Web hosting refers to a service provided by a company that facilitates a connection between the client, a server, and the internet. In its essence, hosting allows data storage and information sharing of a website to the entire world.
But that’s not all there is to this service. Web hosting comes in many different shapes and sizes and may differ in terms of control, server speed, storage capacity, and overall reliability. There are various types of web hosting. In this article, we cover the five main types. Hostinger vs. Bluehost: Which one is better for your business?
Shared hosting
The first in line is shared hosting. This type is most suitable for small websites with limited traffic or newly created websites. Shared hosting refers to one server used by many different clients. Hence the resources of that server, such as Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Random Access Memory (RAM), will be divided into all the websites hosted on there.
The distribution of resources makes this type of hosting cheaper than most others. Along with the affordability, there is a wide range of features, including security and malware scans, auto backups, integrated website builders, and so on. However, that same sharing of resources can result in usage surges if your website receives large amounts of traffic and often shared hosting only supports specific programming languages such as HTML and PHP. All of these factors make shared hosting ideal for small businesses and beginner-friendly. In addition, this service requires very little technical knowledge and maintenance. So if you’re looking to run a blog, look no further.
Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting
This next type of hosting service requires that you share your physical server with different website owners. In such a way, this type of service is a middle ground between shared hosting and dedicated servers. What makes VPS hosting unique is that each website on it is hosted within its own space even though it shares its physical server with many other owners. Like shared hosting, VPS too can not sustain high amounts of web traffic and thereby affects site performance. It does, however, provide greater storage and more customization. Plus, with VPS, a user can run any type of programming language and software. But with more features comes greater cost. Compared to shared hosting, VPS is more expensive.
This type of hosting is best suited for users that are looking for dedicated hosting but have little technical knowledge and fewer finances. So if you are an advanced user that needs specific package installation and software, you need VPS hosting.
Dedicated Hosting
Choosing such a dedicated hosting means that a user will have a server dedicated strictly to their website along with its numerous advantages such as lesser security risks, complete autonomy to choose an operating system as well as the amount of memory, among other hardware features.
This type of hosting comes with some disadvantages. They include high costs that range on average $150-$350 per month, the need for extensive technical knowledge due to its unmanaged server, as well as a range of security issues. Dedicated hosting is most suitable for high-traffic websites and users that require complete control over their servers. So if you have a website with high traffic requirements and have the technical know-how, this sort of hosting is perfect for your needs.
Cloud Hosting
This hosting solution works through a network and allows its users to utilize many different resources without needing to create and maintain their private computing infrastructure. Cloud hosting has a wide range of advantages. Scalability, easy setup that reduces the need for extensive technical knowledge, a flexible billing structure where you only pay for the resources you have used instead of fixed monthly charges, and increased coverage in terms of traffic spikes.
There are disadvantages to this hosting solution as well. For instance, it offers limited customization depending on the cloud type, and resource usage sometimes leads to greater costs. With all that said, this type of hosting is best for high-growth websites as well as web applications. If you are someone that has high growth website needs, this choice is best suited to you.
Managed Hosting
Lastly, managed hosting is perhaps one of the easiest forms of hosting. This type essentially enables you to not worry about anything hosting-related. The host company provides technical services like software as well as hardware configuration and setup, hardware maintenance and replacement, along with technical support and updating. In short, your provider looks after all hardware management, standardized applications, and operating systems. But it does not end here, there are various packages and plans with this type of hosting, and you can choose the one based on your needs. Some examples include managed cloud hosting, managed WordPress hosting, and managed VPS hosting. This type of hosting is best suited for larger businesses, as it allows for data storage expansion and backups and offers though out the day customer support.
Conclusion
So now that you’re familiar with all these types of web hosting services analyze the requirements of your business and match them with the offerings of each of these hosting services. Once you have established what type of hosting you need, it is time to move on to the next challenge, which is figuring out which hosting company to go for.
