How to choose fast hosting in 2023? VPS with unlimited bandwidth, fast CPU, and what more?

Are you looking for fast hosting? You've come to the right place. Learn 9 things that affect the speed of the server and choose the best one for your needs.

When you go to a website, you expect it to load quickly. For example, just because the internet is a global network doesn't mean that physical location doesn't matter. An Oklahoma user will notice the difference between the Canadian VPS site and the German VPS in loading speed.

The speed of the server depends on many factors, not only the physical location. I will help you choose the best server. The use of your internet services will be a pleasure for visitors!

Why is server speed so important?

Google analysis shows that each additional second of loading your online store reduces conversion by 7%. Other studies show that 75% of users close a website if it doesn't load within 3 seconds. In the case of the Google search engine, the speed of opening a website is one of the ranking factors, i.e., it influences the position in organic search results.

The speed of loading a website on the end device depends on two factors: server speed and website optimization. While both issues are equally fascinating, in this guide I will focus on the first.

Regardless of where your customers are located, whether in Germany, the USA, or Canada, VPS your site is hosted on must be fast. So let's get down to business. Here are the hosting parameters you should pay attention to when choosing a service if you want it to be fast.

Type of disk

Often, in the basic description of hosting, you will only find the space you will receive at your disposal. It is a common practice. But the information "unlimited bandwidth VPS 30GB" is not enough to decide on proper hosting. If you want a fast server, you also need to consider the type of disk used. You can choose from:

• HDD, or Hard Disc Drive - the cheapest and classic;
• SSD, or Solid State Drive - is a more modern, more and more popular semiconductor drive;
• SSD NVMe - the fastest type of SSD, up to 10-11 times faster than SATA SSD.

Before you decide on a particular server with SSD or NVMe SSD, read the details of the offer. It may turn out that only part of your data will be on SSD, and other, less essential data, on the HDD. But if you have such a possibility, it is better to choose VPS in Canada with only SSD NVMe disks than a hosting that mixes different types of storage.

RAM

Just as your laptop or PC needs RAM to run, the same is true for the server. When choosing fast website hosting, pay attention to the limitations on the amount of RAM for all processes and one PHP process.

The principle is quite simple, as with many other server parameters - the higher the amount of RAM, the better. Often you will not find such information in the general description of the offer. It is worth asking the administrator what the restrictions are in this respect.

Processor (CPU)

The CPU is the brain of the computer. Whenever something happens on your website, e.g., someone adds a comment or opens another subpage of the website, CPU resources are used. Depending on what hosting offer you go for, there will be different limitations in this regard. Your provider can set a limit as a percentage of the CPU (how much of a single CPU core you can use) or the amount of MHz or GHz.

The more CPU is at your disposal, the faster your pages can run. To guarantee fast and efficient website operation, bet on a minimum of 1 processor core / 1 vCore / 1 GHz / 100% CPU. This way you will get fast VPS hosting. Canada and the United States are markets with high consumer demands, therefore do not go below these values.

If you exceed your allocated resources regularly, you will notice that your pages start running slower. However, this only applies to shared hosting, not VPS. Unlimited Bandwidth doesn't mean you can buy the cheapest shared hosting and put a second Amazon on it.

It is a hosting for hobbyists who run small blogs. If you have an eCommerce store or a popular blog you will likely receive a notification from the service provider about the limitation of CPU. You may be asked to optimize your scripts or choose a package with more resources at your disposal.

PHP version

Any fast website hosting should provide the latest PHP version on its servers. Unfortunately, it is still not the norm. You will still find offers from companies that provide old, not supported PHP versions. Do not consider these offers even if it has an NVMe SSD, a fast processor, and unlimited bandwidth. VPS hosting must be up to date with PHP, or you won't run most scripts.

The latest version of PHP not only increases the speed of your pages but is also of great importance when it comes to security and performance. Therefore, before you decide on a given hosting, check if it offers the latest version of PHP, and as soon as a new version is available, update it.

Server type

Web hosting uses server software - most often Apache, Nginx, and LiteSpeed. The best choice is LiteSpeed which is the most efficient. If you are using WordPress, install a plugin with the same name to get the maximum benefit from the LiteSpeed server. VPS Canada or USA, WordPress, and LiteSpeed - this is the recipe for a super-fast blog.

HTTP version

Another server feature that has a significant impact on the speed of operation of websites is the HTTP or HTTPS protocol version. HTTP/2, introduced in 2015, solved many problems, making the internet faster.

Since 2022 HTTP/3 is the newest protocol. It uses a different transport protocol - UDP instead of TCP, which means even more flexibility and efficiency. So target companies that have HTTP/3, or are going to implement it soon.

VPS with unlimited bandwidth

How the internet works for you depends, among other things, on data transfer. The hosting services provider also needs network access, which affects the speed of downloading and uploading data. Of course, hosting companies use much faster internet than we have at home.

Low bandwidth will not negatively affect the operation of simple websites, but in the case of websites with video materials or downloads, you should already be interested in this parameter. The minimum I suggest is 500 Mb/s.

Another thing about bandwidth is limiting it for your website. When looking for a hosting that suits you, pay attention only to unlimited bandwidth. VPS with limited bandwidth makes no sense. However, in the case of shared hosting, limiting data transfer is one of the elements of pricing policy management.

If you are looking for a VPS, unlimited bandwidth is a must. But pay special attention to this parameter when looking for shared hosting, as there are usually limitations with this type.

Time of execution of PHP scripts

Normally, this parameter will not matter much to the user, as PHP scripts usually load very quickly. On the other hand, some operations, such as a backup, may take a long time to run by the script. It is best to select a hosting plan with no PHP script execution time limit, but if such a limitation occurs, it should be at least 30 seconds.

Speed of DNS servers

DNS (Domain Name System) is a system thanks to which you can enter a website without typing a complicated IP number. You just use a convenient address for this. DNS server speed is measured in milliseconds. If the DNS server response time is too long, it can significantly reduce the loading speed of the entire website.

Therefore, it is crucial that the hosting is as close to the end-users as possible. It doesn't have to be the same country, but it's best to stick to the same continent. VPS Canada will therefore be perfect not only for businesses that direct their offer to Canadians but also for the entire United States.

Canadian VPS will function as effectively as hosting located in New York or Chicago. The same is for servers in Europe, Africa, South America, and other continents.

Choose the fastest hosting

Speed should be one of the primary criteria when choosing web hosting. Users expect smoothly running websites that will not cause any problems while browsing. If you don't provide it, they will likely end up on the competition's side.

Remember that you can test the hosting options during the free test. Many companies offer a free trial period or a refund. This is how you will realistically assess the quality of the service.