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Shared hosting and a VPS solve different needs. The quick way to decide: if you want to publish a site with minimal maintenance, shared hosting; if you need full server control and dedicated resources, a VPS.
What shared hosting is
On shared hosting your site lives alongside others on the same server and you manage everything from a panel like cPanel. You do not administer the operating system: you install WordPress, upload your site and forget about maintenance.
It is the simplest and cheapest option for websites, blogs and small to medium shops.
What a VPS is
A VPS (virtual private server) gives you a machine with dedicated resources (vCPU, RAM and NVMe disk) and root access: you install whatever you want and control the system top to bottom.
In exchange for that power and freedom, you handle the administration (or run a panel on top).
When to choose shared hosting
Choose shared hosting if you want to publish one or more sites without managing servers, with cPanel, SSL and backups included, at the lowest cost. It is ideal for most WordPress sites.
When to choose a VPS
Choose a VPS if you need dedicated, stable resources, custom software, hosting apps or APIs, or full control (root). Also if your site has grown and shared hosting is no longer enough.
In short
Start on shared hosting if simplicity is your priority; move to a VPS when you need control and dedicated resources. At ViaHost you can have both, with flat pricing and DDoS protection included.
FAQ
It usually performs more consistently because resources are dedicated and not shared with other sites, but good shared hosting on NVMe is more than enough for most sites.