Choose shared hosting if you run websites and email and want no server to maintain. Choose a virtual server if you need root access and consistent, reserved CPU and memory. Choose managed hosting if you need a server of your own but want BroadNet to handle patching, monitoring, backups and restores under a written scope. Each is quoted in writing.
What "virtual hosting" means here
The term started as a web server feature. Name-based virtual hosting lets one server and one IP address answer for many domains: the browser sends the domain in the HTTP Host header (and, for HTTPS, in the TLS Server Name Indication extension), and the server picks the matching site. Almost all shared web hosting still works this way.
Today the phrase covers any hosting where your environment is virtual rather than a dedicated physical machine. We group three options under it because buyers usually compare them against each other:
Shared hosting
Your sites live in an account on a server shared with other accounts. A control panel handles domains, email, databases and certificates. No root access, no server to patch.
Virtual server
A virtual machine with vCPU and memory reserved for you and not overcommitted. Full root access, consistent performance, and you run the operating system.
Managed hosting
A server of your own, with BroadNet handling patching, monitoring, backups, restores and hardening inside a written scope and change windows.
The three options side by side
| Question | Shared hosting | Virtual server | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | An account with a control panel | A whole virtual machine | A server plus an operations service |
| Root access | No | Yes | Usually limited or shared, agreed in scope |
| Install any software | Only what the platform supports | Yes | Yes, through the agreed change process |
| Resource isolation | Per-account limits on a shared server | Reserved vCPU and memory | Depends on the underlying server chosen |
| Noisy-neighbor risk | Highest; limits contain it | Low; verify with steal time | Depends on the server type |
| Who patches the OS | Provider | You | BroadNet |
| Who restores after a failure | Provider for the platform; you for your files, unless backups are included | You | BroadNet, within the written scope |
| Email included | Usually, limits in quote | Only if you run it | If in scope |
| Skill you need in-house | Website admin | Linux or Windows administration | Application owner; no server admin required |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Middle | Highest; includes people time |
| Price | Price shown at quote | Price shown at quote | Price shown at quote |
A decision path in four questions
- Do you need to install software the control panel cannot? A specific runtime version, a background worker, a search engine, a container. If no, shared hosting is likely enough. If yes, continue.
- Is there someone who will patch, monitor and restore the server? Not "could", but will, every month, including the night a disk fills up. If no, go to managed hosting. If yes, continue.
- Does your workload need consistent CPU? Databases under load, real-time media, build systems and anything with tight latency targets do. If yes, a virtual server. If your load is light and tolerant, a standard VPS may be cheaper.
- Does it need several machines or scale-out? Then step outside virtual hosting to cloud hosting, optionally with management on top.
The server finder asks the same questions interactively, and the hosting type guide adds bare metal to the comparison.
Who each option is for, and not for
| Option | Good fit | Poor fit |
|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | Company sites, small stores, portfolios, agencies hosting many small client sites, domain email | Sustained heavy CPU, long-running processes, custom daemons, sites that need guaranteed resources |
| Virtual server | Databases, application servers, CI builders, latency-sensitive services, teams with sysadmin skills | Teams with nobody to maintain the OS, workloads that need many machines |
| Managed hosting | Businesses whose site or app is revenue-critical but who have no operations staff; teams that need written change control | Teams that want unrestricted root and to change anything at any time; very small budgets |
What can be specified in each option
| Item | Shared | Virtual server | Managed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compute | Per-account CPU and process limits | Reserved vCPU count | Server type and size |
| Memory | Per-account memory limit | Reserved memory | Server memory |
| Storage | Disk quota and file count (inodes) | Disk size and performance class | Disk size, class and backup target |
| Sites and databases | Number of each, stated in quote | Unlimited by us; limited by resources | Agreed in scope |
| Mailboxes, storage, sending limits | Your own, if you run it | In or out of scope | |
| Backups | Frequency and retention | Optional snapshots and backups | Schedule, retention, restore tests |
| Operations | Platform only | Self-managed | Patching, monitoring, hardening, change windows |
Reference configurations
| Option | Shape | Typical buyer | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared, business | Up to 5 sites, 10 databases, 20 mailboxes, daily backups | A company with a main site and a few campaign sites | Price shown at quote |
| Shared, agency | Many small sites with separate logins per client | A web agency | Price shown at quote |
| Virtual server | 4 reserved vCPU / 16 GB, 200 GB NVMe-backed | A production database or application server | Price shown at quote |
| Managed | One application server plus one database server, monthly patching, monitoring, daily backups, quarterly restore test | An online store or line-of-business app with no in-house ops | Price shown at quote |
All limits above are examples; your quote fixes the real numbers.
The cost you do not see on the invoice
Comparing invoices alone favors the option that hands you the most work. Count your own time too.
Worked example: self-managed time
Assume a self-managed virtual server needs 1 hour a month of updates and reboots, 1 hour checking logs, monitoring and disk space, 4 hours a year testing a restore, and one incident a year that costs 6 hours. That is (2 x 12) + 4 + 6 = 34 hours a year.
Multiply 34 by your internal hourly cost and add it to the virtual server's invoice. Compare the total with managed hosting's quote. If the person who would do the work is a developer, also count what they did not build in those 34 hours.
The TCO calculator and the TCO guide include labor as a line, so the comparison is fair.
Use cases and where they land
A company website with email: shared
Traffic is modest, the stack is standard, and nobody wants a server. The control panel covers domains, certificates and mailboxes.
An agency with thirty client sites: shared, then virtual server
Separate accounts per client contain mistakes. When a few clients outgrow their limits, move them to a virtual server rather than upgrading every account.
A busy database: virtual server
Databases suffer most from CPU steal and memory reclaim. Reserved allocation keeps query times consistent, and you keep root to tune the engine.
An online store with no operations staff: managed
Revenue depends on the site, and nobody is on call. Managed hosting puts patching, monitoring and restores on BroadNet, with changes made in agreed windows.
Questions that separate a sound offer from a cheap one
Whichever option you lean toward, ask these of any host, including us. A provider that answers vaguely is telling you something.
For shared hosting
- What are the per-account limits in numbers: CPU, memory, concurrent processes, I/O and file count?
- What happens when I hit a limit: slowed down, error pages, or suspended?
- How many messages per hour can each mailbox send, and are SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up for me?
- How often are backups taken, how long are they kept, and can I restore one file myself?
For a virtual server
- Is vCPU and memory reserved, or can the host overcommit it? Will you put that in writing?
- What CPU steal should I expect at my peak hour, and what happens if I measure more?
- Is the disk local or network storage, and what IOPS limit applies?
For managed hosting
- Which tasks are in scope and which are out, listed line by line?
- How often are patches applied, inside what change window, and who approves an emergency change?
- When was a restore last tested, and will I see the result?
Every BroadNet quote answers the questions for the option you choose.
Moving between options later
You are not locked into the first choice. Typical paths are shared to virtual server when limits bite, virtual server to managed when the person who ran it leaves, and managed to cloud when one server is no longer enough. Each move is a migration with a cutover: lower DNS TTLs in advance, copy data, sync again, then switch. The migration capacity tool estimates transfer time, and the migration guide covers the cutover plan.
Responsibility across the three options
| Task | Shared | Virtual server | Managed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware and hypervisor | Supplier | Supplier | Supplier |
| Operating system patching | BroadNet and supplier | You | BroadNet |
| Web server and PHP versions | Platform; you choose from offered versions | You | Confirmed at quote |
| Monitoring and alerts | Platform level | You | BroadNet |
| Backups | Confirmed at quote | You, or quoted option | BroadNet |
| Application code and content | You | You | You |
| User accounts and passwords | You | You | You |
The shared responsibility guide explains the model; each product page has its own detailed matrix.
Support terms and how buying works
For every option, the written quote names the supplier and region, lists limits or scope, and fixes contact routes, staffed hours, severity levels and response targets. Nothing is assumed from this page. General terms are on the support page.
- Tell us what you run. Sites, databases, mailboxes, traffic, and who maintains it today. Use the configurator or contact us.
- We recommend an option. Including when the cheaper option is enough.
- Written quote. Limits or scope, backups, support terms, renewal and price.
- Set-up and migration. We provision and help move your sites or server.
Frequently asked questions
Is a virtual server the same as a VPS?
Both are virtual machines with root access. Here, virtual server means vCPU and memory are reserved and not overcommitted, while a standard VPS shares CPU time more loosely. The virtual server page explains how to verify the difference.
Can I start on shared hosting and move later?
Yes. Many sites start on shared hosting and move to a virtual server or managed hosting when they hit limits or need software the panel does not support. Plan the move like any migration, with a DNS cutover.
Does managed hosting mean you manage my website?
Not by default. Managed hosting covers the server and platform: patching, monitoring, backups, restores and hardening. Your application code and content stay yours unless the written scope says otherwise.
Which option is cheapest?
Shared hosting has the lowest invoice. Once you count the hours someone spends maintaining a server, managed hosting can cost less overall than a self-managed virtual server for teams without operations staff.
Can I see prices on the site?
Not yet. BroadNet Cloud is quote-led: limits, scope and the price are set out in a written quote after we understand what you run.
Where are the servers?
On established third-party data center and cloud platforms. The supplier and region are named in your quote.
Sources
- RFC 9110: HTTP Semantics (Host header), IETF
- RFC 6066: TLS Extensions, Server Name Indication, IETF
- Apache HTTP Server: Virtual Host documentation, Apache Software Foundation
Related
Last reviewed . Facts on this page are checked against the sources listed; anything not yet contracted is marked “confirmed at quote”.