An unmanaged dedicated server hands you the machine and the responsibility for everything on it. A managed one adds a team that looks after parts of the stack for you. The right choice depends on one question: who in your organisation will answer at three in the morning when the disk fills or a patch fails?
Who does what
| Task | Unmanaged | Managed (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware, power, network | Provider | Provider |
| Operating system install | You | Provider |
| Security updates | You | Provider, for the OS |
| Monitoring and alerts | You | Provider, within scope |
| Backups and restores | You | Check the scope |
| Application, database, tuning | You | Usually you |
“Managed” has no single definition. Read the scope in the plan description, and ask for the response time written down.
Questions to ask before you buy managed
- Which layers are covered: operating system only, or web server and database too?
- How fast does support respond, and during which hours?
- Are backups included, and who performs a restore?
- Who decides when to apply a major upgrade?
- What happens to my own software after an automatic update?
Who should choose which
- Unmanaged: you have a sysadmin or an agency, you want full control or you run unusual software.
- Managed: nobody on the team wants to be on call for the operating system, and the business pays for downtime.
Being unmanaged is not a problem if the routine exists: a patch calendar, monitoring, an off-server backup and a tested restore. It is a problem when those depend on one person’s memory. A starting checklist for any new machine is in security in the first 24 hours.
Compare machines on the dedicated server page, and decide between metal and virtual in dedicated server vs cloud server.
Frequently asked questions
Does managed mean I do not need backups of my own?
No. Verify what the plan backs up and test a restore yourself.
Can I switch from unmanaged to managed later?
Ask the provider. Where it is possible, the operating system may need to match the provider’s standard.
Does managed cover my application?
Usually only the layers listed in the scope. Application code and plugins are normally yours.
Which is safer?
The one with a working patch and restore routine. Managed makes that routine someone else’s job.
