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March 05, 2020

Buying vs Renting Server for Your Business - Which is The Better Option?



When it comes to designing your company's digital infrastructure, a server is a must-have option. It will allow you to store the company’s data add your website, connect employees through software. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages, and deciding what to go for should be entirely based on your specific needs.



The only way to decide which option to go for is if you compare each other and find out which option is better suited for you. Buying servers can be costly. This means that start-ups and small businesses are less likely to go for this option. You also need to make sure you have enough knowledge to deal with your server on your own.

Let’s go through the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

Advantages of Buying New Server:

Since you decided to purchase your own server, the buying process goes smoothly. However, you need to make sure that installation comes with the purchase or install it yourself if you have the right knowledge.

  • Own Maintenance

Maintenance is a considerable part of any server. Maintaining your own equipment is much better since you will be able to follow the maintenance schedule, react quickly if something happens to your server, and expand its lifespan. You can also tweak a few options in order to receive the best performance possible.

  • Lower Your Long-Term Costs

If you are buying your server, you will be able to lower your long term and often fixed costs that come from renting a server. Yes, it will require a more significant capital investment upfront, but you will definitely appreciate it in the long run.

  • Tax Benefits

Buying a new server will bring some taxing advantages as any new assets can be deducted on your tax return. Most countries will allow you to deduct the full amount of newly purchased assets or any computer equipment in the first year term.

Disadvantages of Buying

  • Expensive

The biggest disadvantage is the cost of a new server. It requires a significant one-time investment that most new small businesses cannot afford. Also, when buying expensive equipment, you need to consider to update it over time. This means that your equipment will need an upgrade by the time you are done with the payment.

Advantages of Renting

  • Access Latest Technology

Unlike the buying process where you will need a lot of money to upgrade your equipment, you can go for new equipment when renting without overextending your costs. Having up-to-date equipment is necessary for running every process successfully. Usually, servers are rented on a lease. When the years from your lease contract are done, you can choose new equipment for your business.

  • Pay for What You Use

When renting a server, there aren’t any significant upfront investments to consider. Basically, you will pay for what you use. The more you use, the bigger the price will be. In most cases, there is a monthly fee that is pre-determined in the contract. Sometimes even the leases will offer you the equipment for purchase for much less money than buying a new one.

  • Perfect for Start-Ups

When you are starting a business that you don’t know what to expect, you cannot sign significant investments that will be hard to return. This will transfer your capital to unnecessary things and potentially make your business go bankrupt. When you have limited money, you should always go for renting equipment, and if all things go smoothly, you can always buy new equipment.

Disadvantages of Renting

If we compare both situations, in the long run, buying a server is much cheaper. When you are renting your server, you might pay the price of a new server over the years and still don’t own anything.

Make sure you know what you are signing since you must continue to pay your monthly fees until your lease expires.

Conclusion

Choosing the best option for your business is entirely up to your specific needs. Just like you calculate the risks of NFL betting, for example, you need to calculate if your investment for buying a new server is worth it in the long run. If you are a new company, you should go for renting a server, rather than buying a new one. However, if you think that your business is stable enough and has the right knowledge and experience, you should definitely go for buying your own server.



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