If you are planning to order a dedicated server, you will need to know the difference between managed and unmanaged servers. There is one major difference between managed servers and unmanaged servers. The difference is – you guessed it – who manages the server.

Managed servers are hosted and managed by the web hosting company. As a customer, you will be able to set up the basics, like domains and mailboxes, but the web host company remains responsible for all necessary configurations and maintenance of the server.

Unmanaged servers are actually self managed by you, the customer. Unlike the managed server, you are responsible for configuring and maintaining the server. It will be your responsibility to keep the server hacker free by keeping up to date software on it. While the unmanaged server is less expensive, it does require Unix knowledge and the time to maintain and configure the server.

If you are weighing the pros and cons of managed vs. unmanaged servers, remember that time is money. Remember that the increased cost associated with managed servers is due to the increased service a managed server provides. You can either pay someone else to deal with the management of the server or you can save a little money and do it yourself, if you have the knowledge to do it properly and can afford to invest your time into the maintenance project. If you are not familiar with Unix and have little experience, this decision should be a quick one for you – pick the managed server situation.