Reseller hosting can simply be defined as a hosting account where one can sell web space on someone else's shared server. In other words, reseller hosting is similar to shared hosting with only difference that in reseller hosting you can create number of accounts for your own use or to sell others on a shared server.

Virtual Private Server or VPS hosting is a separate space created on a physical server. It is good for those who want a dedicated server but can't afford one because of the cost. A single physical server is divided into few partitions which offer you the same advantages of stand-alone server.

So, what type of hosting to choose - reseller hosting or VPS hosting? This question putts everyone in dilemma as there are number of factors you have to consider. Let's go through some of the features of reseller and VPS hosting that will help you to choose the one that suits your needs.

Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting is best for those who love the things that are already organized for them. All the necessary things are already setup by the hosting provider. You are provided with a Web Host Manager which you will use to customize the hosting accounts you will sell in terms of allocating web space, bandwidth and others. The account you will resell works just like a shared hosting account with a control panel on Linux platform. You will sell these resell accounts at the prices you decide. Some of hosting companies will allow you to brand your reseller hosting with your own name. This allows you present yourself as a real hosting provider and your clients will not figure out that you are selling someone else's hosting service. The other thing with this type of hosting is that you need to stick to the applications and software allowed by the hosting provider. However, it provides basic and commonly used applications. So, if you or your clients don't mind what is provided then it is quite useful.

VPS Hosting

VPS provides features similar to that of dedicated server but it is like shared service on a dedicated server. The server is shared among the few clients. This means, that it is not shared among the as many clients as in the shared hosting. A good VPS hosting provider will limit the number of clients sharing the physical server in order to effectively provide the minimum resources allotted to each client. Root access is the most important feature of VPS hosting. This means every client can install any of the applications, software and operating platforms which are legal and accompanied by proper license. It is best for those who want an isolated server that will not be affected by the amount of traffic other websites hosted on it gets. Everyone is allocated with definite amount of CPU, RAM and bandwidth usage. So, even if they receive higher amount of traffic it will not affect your bandwidth. However, for VPS hosting it is essential that you have some sort of knowledge about server maintenance and software configuration.