--- title: "Managed vs Unmanaged VPS: Who Does What | GlobalHostia" url: "https://globalhostia.com/compare/managed-vs-unmanaged-vps" description: "Managed or unmanaged VPS? See who handles updates, security, backups, monitoring and fixes, what each costs on our live catalog, and which suits your team." source: "GlobalHostia; prices are synced from the billing system and exclude any taxes shown at checkout" --- Comparison # Managed vs unmanaged VPS Who patches the operating system, who watches the server at 3am and who fixes it when it breaks: managed and unmanaged VPS compared. 6 minute read · Prices on this page are live from our billing system ## On this page 1. [The difference in one sentence](#difference) 2. [Who does what](#table) 3. [Which one fits you](#who) 4. [Matching plans](#plans) 5. [Questions](#ln-faq-h) Rather ask a person? [WhatsApp our team](https://wa.me/971507341578?text=Hello%20GlobalHostia%2C%20I%20have%20a%20question%20about%20%22Managed%20vs%20unmanaged%20VPS%22.) ## The difference in one sentence On a managed VPS, engineers look after the server itself (operating system, security updates, monitoring and backups) while you run your website or app. On an unmanaged VPS, the server is handed over to you and everything after the first boot is yours. ## Who does what Managed VPS compared with an unmanaged VPS | Task | Managed (cloud VPS) | Unmanaged (VPS) | | --- | --- | --- | | Operating system install | Prepared for you | Installed from a template; you configure the rest | | Security updates and patches | Applied with you | Your job, every week | | Firewall and hardening | Set up for you | You configure it | | Monitoring and alerts | Watched around the clock | You set up your own | | Backups | Scheduled for you | You script and store them, or add a backup option | | When something breaks at 3am | Engineers troubleshoot the server | You debug it | | Root or administrator access | Yes | Yes | | Live starting price | **$8.00 / month** [Cloud VPS](https://globalhostia.com/cloudvps-hosting) | **$8.00 / month** [VPS Hosting](https://globalhostia.com/vps-hosting) | Our VPS plans are self-managed, yet our engineers still help with the server, network and operating system whenever you ask. The exact management scope of each plan is shown in the order form. ## Which one fits you - **Managed suits** online stores, agencies and businesses without a system administrator, or anyone who would rather spend the time on their product. - **Unmanaged suits** developers and teams who already run Linux or Windows servers, automate them with their own tools and want full control of every package. - **Either way** you keep root or administrator access, and you can move from one to the other later. The plan price is only part of the cost. With an unmanaged server, your own time (or a contractor’s) goes into updates, monitoring and recovery. Compare that time with the difference between the two starting prices below before deciding. ## Matching plans Managed ### [H-LINUX-VPS-01](https://globalhostia.com/p/h-linux-vps-01) Engineers look after the server with you, around the clock. 4 vCPU Cores, 6GB, Storage: 100 GB NVMe **$8.00 / month**+VAT 5% where applicable [Order now](https://my.globalhostia.com/cart.php?a=add&pid=33&billingcycle=monthly) [All cloud vps plans](https://globalhostia.com/cloudvps-hosting) Self-managed ### [H-LINUX-VPS-01](https://globalhostia.com/p/h-linux-vps-01) Reserved resources and full control of every package. 4 vCPU Cores, 6GB, Storage: 100 GB NVMe **$8.00 / month**+VAT 5% where applicable [Order now](https://my.globalhostia.com/cart.php?a=add&pid=33&billingcycle=monthly) [All vps hosting plans](https://globalhostia.com/vps-hosting) ## More hosting comparisons - [Shared vs VPS vs cloud vs dedicated hosting](https://globalhostia.com/compare/shared-vs-vps-vs-cloud-vs-dedicated) - [cPanel vs DirectAdmin](https://globalhostia.com/compare/cpanel-vs-directadmin) - [.ae vs .com for UAE businesses](https://globalhostia.com/compare/ae-vs-com) - [Local UAE data center vs overseas hosting](https://globalhostia.com/compare/uae-data-center-vs-overseas) [All hosting comparisons](https://globalhostia.com/compare) **Price-lock**your renewal price never goes up **30-day money-back on shared hosting** - [**Free website migration**](https://globalhostia.com/free-migration) **24/7 engineers by ticket & WhatsApp** ## Managed vs unmanaged VPS: questions ### Server setup, operating system and security updates, monitoring and scheduled backups, with engineers who troubleshoot the server when something goes wrong. The exact scope for each plan is shown in the order form. ### ### ### ## Not sure which plan you need? Answer four questions and get a recommendation from our live plans, or let our engineers move your site for free. [Open the plan finder](https://globalhostia.com/plan-finder)[Free website migration](https://globalhostia.com/free-migration)