VPS Hosting Review: HostGator vs. VPS.NET

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In the world of VPS hosting, there are a great deal of factors to consider. Sure, the initial specs may be the same: RAM, CPU, speed, bandwidth. There are many other hidden factors, however, that aren’t always immediately obvious: How many other VMs are on the same physical server as yours? How is their uptime? Are the nodes well-connected and managed, or do they have tough times with disk I/O? Oftentimes, selecting a VPS provider can feel like a shot in the dark: This article will compare two big ones, HostGator vs. VPS.NET (run by UK2.NET), and see who comes out the victor in VPS service!

On the surface, the two services seem to match up pretty evenly. Both HostGator and VPS.NET have entry-level services that are about the same size and speed for about the same price, around $20 a month, and they seem to scale up pretty evenly with VPS.NET being slightly cheaper at the upper-echelon brackets.

So how to decide?

Well, the very first attractive thing about VPS.NET is its cloud-based server hosting solution. With VPS.NET you buy “nodes”, or blocks of CPU, RAM, and disk space, and can assemble them as needed to form a VPS. Unique among VPS providers, they offer per-day VPSes: sudden, temporary spike of traffic? Add a node for a few days and then take it off when your traffic ebbs back to normal. Only run a gaming server on the weekends? Get a monster VPS that’s only on Friday and Saturday.

HostGator, on the other hand, is a more traditional VPS hosting company. You buy VPSes with traditional CPU/RAM/disk space allocation, and as you need more power you bump up to the next VPS on the chain. HostGator’s true strength lies in its customer service and traditional, managed VPS approach: HostGator customer support is prompt, helpful, and available 24/7.

So which is better? Who wins this prizefight? Well, it really depends on what you’re looking for / need: VPS.NET is a more dynamic, customizable solution that may help you to get the most out of your money, adding and removing nodes as necessary; you’re going to need a little more technical know-how and gumption to get it running the way you want, however. On the flip side, HostGator is a more traditional, managed VPS approach: while you may not be able to scale up and down on the fly like VPS.NET, you can rest easy knowing that even if you’re not the most savvy sysadmin out there the HostGator team has got you covered with a tried-and-true VPS hosting solution.

Not enough of an answer for you? Here’s the short version: If you’re an adventurous techie looking to wrangle the most bang for your buck, go VPS.NET. If you’re more conventional / don’t want to spend that extra time managing your VPS nodes, HostGator’s definitely the more attractive option with its managed VPSes!