Hosting: cPanel Reseller vs cPanel Fully Managed VPS

Question

I read many questions (and also the answers) here on SF about this subject, but I couldn't find my specific one *1. Some are asking comparisons and suggestiosn to move from a reseller to a vps without specifying that much.

1st of all I explain you why I'm asking. I already have a cPanel reseller plan, and I'm happy with it and with the service provided by the hoster, reliable, fast responses etc. I have been with them for 3 years so far. But now I would like to install sone Squirrelmail plugins, in order to do this I need to move toward VPS, coz' I need full root access. *2

Luckily, I noticed lately many Hosters *3 (and also the one hoster I'm using) are offering these new 'cPanel Fully Managed VPS' (along with the cPanel reseller plans), bascially (from my understanding) a VPS fully managed by them with cPanel already installed.

A) What I don't understand is: aren't they basically the same thing, I mean with VPS you get more power and full root access, (so for instance I could install the Squirellmail plugin I need), but except that what's the catch?

I'm interested to learn new things, but I unfortunately don't have that much time I already have to learn so many other things in my field to keep myself updatede, I'm a programmer more than a OS admin.

B) I'm afraid to get into something that is terrible to manage, makes me waste hours, maybe even less reliable because I don't have the appropriate knowledge. To me what is really strange and triggers my suspects is that most of these cPanel Fully Manged VPS are even cheaper or at the same price of their counterparts cPanel Reseller Plans (obviously comparing same disk space and same bandwidths). How could this be, where is the 'trick'?

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*1 Choosing a Host -- Reseller or VPS? Do you find using a VPS worthwhile? moving from shared-hosting to VPS-hosting

*2 (if you are interested Squirrelmail in cPanel is shared among all resellers plans on the same server so obviously if I install something also other reseller plans owners would see it, that's why I need my own VPS).

*3 The hosters I'm considering are these: http://www.qualityhostonline.com, http://www.eukhost.com/ I don't post them here to spam, NOR that I'm interested in advises from somebody who might have used their service and know them, i posted ONLY to help people that try to give me an answer, maybe it helps you if you have a look at their services and prices and understands better the questions I'm asking and my concerns.

Answer 1

Have you consider installing the Squirrelmail on a domain you have and making a subdomain for your clients with your custom Squirrelmail with the plugins you want ? if that is the only reason you want to move to a VPS this may work out the best for you.

The bellow point of view is not directed to any hosting company it is a global view that i have and others may complete and/or have it different.

A) What I don't understand is: aren't they basically the same thing, I mean with VPS you get more power and full root access, (so for instance I could install the Squirellmail plugin I need), but except that what's the catch?

if you are with a trustworthy company there is little catch to it... While they do manage your server they do go too far on it, they manage it to the extent of their standard ...

So for example if you wanted something really personalized that they don't offer you would in most cases have to make it yourself and they would not give you support for that, that part would be managed by you.

If you really want to learn you should acquire a small VPS and learn on it instead of making it a production VPS with your clients as you may break something on the learning process which may affect your customers, once you have learned what you wanted and feel confident about it increase your VPS and finally move your clients to it.

B) I'm afraid to get into something that is terrible to manage, makes me waste hours, maybe even less reliable because I don't have the appropriate knowledge. To me what is really strange and triggers my suspects is that most of these cPanel Fully Manged VPS are even cheaper or at the same price of their counterparts cPanel Reseller Plans (obviously comparing same disk space and same bandwidths). How could this be, where is the 'trick'?

Another difference is that having your own VPS you are limited within the ram, cps and space. So if your services are using too much of the ram you could ended up having your system locked up, down, if the management of that given company is not good enough...

Locked up ? Down ?

Yes, for example if you have a client that has a website that consumes too much resource they would need to be watching over it, if they don't that might happen.

I am not sure if they go as far as checking your clients usage, etc or not, so companies do some do not.

In the other hand if you were with their main server as reseller and one of your clients were to consume too much resource from their system they would initially shutdown that client website and notify you, or the other way around ... but they would totally let you know that, that given clients is hurting the server and he may need to either optmize his system or move out...

While having your own VPS it is your choice to keep him or not.