Shared Hosting, VPS or Bare Metal: Which Should You Choose?
A practical guide to choosing hosting for a WordPress site, an online shop or a web application.
The quick verdict
Short answer: shared hosting is enough for a small site with modest traffic. Managed WordPress hosting suits a business site or shop that needs speed and a 99.9% uptime target. A VPS or a bare-metal server makes sense when you need dedicated resources, custom software, strict isolation or heavy load.
The choice is not only about power. It is also about who looks after the server, and at Coma our own administrators can do that on any level.
At a glance
Shared and managed hosting
Low cost, looked after for you
- Many sites on one server
- From 10 euros a month on Coma Cloud
- Provider handles the server
- Managed WordPress option for speed and uptime
VPS and bare metal
Dedicated resources, full control
- Guaranteed CPU, memory and disk
- Custom software, versions and services
- Isolated from other customers
- Needs an administrator, or our team
Shared hosting puts many sites on one server. It is the cheapest option and works well for small WordPress sites, brochure sites and low-traffic projects, with the server looked after by the provider. Resources are shared, so a very busy neighbour or a traffic peak can affect you.
A VPS or a bare-metal server gives you dedicated resources and full control over the software stack. A VPS is a slice of a physical machine with guaranteed resources; bare metal is a whole physical server for yourself. You pay more and someone must administer it.
Between the two sits managed WordPress hosting: a server configured by engineers for WordPress, with caching and a CDN. For most business sites that is the point where performance and simplicity meet.
Where each option is stronger
Shared and managedVPS and bare metal
Low monthly cost
Performance headroom under load
Isolation and security control
Ease without a system administrator
Flexibility for custom software
Speed of getting started
Coma’s assessment for typical projects (5 = strongest). It is not a measurement or a benchmark.
| Decision factor | Shared hosting | VPS | Bare metal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resources | Shared with other sites | Guaranteed slice of a server | The whole physical server |
| Typical cost | From 10 euros a month | Quoted by the resources you need | Highest, quoted individually |
| Best for | Small WordPress and brochure sites | Shops, busy sites, Node.js and Next.js apps | Heavy load, large databases, strict isolation |
| Control | Control panel (Plesk) | Root access, your own stack | Full control, including hardware choice |
| Performance | Good for small sites, can vary with neighbours | Predictable, scales by upgrading | Maximum, no virtualisation overhead |
| Security isolation | Provider-level protection | Isolated environment | Fully isolated hardware |
| Who administers | The provider | You or our administrators | You or our administrators |
| Time to start | Same day | Hours to days | Days, depending on hardware |
Choose shared or managed hosting if…
- The site is a small WordPress or brochure site with modest traffic.
- You want low cost and no server work.
- A control panel is all the access you need.
- You want a managed WordPress setup with caching and a CDN for a business site.
- You need to launch today, not next week.
- You may upgrade later if the project grows.
Shared and managed hosting is strongest when simplicity and cost matter more than raw control.
Choose a VPS or bare metal if…
- You run an online shop, a busy site or several projects with real load.
- You need Node.js, Next.js, custom services or specific software versions.
- You want guaranteed resources and isolation from other customers.
- Compliance, data control or hardware requirements are strict.
- You need predictable performance and room to scale.
- You want a team to administer the server for you.
VPS and bare metal are strongest when the project outgrew what a shared environment can promise.
Cost: what each level really costs
Our shared hosting on Coma Cloud costs 10 euros a month or 100 euros a year excluding VAT, and includes 10 GB of SSD storage, the Plesk control panel, five add-on domains, unlimited databases, free mail and SSL, unlimited traffic, regular backups and DDoS protection. We do not set limits on anything other than disk space.
A VPS or a bare-metal server is priced by the resources you need: CPU, memory, storage, network and the level of administration. We quote them individually, and the price depends more on what the project must achieve than on a price list.
What you pay for
Shared hosting
A fixed low price
- €10/month or €100/year + VAT
- + 10 GB SSD, Plesk, 5 add-on domains
- + Free SSL and mail, unlimited databases and traffic
- + Regular backups and DDoS protection
- + Care plan €50/month (optional)
VPS and bare metal
Priced by what the project needs
- Quoted individually
- + Resources sized to the project
- + Setup, hardening and monitoring by our administrators
- + Backups and updates as agreed
- + Care plan or managed service (optional)
Shared hosting price from our Coma Cloud page. VPS and bare-metal servers are quoted individually.
Compare the whole cost, not only the line item: an unmanaged server that nobody administers is cheap until the first incident. With our administrators the server is looked after, with updates, security and monitoring built in.
Performance and scaling
On shared hosting resources are shared, so performance is good for small sites but can vary with other tenants and traffic peaks. For many business sites that is fine, especially with caching and a CDN.
A VPS gives guaranteed CPU and memory, so performance is predictable, and you scale by upgrading the plan. Bare metal removes virtualisation overhead and gives the whole machine, which matters for large databases, heavy traffic and workloads that run constantly.
Application matters too. A WooCommerce shop with many products, a Node.js application and a simple brochure site have very different needs. We size the environment to the project, see our Node.js and Next.js development and e-commerce.
Security and who looks after the server
On shared hosting the provider runs and protects the server and you manage your own site. On an unmanaged VPS or bare-metal server, that responsibility moves to you: operating system updates, hardening, firewall, backups and monitoring.
This is where our own administrators matter. At Coma the server can be administered for you on any level, from shared hosting to VPS and bare metal, so you get the control of dedicated resources without needing your own sysadmin.
Who looks after what (unmanaged)
Shared hosting
VPS or bare metal
Server operating system and updates
The provider
You
Security hardening and firewall
The provider
You
Backups
The provider
You
Monitoring and uptime
The provider
You
Performance tuning
The provider
You
Website and plugin updates
You
You
Isolation also differs: a VPS is separated from other customers, and a bare-metal server is fully dedicated hardware. For projects with strict security or compliance needs, this is often the deciding factor.
The step between: managed WordPress hosting
For most WordPress business sites the right answer is neither the cheapest shared plan nor a full server. Our managed WordPress hosting runs on a dedicated server on Hetzner infrastructure in Finland, configured by our engineer, with server caching and the Cloudflare CDN, regular backups, virus and DDoS protection and a 99.9% uptime target.
We recommend it for e-commerce, higher traffic or when you need that uptime target, and shared hosting for smaller projects with fewer demands. If the project later needs a VPS or its own server, we plan the move to keep downtime low.
Which level fits which project
The table below is a rule of thumb. The right level depends on traffic, data volume, software requirements and how much downtime the business can tolerate, which we review with you.
| Project | Usual choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small brochure or portfolio site | Shared hosting | Low cost and no server work |
| Business WordPress site with leads | Managed WordPress hosting | Speed, caching, CDN and a 99.9% uptime target |
| WooCommerce shop | Managed hosting or VPS | Consistent performance under load and checkout reliability |
| Node.js or Next.js application | VPS | A Node.js runtime, custom services and guaranteed resources |
| Many sites or high traffic | VPS or bare metal | Dedicated resources and room to scale |
| Large databases or strict isolation | Bare metal | Whole machine, no virtualisation overhead, full isolation |
A simple decision checklist
Answer these five questions before choosing a level:
Five questions to decide
QuestionPoints to shared or managedPoints to VPS or bare metal
-
How much traffic and data?ModestHigh, or large databases
-
What are you running?WordPress or a simple siteA shop at scale, Node.js apps, custom services
-
How strict are security and compliance?Standard protection is enoughIsolation and data control required
-
Who will administer the server?The providerOur administrators or your team
-
How much downtime can you accept?A short outage is tolerableVery little; predictable performance needed
Moving between hosting levels: what to expect
A move is a planned project, not a rush. We inventory the sites, databases and scheduled tasks, size the new server, build a test copy and switch only when it is verified.
What the move involves
- Inventory of sites, databases and cron jobs
- Server sized and configured
- Test copy on the new server
- Lowered DNS TTL
- Final sync and switch
- SSL and email checks
- Cache and redirect checks
- Monitoring and rollback plan
The biggest risk is downtime or lost data during the switch, so it is planned for a quiet period with a rollback option.
The biggest risk is downtime or lost data during the switch, which is why we lower the DNS TTL in advance, run a final sync and keep a rollback option.
Final recommendation
Start with shared hosting for a small site, move to managed WordPress hosting when the site is a business tool, and choose a VPS or bare metal when the project needs dedicated resources, custom software or strict isolation.
Do not buy more server than you need, and do not run a business-critical project on the cheapest plan without a plan B. The right level is the one that matches the project and the people who will look after it.
FAQ
Is shared hosting enough for a WordPress site?
For a small site with modest traffic, yes. For e-commerce, higher traffic or a 99.9% uptime target we recommend managed WordPress hosting.
What is the difference between a VPS and bare metal?
A VPS is a virtual slice of a physical server with guaranteed resources. Bare metal is a whole physical server dedicated to you, with no virtualisation overhead and the most performance and isolation.
When do I need a VPS?
When the project outgrows shared hosting: a busy shop, Node.js or Next.js applications, custom software or services, or a need for guaranteed resources and isolation.
Do I have to administer a VPS myself?
No. Our own administrators can look after the server for you, with updates, security hardening, backups and monitoring, so you get the control without needing a sysadmin.
Where are your servers?
Our shared and managed WordPress hosting runs on Hetzner infrastructure in Finland with the Cloudflare CDN. VPS and bare-metal projects are planned individually.
Need help choosing the right hosting?
Coma offers shared hosting on Coma Cloud, managed WordPress hosting, VPS and bare-metal servers, all looked after by our own administrators. Tell us about the project and we will recommend the level that fits.
See our shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting and hosting migration, or contact us for a practical recommendation.
Sources checked
Plans, prices and features checked in October 2026 on our shared hosting and managed WordPress hosting pages. VPS and bare-metal servers are quoted individually.
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