Not all cores are created equal. The CPU policy behind your VPS server determines how snappy your app feels, how consistent tail latency is, and how much you pay. In this guide, we compare Shared, Shared High-Frequency, and Dedicated High-Frequency tiers and map each one to common workloads (web/API, WooCommerce, databases, game servers) so you can choose with confidence. Prefer managed simplicity? See the available vps hosting options.
The Three Tiers, Explained
Shared vCPU — cost-efficient for websites, staging, and internal tools
Shared vCPU plans time-slice compute across tenants, keeping costs low for blogs, corporate sites, staging and CI jobs, and many internal tools. If your traffic is modest and bursty, shared often delivers excellent averages with very little tuning.
Rule of thumb: If p95/p99 latency stays stable in load tests, stay on shared; if it gets jittery under sustained load, step up a tier.
Shared High-Frequency — better p95/p99 for API and bursty workloads
High-frequency silicon (strong single-thread + higher boost clocks) shines on short, CPU-bound paths: API endpoints, search suggestions, checkout steps, queue workers that must clear quickly. It’s a sweet spot for teams that want faster responses without the commitment of dedicated cores.
Dedicated High-Frequency — consistent latency for DBs and real-time apps
Dedicated (VDS-style) vCPU assigns guaranteed slices or pinned cores to your VM. Choose this when predictability matters more than headline throughput: production databases, real-time/game servers, payment flows, ad bidding, and critical APIs.
Storage & Network Foundations
Why Enterprise NVMe RAID prevents new bottlenecks
Fast CPUs will expose slow disks. Enterprise NVMe on RAID delivers high IOPS with low, predictable latency so databases, e-commerce carts, search indexes, and CI caches don’t become the new choke point. Prioritise I/O consistency over cheap capacity if you care about real-world speed.
UK & EU datacentre options to match your audience
Proximity matters. Hosting in London Docklands keeps RTTs tight for UK/IE users, while Amsterdam Science Park offers excellent EU-wide reach. Start where most customers are; add a second region for redundancy and compliance where required.
Operability & Safety Nets
KVM browser console + on-demand OS reinstall = faster recovery
Incidents happen—an aggressive firewall rule, a broken route, a kernel that won’t boot. A browser-based KVM console gives out-of-band access even when SSH is down, and one-click OS reinstall lets you return to a clean slate in minutes. ISO mounting supports custom Linux images or Windows BYOL scenarios when needed.
Built-in firewall & basic DDoS to cut noise
Start with deny-by-default rules and expose only what you need. Baseline DDoS filtering and panel-level firewall controls help keep noise away from your app.
Decision Matrix
Websites & CMS (WordPress, corporate sites): Start on Shared vCPU. If heavy plugins or traffic peaks cause tail-latency spikes, move to Shared High-Frequency.
APIs & Microservices (Node, PHP-FPM, Go, Python): Prefer Shared High-Frequency for snappy per-request times. For strict p99 SLOs during promos, consider Dedicated High-Frequency.
E-commerce (WooCommerce/Magento): Checkout and inventory locks are latency-sensitive—begin with Shared High-Frequency. If consistency under peak matters, upgrade to Dedicated High-Frequency.
Databases, Queues, Caches: Choose Dedicated High-Frequency for predictable throughput and tail-latency. Size RAM to avoid swapping; keep data on NVMe RAID.
Game Servers / Real-time: Go Dedicated High-Frequency for stable tick rates and smoother play. Place instances closest to your players (UK vs EU).
Staging, CI, Internal Tools: Shared vCPU is typically enough; bursty compiles may benefit from Shared High-Frequency.
Try the Right Tier for Your Workload
Start with Shared for cost-efficient performance, step up to Shared High-Frequency for bursty APIs, or lock in consistency with Dedicated High-Frequency—paired with enterprise NVMe RAID, full root & KVM console, ISO support, and contract-free monthly billing.
