What is the difference between a dedicated server and shared hosting?

With shared hosting you share a server, and therefore the processing power, with many other customers. A dedicated server is a complete physical machine that runs for you alone. You share the processor, the memory and the storage with no one, which makes performance more predictable and lets you tailor the server fully to your own needs. The trade-off is a higher price.

Do I need root access for a dedicated server?

Not with a fully managed dedicated server. LJPc handles the management, the updates and the security, and you work through the control panel. For the security and stability of the servers we do not offer root access. That is a common and defensible choice with managed hosting. If you need a change at the server level, we carry it out for you through support, in consultation with you.

When should I switch from shared hosting to a dedicated server?

Switching makes sense when your website consistently hits the limits of your hosting, when you need specific software or server settings that shared hosting cannot provide, or when compliance and data protection require your own isolated environment. A need for predictable performance under heavy traffic is another good reason.

What is the difference between a dedicated server and a VPS?

A VPS (virtual private server) is a virtually isolated part of a physical server with its own operating system and a fixed slice of CPU, memory and storage. You still share the physical machine with others. With a dedicated server you get the entire physical machine to yourself. A VPS is often a good intermediate step; a dedicated server is the next step under heavier load or stricter requirements.

How long does it take before my dedicated server is ready?

At LJPc, a dedicated server is usually ready to use within about five working days after your order. During that time, we build the physical server with the chosen hardware, install the operating system and set up the management and the monitoring.

Can I install my own software on a dedicated server?

A dedicated server allows far more than shared hosting, including specific software and settings at the server level. Because the server at LJPc is fully managed and you do not have root access, you arrange your software requests through support. We then make sure everything is installed correctly and securely.

What is a dedicated server and when do you need one?

A dedicated server is a physical server that is entirely yours. Learn what that means, how it differs from shared hosting and when to make the switch.

A dedicated server is a complete physical server that runs entirely for you alone. There are no neighbours sharing the processing power: all the processor cores, all the memory and all the storage are yours. In this article you will learn exactly what a dedicated server is, how it differs from shared hosting and a VPS, and when switching makes sense. We also show what a dedicated server at LJPc involves and how to request one step by step.

What is a dedicated server?

A dedicated server is a physical computer in a data centre that is assigned to a single customer. All of the machine's resources, meaning the processor (CPU), the memory (RAM) and the storage, are shared with no one else. You rent or lease the whole server and decide for yourself how powerful it is and which software runs on it. You will also see the term bare-metal server, which means the same thing: real hardware, not shared.

That is the big difference from most other forms of hosting, where you share part of a server with other users. Because no one else runs on your machine, performance is predictable and you have plenty of room to tailor the server to your own needs.

Dedicated server versus shared hosting

With shared hosting, your website sits on the same server as dozens or hundreds of other websites. That is affordable and perfectly fine for many sites. The downside is that you share the processing power. If another site on the same machine suddenly gets a lot of traffic, that can slow your site down. This is known as the noisy neighbour effect. Good hosting providers limit it with fixed per-account boundaries, but it never disappears completely.

On a dedicated server, you are not affected by any of that. The whole machine is yours, so a spike from someone else simply cannot happen. You also get your own IP address, whereas on shared hosting you often share an IP with other customers. If one of those neighbours misbehaves, for example by sending spam, that shared IP can end up on a blocklist and affect your email. With your own server, your reputation depends only on your own behaviour. In short, you get more control, more capacity and stronger isolation, but you also pay more than for a spot on a shared server.

Shared hosting compared with a dedicated server
Feature	Shared hosting	Dedicated server
Resources (CPU, memory, storage)	Shared with other customers	Entirely yours alone
Noisy neighbour effect	Someone else's spike can affect you	No influence from other customers
Performance	Fine for small to medium sites	Predictable, even under heavy load
IP address	Often shared, reputation depends on neighbours too	Your own IP address(es)
Configuration	Standard software and fixed settings	Server and software to your specification
Isolation and security	Shared environment	Your own machine, strong isolation
Cost	Low, fixed monthly amount	Higher, matched to the hardware
Best suited to	Most websites and web shops	Heavy, busy or demanding applications

What about a VPS?

Between shared hosting and a dedicated server sits the VPS (virtual private server). A VPS is a virtually isolated part of a physical server, with its own operating system and a guaranteed slice of CPU, memory and storage. Your slice is fixed, but you still share the physical machine with others. A dedicated server goes one step further: you get not a slice but the entire physical machine. For many growing sites, a VPS is a logical intermediate step. Only under genuinely heavy load or strict requirements does a dedicated server become worthwhile. Note that a guaranteed slice of resources, or a standalone dedicated IP address, is not the same as a true dedicated server.

When do you need a dedicated server?

A dedicated server is not necessary for every website. Shared hosting or a VPS is often perfectly fine. Even so, there are clear signals that you are ready for a machine of your own. If you recognise one or more of the situations below, switching is worth considering.

High or growing visitor numbers

If your website or web shop is hitting the limits of your current hosting, with slower load times or error messages during peaks, you need more guaranteed capacity. On a dedicated server, you have all the processing power to yourself, so busy moments are handled far better.

Specific software or server settings

If you need software that shared hosting is not allowed or able to run, or settings at the operating-system level, then a machine of your own gives you the room. Think of a special database, a custom application or a combination of services that demands a lot of memory.

Compliance and data protection

If you work with sensitive data, stricter requirements often apply, for example under the GDPR (the European privacy law) or a standard such as ISO 27001 or PCI DSS for payment data. A dedicated server gives you your own isolated environment, more control over your security and, with hosting in the Netherlands, certainty about where your data is stored. One important point: a dedicated server is a solid foundation, but it does not make you compliant automatically. The right configuration, the necessary agreements such as a data processing agreement, and your own documentation remain your responsibility.

Predictable performance and security

If you want to be sure that capacity is always available and does not depend on other users, a dedicated server is the safest choice. The strong isolation of a machine of your own is also reassuring when reliability and security carry a lot of weight.

What to look for when choosing the hardware

You put a dedicated server together based on what your application needs. The main choices are:

Processor (CPU): Intel or AMD, with more cores for applications that handle a lot at once. AMD often provides many cores per server, while Intel is known for strong performance per core. The best choice depends on your software.
Memory (RAM): more memory helps with databases, caching and large numbers of concurrent visitors.
Storage: fast NVMe SSD storage is clearly faster than an ordinary SATA SSD or a classic hard drive, especially with a database doing many reads and writes.
Redundancy: with a RAID setup your data is stored on several drives at once, so you are protected if a drive fails.

The dedicated server offering at LJPc

At LJPc, a dedicated server is a physical machine of your own that we build, install and manage for you. You choose the hardware that suits your application, and we make sure the server runs and keeps running. The key features at a glance:

A choice of Intel or AMD processors, so the server fits your workload.
Memory and storage sized to your needs, with fast NVMe storage and no shared queue.
Fully managed: we handle the installation, the updates, the monitoring and the security. You do not need root access, and for the security of the servers we do not offer it. That is a deliberate choice: because we are responsible for stability and security, we keep system administration in our own hands.
Continuous monitoring, day and night, so issues are spotted quickly.
The servers are located in the Netherlands, close to your visitors.
Regular backups, plus manual backups whenever you want one.
A clear control panel on every server and personal support by phone and WhatsApp.

Because every server is put together to order, we prepare a tailored quote for each request. You can work out a price indication yourself with the calculator on the dedicated servers page at LJPc, where you will also find the current offering. That amount is an indication; the final price is in the quote.

Requesting a dedicated server at LJPc, step by step

You do not order a dedicated server at the push of a button, but through a short request with a tailored quote. Here is how it works:

Define your needs. Think about your expected visitor numbers, the software you want to run and how much processing power, memory and storage you need. If you are not sure, we are happy to think along with you.
Request a quote. Look at the offering on the dedicated servers page, put together an indication with the calculator and pass on your wishes. We draw up a suitable configuration and prepare a tailored quote.
Confirm your order. Once you agree to the quote, we order and build the physical server with the chosen hardware.
We deliver the server. After your order, the server is usually ready to use within about five working days. We install the operating system, set up the management and switch on the monitoring.
Move your website or application. As soon as the server is ready, you move your site and data across. You point your domain to the new server by updating the A record, and you arrange an SSL certificate for a secure https connection.

Managing your dedicated server

After delivery, you do not have to be a system administrator yourself. Because the server is fully managed, we take care of the updates, the security and the maintenance in the background. In the customer portal you can see the important figures for your server live, such as processor load, memory usage and response time, so you always know how your machine is doing.

For your day-to-day work, you log in to the control panel with a single click, where you manage your websites, email addresses and domains. If you need a change at the server level, for example extra software or more capacity, you arrange that through support. You do not have root access and cannot restart the server yourself, but we carry out your requests in consultation with you. If our monitoring spots a problem, we step in, often before you notice anything. Regular backups are part of the service, and you can request a manual backup at any time.

Not sure whether a dedicated server fits your situation, or would you like help choosing the right configuration? Feel free to contact support, and we will be glad to think along with you.