When it comes to hosting a website, many individuals are torn between whether to use collocated servers or dedicated servers. In fact, many individuals do not know the difference between the two. There are several differences to be found between collocated servers and dedicated servers and the different functions of each may make an option more or less attractive to the website developer.

There are many companies that will offer their customers the use of either a dedicated or collocated server and there are several advantages and disadvantages to each type of service. Ultimately, the decision rests with the website developer and their needs for the website.

The main difference between a collocated server and a dedicated server is the ownership of the server. With a dedicated server, the user is provided with exclusive use of a server that is owned by another entity, generally the hosting provider A collocated server is owned by the user and is housed in a rental space along with the servers of many other companies and individuals. In other words, with a dedicated server you rent the server and with a collocated server, you rent the space to house your server. Each option is more cost effective than purchasing and housing the server on your own, but there are major differences in what you can and cannot do with the equipment.

With a dedicated server, the individual has exclusive access to the server and can place any software, content, or applications on the server that they wish. Websites that use dedicated servers also have a higher reliability and can handle a great deal more traffic than sites that are hosted on shared servers. With a dedicated server, any issues that arise with the server are the responsibility of the company that the individual is renting the server from, which could be a good or bad thing. One of the biggest disadvantages to a dedicated server is that the individual only owns the data on the server, not the server itself, so if they are dissatisfied with the service they are being provided, they have little recourse until their contract expires.

One of the biggest advantages of a collocated server is that the individual owns and has full access to the server at any time. The applications can be run from a remote location while the server is housed in a secure facility with an uninterruptible power supply, internet connectivity, and increased security features. Allowing the server to be collocated frees up valuable space in the home or business that would be needed to house the server and allows the individual to split the cost of utilities between all the individuals with servers housed in the area. The biggest disadvantage to collocated servers is that all issues, maintenance, and needed repairs to the server must be handled on your own.