The Difference Between Managed and Unmanaged Servers

If you have been using a dedicated server for your website, you already know that although dedicated servers offer you a lot more features and security over a shared server, you also have a lot of additional responsibilities as well. For example, dedicated server users need to manage their servers, maintain them, keep them updated, and manage their databases, their storage spaces and a host of other tasks. Ensuring that your server remains hacker free by updating the latest security software on it is also the website owner’s job. In order to free the site owner from all these technical operations associated with dedicated servers, the concept of Managed Web Servers was born.

Quite simply put, the main difference between a managed server and an unmanaged server is the person who is responsible for managing it. With a managed server, all the above mentioned aspects of maintaining the server become the responsibility of your managed web hosting company. On the other hand, with an unmanaged server, the website owner is responsible for maintenance and management of their dedicated server.

Should You Go In For Managed Hosting Or Unmanaged Hosting

Before you decide between managed and unmanaged hosting, you first need to determine whether or not you need dedicated hosting or will shared hosting be a better option for you.

If you have a large website that sees a lot of visitor traffic everyday, you should consider a dedicated hosting plan. However, shared hosting may suffice the needs of a small site owner. Once you have determined that dedicated hosting is the option for you, the next thing you have to decide is whether to go in for managed hosting or unmanaged hosting.

Managed hosting is more expensive than unmanaged hosting because your web host provides you with all the additional services needed to maintain your server. Unmanaged hosting is definitely the cheaper option but if you do decide to go in for an unmanaged server, you need to keep two things in mind:

• You need to have the time to maintain your server on your own
• You need to have the required technical knowledge and expertise needed to carry out all the tasks related to maintaining the server.

Thus, if you do not have the time and/or the expertise needed to manage your dedicated server, the better option for you would be that of managed hosting. Some website owners hire employees to specifically manage their servers for them as this turns out to be cheaper than paying their web host for managed servers. If opting for unmanaged servers, you could explore this option too.