Dedicated servers can be a perfect web hosting option for some very specific reasons, but they can also be overkill for many people. Consider your needs.

For instance, increased traffic and security concerns may have made your current business web hosting structure less practical or desirable. You may be at the point where you’d like more hands-on control or flexibility to explore more options, compared to the typical ‘cookie-cutter’ approach of your web site hosting company’s package deals. Shared web hosting may be giving you bandwidth and security nightmares, especially if you’re starting to deal with higher amounts or more sensitive information.

On the other hand, more options usually means higher costs, and web hosting companies generally put a premium on dedicated servers (obviously, as the costs are no longer split between various customers). Also, hands-on-control always comes with  increased responsibility; you’ll be in a position (for better or worse) to make the decisions about operating systems, data backup and monitoring, and many hardware options.

You won’t have any control over certain things no matter what you do, but you can at least make sure that the web hosting provides your dedicated server with redundant power options in a secure central data center. If you shop around, you’ll probably be able to get the web hosting service to provide you with server administration, and sometimes even basic oversight of your applications and OS, but chances are you’ll have to pick up any slack on the software end.

Top Rated and Reviewed Web Hosting Services with Dedicated Servers:

  • Hostgator — they’re big and popular among web hosting review sites. That might even mean that a lot of real people like them. They offer many options, including dedicated servers and business web hosting as well as more typical web site hosting packages.
  • InMotion — another with significant visibility on the ‘net. Many satisfied people and also quite a few of the other kind. They’re big enough to offer business web hosting on dedicated servers for only slightly more than the basic shared web site hosting.
  • GoDaddy.com — hard to miss; they’ve probably spent more on marketing than they ever did on hardware. Plenty of negative reviews out there, but relatively little comment on their dedicated servers and business web hosting. Given the size of their customer base, many people are either happy or staying quiet.
  • ThePlanet.com – seems to be fairly well-respected when it comes to business web hosting and dedicated servers. About half and half when it comes to positive versus negative reviews…which usually means that most customers are probably satisfied enough not to complain about them.
  • Gigenet.com — again, the few people that are saying anything are saying good things. Usually people who really hate something don’t stay quiet, especially when it comes to expensive business web hosting packages gone bad.
  • SoftLayer.com — ditto. High marks from a minority (though people who require a dedicated server will probably not form a majority no matter what) and silence from everyone else.
  • HostHead.com – rated very highly but not a vast number of recent reviews out there. Either the past year has seen completely satisfied web hosting customers or they’re at least satisfied enough with the dedicated server package not to post nasty reviews about it (or they just don’t have any more customers?).