Since the eventful growth of the internet, dedicated hosting has become crucial, providing server resources to single business customers. This type of hosting service offers multiple benefits in terms of security, control, performance and many more. However, there’s no denying that this hosting service is pricier than others, which is why most users turn to much cheaper options like semi-dedicated hosting.

Unlike dedicated hosting, semi-dedicated hosting involves multiple customers sharing an entire server sliced into different segments. In a way, the structure can be described as a normal apartment complex that houses multiple residents who each share the same building.

So to further understand how dedicated and semi-dedicated hosting differ from each other, let’s take a look at the varying functions of these hosting services.

1. Performance

Dedicated servers, as the name suggests, are for single business customers alone. This means that they aren’t sharing with other users, which is why they are popular as high-performing. This is because dedicated servers provide the customer with all of its facets, as opposed to semi-dedicated servers that only offer slices of RAM and CPU cores.

2. Security

A dedicated server offers full control by a single business entity, which is why it’s the ideal hosting service for customers seeking maximum security. There are no other entities that have access to the server system. This means the customer will get to enjoy all data security and privacy protection features since the hosting account can be locked down tightly.

3. Control

Many configuration options and server settings cannot be altered or changed on other hosting account types except for dedicated ones. After all, it’s not possible to make modifications in the settings of a server if you’re sharing it with other customers or users. For this reason, it’s only dedicated servers that are able to grant root-level access and administrative control.

4. Uptime

Most of the time, customers sharing semi-dedicated servers experience downtime since there are other users that make use of the server resources. Furthermore, resource-hogging is a pretty common problem amongst customers in a virtual private server, which is why there are some that prefer dedicated servers that provide isolation features for guaranteed uptime.

5. Hardware

Semi-dedicated server accounts restrict customers from adding other hardware. This is because there are limits on what can be added, altered and removed when sharing with other customers. This is why, if you’re looking for a hosting service that gives more freedom in terms of additional hardware, then it’s best to settle on a dedicated server.

Conclusion

Given all this information, it’s pretty clear how different dedicated and semi-dedicated servers are in general. Aside from the distinction between the number of users in each hosting service, it’s apparent that there are variations in their functionality. But summing everything up, dedicated servers provide a wider range of services, as they give the customer more freedom to make some changes in the hosting account. So while they are more expensive, you’ll find that they’re actually worth the investment in the long run.

Looking for a provider that offers a cheap dedicated server for your business website? Binary Racks is a data hosting service provider that provides UK dedicated servers with unparalleled performance, security and privacy. So if you require a reliable yet cheap dedicated server in the UK, reach out to us today!