Renting or owning a server: what does a machine really cost?

At first it looks simple: buy a server, put it in the office or in a rented rack, and use it for years. But the bill does not end with the purchase. An own machine comes with many costs and tasks that are easy to leave out of the calculation.

What an own server really involves

• The price of the machine, all at once. The purchase is a large one-off expense, and the money stays tied up in the machine for years.
• Power and cooling. The server runs day and night and has to be cooled. That also needs a suitable room and an uninterruptible power supply.
• Network. A fast, stable internet connection and fixed IP addresses, which an office subscription often does not include.
• Failures. When a part breaks, the replacement has to be organised and paid for, and until then the system is down.
• Ageing. After a few years the machine is too slow for the job, and the purchase starts all over again.

What you get when you rent

A rented server runs in a data centre, where power, cooling and connectivity are the provider's job. Hardware failures are not your company's problem either. You pay a monthly fee for using the server, and that fee is predictable.

• No large one-off expense; the cost is spread evenly.
• The size of the server can follow your needs, so there is no need to size it years in advance.
• If you also choose management, updating and monitoring the operating system is not your job either.

When an own machine can still be better

If a system has to be physically on your premises because of a law or an internal rule, or if local equipment uses the machine directly, an own server can make sense. For most business applications, online shops and databases, there is no such constraint.

How to compare

Add up what the machine would cost over its whole service life: the purchase, power, cooling, the network, the working hours spent on maintenance and the repairs you can expect. Compare that total with the rental fee for the same period. Often the biggest difference is not the money, but the tasks taken off your hands.

If you would like to compare your own figures with a quote for a rented server, tell us what you would use the machine for and we will send you an itemised quote.