that your server connection could still be hacked.

If you want a full SSL certificate complete with encryption for your server, you might have to pay as much as $200 per month per domain for Cloudflare’s Business plan.

Other features included in the Business package include a web application firewall, prioritized email support, and guaranteed 100% uptime for your website.

Comodo SSL certificates are a bit more secure than Cloudflare.

 

Comodo

A DV SSL certificate from Comodo will set you back about $70.95 per year. A warranty level of $10,000 is included.

OV SSL certificates can cost anywhere from $88.95 to $427.95 per year, depending on the one you choose. Warranty levels are anywhere from $50,000 to $250,000 for this SSL.

An EV SSL is $199.50 per year and includes a warranty level of $1,750,000.

Every SSL certificate from Comodo features 128/256-bit encryption, 2048 bit root keys, unlimited re-issuance, and a 30-day money-back guarantee,

Each certificate features HackerGuardian PCI scanning service, as well.

Once you decide on the SSL certificate that works best for you, get ready to install it.

 

How to Install an SSL Certificate

Installing an SSL certificate might sound intimidating, but it isn’t anything to be afraid of. Start off by purchasing the SSL certificate of your choice.

1) Purchase the SSL certificate

Be sure to only purchase an SSL certificate from a reputable source.

After all, you don’t want to compromise your company’s security, so don’t just purchase an SSL certificate from anywhere.

You will probably need to upload a copy of your Certificate Signing Request (CSR) when you order the SSL certificate of your choosing.

A finished CSR should look something like this:

You can find a list of all CSR creation instructions for nearly every platform and operating system here.

Once you’ve purchased your SSL certificate, you’re ready to activate it.

 

2) Activate it

The method used to activate your SSL certificate will depend on where you ultimately decide to purchase it from. Sometimes, your web host will activate your SSL for you.

For example, if you purchase an SSL from GoDaddy, you’ll have to log into your account, head to “SSL Certificates” and click “Set up.”

Once you refresh the page, you should see your new and ready-to-use certificate.

When you have activated your certificate, you should validate it.

 

3) Validate the certificate

Before you officially begin to use an SSL certificate, you need to diagnose any issues with it.

Use an SSL Checker tool like this one from SSL Shopper to validate your certificate.

Next, install the certificate on your hosting server if it hasn’t already been done by your web host.

 

4) Install the certificate on the hosting server

The process for installing your certificate on your hosting server will depend on where you’ve built your site.

For example, if you’ve used Duda to build your website, you can navigate over to “Site Settings” and click “Site SSL” to set up a certificate.

Then, click “Generate certificate.”

Note that your SSL certificate should never be removed unless you manually take it off of your site.

Once your SSL certificate is up and running, you need to set up 301 redirects and check your links.

 

5) Set up 301 redirects and check the links

If you have old google links or dated links to your pages on other sites, you need to set up a redirect so that HTTP requests can be changed to HTTPS ones.

You can do this by adding the following code to the top of your .htcaaccess file located in your root folder:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [R=301,L]

Once you’ve added that code, double-check that your site is still working well and that requests are being redirected to the new version of your URLs.

You can also use HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to force all connections to become HTTPS links all at once.

All you have to do is add the code to your site.

For example, if you have an Apache web server, you can add the following code to your .htaaccess file:

# Use HTTP Strict Transport Security to force the client to use secure connections only Header always set Strict-Transport-Security “max-age=300; includeSubDomains; preload”

Here’s how to view SSL certificates in Chrome.

 

How to View SSL Certificates in Chrome

To view SSL certificates for any site (including your own) in Chrome, open Developer tools.

From there, head to the Security tab and click “View certificate.”

Then, the full certificate should appear for your viewing.

Finally, you need to test your HTTPS to make sure that all web elements are as secure as possible.

Testing your HTTPS

The easiest and fastest way to verify that your HTTPS is working is to head to your website and verify that you see HTTPS: before your site name.

If you want a more in-depth test, use an advanced SSL-Check tool like this one from JitBit.

This tool will crawl an entire HTTPS website (and even it’s internal links) to uncover unsecure images, scripts or CSS files that trigger unsecure warnings in browsers.

You can crawl 200 pages of your site for free using the tool if you tweet about it, which is a pretty small price to pay for zero cost HTTPS testing.

 

Conclusion

If your site is marked as unsecure, you’re losing valuable site visitors every minute.

An SSL certificate can help, since it verifies and encrypts your website, making your pages safe for both you and your customers.

If you think you can avoid getting an SSL certificate, you’re wrong. The HTTPS protocol that SSLs provide is vital if you want to build a trusted and reputable site.

HTTPS tags show up with a padlock and a “secure” tag in visitors’ browsers, notifying them that your site is legit.

And HTTPS can help your SEO and conversions, since HTTPs pages are proven to have higher rankings and more referral data.

There are three different types of SSL certificates to choose from.

• These include Domain Validated (DV SSL) Certificates, Organization Validated (OV SSL) Certificates, and Extended Validation (EV SSL) Certificates.

DV SSLs offer the least amount of security, while OV SSLs are more secure. EV SSLs are the most secure form of SSL certificate.

• Choose an SSL certificate that works best for you, your company, and your budget.

If you want a reasonably priced SSL with high encryption, try GoDaddy. With Cloudflare, you can get a free DV SSL extension, but it may not be as secure as other certificates out there.

Comodo offers a wider variety of certificates than GoDaddy with similar encryption. However, they’re a bit more expensive.

• To install an SSL certificate, you’ll have to purchase one from a trusted source, first.

Then, activate it and validate it. Install the certificate on your hosting server and set up 301 redirects to your new HTTPS URLs. Don’t forget to check the links.

If you want to view SSL certificates in Chrome, you can open them up for any site you visit using Developer Tools.

Finally, to test your HTTPS, use an advanced SSL Checker like the one created by JitBit.

Double-check that your URLs have a secure padlock, too, just in case.

Which type of SSL certificate are you going to add to your website?

About the Author: Neil Patel is the co-founder of Neil Patel Digital.

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