Shared Hosting vs Managed VPS vs Self-Managed VPS — What Is the Difference?

TPC Hosting offers three service tiers. Choosing the right one depends on your technical expertise, the size of your website, and how much control you need over the server.

Shared Hosting

Your website runs on a server shared with other customers. TPC Hosting manages all server infrastructure — operating system, web server, database server, mail server, control panel, firewall, and security patches. You manage your own website and applications.

Best for: small to medium websites, blogs, business websites, WordPress sites, beginners.

Managed VPS

You get a dedicated virtual server with dedicated resources. TPC Hosting manages the core server services (web server, database, mail server, control panel, FTP, and standard software). You have root/admin access but TPC Hosting handles day-to-day server administration.

Best for: high-traffic websites, e-commerce, resource-intensive applications, growing businesses that want dedicated resources without managing the server themselves.

Note: If customer modifications cause server issues, remediation is billed at €15.00/hour.

Self-Managed VPS

You get a bare virtual server with full root access and no restrictions. You are entirely responsible for server setup, security, updates, and administration. TPC Hosting does not provide technical support for self-managed servers.

Best for: experienced system administrators, developers, and technical users who need full control.

Important: Self-managed VPS servers are connected directly to the internet with a public IP. We strongly recommend implementing a firewall, disabling root login, and using SSH key authentication.

Responsibility comparison

Area| Shared Hosting| Managed VPS| Self-Managed VPS

---|---|---|---

OS, web server, security patches| TPC Hosting| TPC Hosting| Customer

Firewall| TPC Hosting| TPC Hosting (custom rules via support)| Customer

Control panel| TPC Hosting| TPC Hosting| Customer

Application installation| Customer| Customer| Customer

Application security and updates| Customer| Customer| Customer

Server-level backups| TPC Hosting| TPC Hosting| Customer

Application-level backups| Customer| Customer| Customer

SSL certificates| Via cPanel (AutoSSL)| Via control panel| Customer

Can I switch between tiers?

Yes. Contact TPC Hosting support to discuss switching. Moving from self-managed to managed VPS requires provisioning a fresh VPS and migrating your data, as the managed service includes performance optimisations and automated tasks that require a clean setup.

Updated on: 28/04/2026