If you are looking for web hosting for your website, you learn about the different types of web hosting and which one is right for your website. This article will tell you about the different types of web hosting, the pros and cons of each and help you decide what type of web hosting is right for your website.
Choosing the right web hosting for your website can set you up for success, while choosing the wrong type of web hosting for your website can lead to trouble down the road.
This is also a good article for you if you decided that the type of web hosting that your website currently has is not right type.
First though, we need to go over some terminology.
What Is A Domain Name?
It’s important to know what a domain name is because you need a domain name in order to have a website.
A domain name is a unique name and extension that identifies a website, for example, google.com, odysee.com and gab.com. This is really all that you need to know, but I will explain a little bit more.
Every device that is on the internet is assigned a number called an IP address, which stands for “Internet Protocol”. A domain name is meant for people because computers use IP addresses, which is a set of four numbers which can range from 0 to 255. The full range of IP numbers is from 0.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255. An example of an IP address is 190.1.50.28.
You can get a domain name from a domain name registrar such as GoDaddy.
What Is A Website?
A website is a collection of files on a computer called a server that are accessible on the internet to the public. These files are called web pages when they are accessible on the internet and most of these web pages are written in HTML (HyperText Markup Language), in addition to other programming languages most of the time. An example of a website is Google.com.
What Is Web Hosting?
The computer that web pages are stored on is called a server. A server is the computer that these files (or web pages) are stored on so that they can be accessible on the internet. These computers (servers) are specifically configured to handle visitors from the internet and to display the content of your web pages.
When you pay for web hosting, you are paying for space on one or more of these servers and for the companies that provide these computers to maintain them and provide any additional services. The companies that provide these servers and the additional services are called web hosting providers. These web hosting providers are who you go to get web hosting for your websites.
Types Of Web Hosting
We list the different types of web hosting below along with pros and cons of each and which one might be right for you, depending on your situation. Some of the different types of web hosting listed go beyond hardware configurations and price. Some are built for a specific purpose, they also come specific services that the web hosts offer. One example of this is WordPress Hosting.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is the most common type of web hosting plan that people use for their websites. It is also almost always the cheapest.
Shared hosting is when one server hosts multiple websites on that one server. Sometimes those servers host up to hundreds of websites.
All of the websites that are on a shared hosting plan share the resources that that one server has. Any files, private information, or any other data that is on any of these websites are available to any of the other websites.
What Are Some Of The Drawbacks To Shared Hosting?
Since you are sharing resources with other websites that are on the same server, if one or more of the websites gets a big jump in traffic, then your website may be affected. This would most likely result in your website loading slower.
Who Should Get Shared Web Hosting?
If you are looking for web hosting for a small website, small WordPress blog or an entry level website that you don’t expect to receive too much traffic, at least at first, then shared web hosting might be the type of web hosting that you are looking for.
What Is The Cost Of Shared Hosting
The cost of shared hosting is usually a few dollars (less than five dollars) to up to around ten dollars. The cost of shared hosting can be kept low because just like resources are split, so are the costs to get and maintain the server.
There are some web hosts that offer shared web hosting plans that let you pay month to month. Most web hosts offer lower prices on shared web hosting if you pay for one or more years upfront. Paying for yearly plans can be a good thing if you think that you are going to keep hosting your website with that particular web host.
Pros Of Shared Hosting
- Shared hosting is usually the cheapest type of web hosting.
- There are many web hosts that offer shared web hosting.
- Most web hosts offer the option to upgrade your web hosting plan.
- Shared hosting plans are the easiest to set up.
Cons Of Shared Hosting
- Shared hosting is suited for smaller websites with little traffic.
VPS Hosting
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server and is considered a step above shared hosting.
VPS hosting is when a server is split into multiple virtual servers, which is where this type of web hosting gets its name from. These virtual servers have their own resources on the server, which are not shared with the other websites that are on the same server and can be customized by the individual website administrators.
Another big difference between shared hosting and VPS hosting is that the number of websites that your website will be sharing that server with are significantly lower. This means that you will usually get faster load times and a higher percantage of uptime.
Websites that have large files, for example, videos and images, as well as very interactive websites would probably do well going with VPS hosting.
Who Should Get VPS Hosting?
Website owners and administrators that have websites either have large files or are very interactive and websites that have or expect a large amount of traffic should probably go with VPS hosting.
What Is The Cost Of VPS Hosting?
The cost for VPS hosting is typically a little higher than that of shared hosting. The reason is that like shared hosting, there are multiple websites hosted on the server, however, a server that is used for shared hosting usually have many more websites than a server that is used for VPS hosting.
The cost for VPS hosting usually ranges from around $20 to around $40, but prices can start at around $10.
Pros Of VPS Hosting
- The cost is usually low, costing a little more than shared hosting.
- Your website has its own dedicated resources and does not have share them with other websites.
- The server can be customized by the individual website administrators.
- Your websites will typically have faster loadtimes and a higher percentage of uptime compared to being on shared hosting.
Cons Of VPS Hosting
- You do not access to all of the resources of the full server, you will have to upgrade your hosting plan for that.
- It is not as easy to set up VPS hosting compared to shared hosting.
- There are some limitations to the configuration and resources that you have available on the server.
Cloud Web Hosting
Cloud hosting is when a website is hosted is hosted on a network of distributed VPSs. Instead of your website being hosted on one virtual private server, it is stored on a network of virtual private servers. This network of VPSs is called the “cloud”, also called distributed VPSs.
Cloud hosting has several advantages and few disadvantages. One of the advantages is that downtime is rarely an issue due to the network’s built-in redundancy. Another advantage is that you can scale the servers’ resources when and as needed, for example, if you expect or notice a spike in traffic.
Websites that are hosted on the cloud have faster load times compared to shared hosting and loss of data is also less of an issue because of the built-in redundancy.
The technical skills to properly configure cloud hosting is more compared to VPS hosting.
Who Should Get Cloud Hosting?
Websites that offer a video streaming service, such as NetFlix, should consider getting cloud hosting. In other words, websites that expect sudden spikes in traffic. Most simple websites such as a blog or a smaller website do not need cloud hosting.
What Is The Cost Of Cloud Hosting?
The cost of cloud hosting can be as low as $20 per month to up to several thousands per month. The price can really range from low cost to really expensive.
Pros Of Cloud Hosting
- You are able to scale the resources as the website needs change.
- Being able to hande sudden spikes in traffic helps with faster load times.
- Downtime is rarely an issue due to the network's built-in redundancy.
- Loss of data is also less of an issue because of the built-in redundancy.
Cons Of Cloud Hosting
- It can get really expensive and the costs can fluctuate depending on the usage.
- It takes more technical skills to set up and manage cloud hosting.
Dedicated Hosting
When talking about the previous types of web hosting, shared hosting and VPS hosting, the websites that used that type of web hosting was in some way share the space and resources on a server. With dedicated server hosting, all of the space and resources that are on a server are dedicated to a single website.
Dedicated hosting is typically considered the best in web hosting. A website that is on a dedicated server will get all of the benefits such as faster load speeds, higher percentage of uptime and better security. Some other benefits can include not being limited to the type of website that you can realistically host. For example, you cannot realistically host an eCommerce store on shared hosting.
Who Should Get A Dedicated Server?
Anyone who has or runs an eCommerce website or an online store, specially ones that get over 100,000 visits per month should consider getting a dedicated server.
What Is The Cost Of Dedicated Hosting?
The price range for a dedicated server can range from about fifty dollars to several thousands of dollars.
Pros Of Dedicated Hosting
- Websites on dedicated servers have faster load times.
- Websites on dedicated servers have a higher percentage of uptime.
- No need to share resources.
- Better security.
- The ability to configure the server to suit the specific needs of your website.
- The ability to have bigger websites, for example, ecommerce and online stores, run smoothly.
Cons Of Dedicated Hosting
- This is the most expensive type of web hosting. The cost per month can go as high as several thousand dollars.
Managed Hosting
Managed hosting is really a service. There are different types of managed hosting. The one thing that they all have in common is that you pay a web hosting provider to take care of the server or servers that your website is on that also to take care of the day-to-day tasks and maintenance that servers require. Some of these tasks include, updating the server software, making sure that the server is secure and making sure that the security is up to date, doing any hardware maintenance and more.
Setting up and managing web hosting servers take a lot of time and work and managed web hosting. Paying for managed hosting let’s you concentrate on your actual business and not on managing a server or servers.
WordPress Hosting
When you hear the term WordPress hosting, this refers to when you get web hosting and set up a WordPress website or blog and let the web host take care of all of the server maintenance and also WordPress maintenance. Maintaining a server requires updating the software, setting up and taking care of security and the maintenance of the physical server itself, but WordPress websites also require maintenance.
WordPress websites and blogs need to be updated and backed up and any WordPress themes and plugins also need to be updated. When you pay for WordPress hosting, the web host will take of all of these tasks.
Managed Dedicated Server Hosting
Managed dedicated server hosting is when you pay for a dedicated server and the web host sets up the server and manages it for you. The web host will take of setting up the server, updating it, securing it and handle the physical maintenance of the server for you.
Managed VPS Hosting
Managed VPS hosting is when you pay for VPS hosting and the web host sets up the server or servers and manages them for you. The web host will take of setting up the servers, updating them, securing them and handle the physical maintenance of the servers for you.
Is Shared Hosting, Managed Hosting?
Shared hosting is not thought of as managed hosting, but technically it is managed hosting. This is because with shared hosting, the host takes care of setting up the server, securing the server and the physical maintenance of the server.
What Are The Pros Of Managed Hosting?
- Managed hosting plans let you focus on your business, while the web host provider takes care of the server(s)
What Are The Cons Of Managed Hosting?
- Managed hosting is more expensive.
- You may have less control over the server configuration.
Reseller Hosting
Reseller hosting is a business model where a web hosting provider leases out hosting space and bandwidth on their servers to a third party at a “wholesale rate”, who will then turn around and lease out that hosting space to multiple other people at a higher rate and act as the web hosting provider themselves with the hopes of making money from doing this.
Reseller hosting is great in that you can make recurring income, however, it does take quite a bit of work. You have to. make sure that your customers pay you and that you handle any customer service requests and complaints.
Who Should Get Reseller Hosting?
If someone is running a web design company or web development company, they are good candidates to consider offering getting reseller hosting. You can offer to host and handle a client’s website, including the hosting, so that they do not even have to think about hosting, which many don’t. They just want to run their actual business.
If you do one time projects, then you should probably not consider reseller hosting. The money that you would make would probably not be anywhere near worth the time and energy that it would take to set up and handle offering web hosting. In cases like this, just set up the hosting for them through an actual hosting provider.
Pros Of Reseller Hosting
- You can make recurring income from reseller hosting.
- You can more easily upsell other services.
Cons Of Reseller Hosting
- It takes a lot of overall time and effort.
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has helped you learn what the different types of web hosting are as well as gave you an idea of which type of web hosting is right for you.