When you look for a server you run into two terms: VDS and VPS. Some companies sell them as separate products, others use them for the same thing. If you’re wondering which is correct, the answer isn’t clear — and that’s exactly what this article is about.
What the terms stand for
VPS — Virtual Private Server VDS — Virtual Dedicated Server
Both describe the same basic thing: a powerful physical machine split by virtualisation software, with a slice given to you.
The claimed difference
The distinction described by companies that sell these as two separate terms is this:
On a VPS resources are shared. You’re given “4 cores,” but those cores are shared with other customers on the same machine. If your neighbours run heavy loads, you’re affected too — this is called the “noisy neighbour.”
On a VDS resources are reserved for you (dedicated). The cores and memory given to you are yours alone, not shared with anyone. Your neighbour’s load doesn’t affect you.
This distinction is reasonable and has a technical basis.
The reality
But this distinction isn’t a standard. No institution has defined “a VDS must meet these conditions.” The terms are shaped by marketing language and vary from company to company:
- Some companies make exactly the distinction above
- Some use the two as synonyms
- Some sell a shared product as “VDS” because it sounds better
- In Turkey the term “VDS” is more common; worldwide “VPS” is more common
So you can’t tell from a server’s name whether its resources are reserved for you.
So what to look at
Set the name aside and ask these four questions:
1. Are the resources guaranteed or shared? This is the most critical question. “4 vCPU” on its own says nothing. Are those cores reserved for you, or split according to the number of customers on the machine? Ask explicitly.
2. Is overselling happening? Some providers sell more than a machine’s total capacity — on the assumption that not everyone will use full capacity at once. This makes the numbers on paper meaningless.
3. Which processor? “4 vCPU” means nothing without stating the processor underneath. The 4 cores of a new-generation processor can be faster than the 8 cores of an eight-year-old one. The processor model should be stated clearly.
4. Is the disk NVMe? On most servers the real bottleneck is not the processor but the disk. The difference between an NVMe SSD and an older SATA SSD is felt more in daily use than the core count.
How we use it
We use the term VDS and state clearly what we sell: the processor model is specified in every plan, storage is NVMe SSD, and root access is standard. We offer four separate series, and which one runs on which processor is written on the pages:
| Series | Processor |
|---|---|
| Xeon VDS | Intel Xeon Gold 6240R |
| Core i9 VDS | Intel Core i9-11900K |
| Ryzen VDS DDR4 | AMD Ryzen 9 5950X |
| Ryzen VDS DDR5 | AMD Ryzen 9 9950X |
If you want the resources to be entirely yours — that is, no virtualisation layer at all — the product you’re looking for isn’t a VDS but a dedicated server. There the whole machine is yours and the concept of sharing disappears.
In summary
The difference between VDS and VPS is less a technical difference than a terminology difference. Both describe a virtual server; there’s no standard definition of the distinction between them.
When choosing a server, look not at the product’s name but at its technical specifications. If you can’t clearly see the following, ask:
- Processor model
- Whether resources are guaranteed
- Disk type
- Monthly traffic and port speed
A provider that doesn’t state these clearly probably doesn’t state them because it doesn’t want to.
You can compare the technical details of our plans on our virtual server page, and if you don’t want to share resources at all, review our dedicated server lineup.
To see which architecture fits you within a wider frame, take a look at our server rental guide.