4 Types of Web Hosting and Their Differences

Every website that exists in the world has a web host that provides the technology and servers required for a website to be accessed on the Internet. Web hosting is generally available in four main types which work differently and cater to different requirements. It is crucial for users to understand the differences to make sure they choose the right web hosting which suits their requirements.

Shared Hosting

In shared hosting, a website will be sharing resources with other websites on a single server. Sharing resources means sharing cost, and this is why it’s considered cost-effective. It is also easy to set up, so users with little technical knowledge will still be able to manage it. However, there are downsides. If a website on your server has a traffic increase, it may cause performance issues with other websites on the same server. This hosting type also has low scalability. This is why it is the best choice for small or entry level businesses with simple websites and low volumes of traffic — not more than 10,000 or 20,000 monthly visits.

VPS Hosting

In this hosting type, the main server is split into multiple virtual servers, and each server is dedicated for an individual website and fully customizable based on the user’s requirements. With a VPS, a website will still be sharing a server with other websites only fewer in number, so it will generally perform better with less worry about another website causing the site to crash. Thus, VPS hosting is best for small or medium-sized businesses with increasing volumes of traffic and want to make custom changes to their server configuration; basically those who are ready to upgrade from shared hosting.

Dedicated Hosting

This hosting type is rented exclusively by a single client. Since its single user doesn’t need to share resources with other clients, the user’s website will be able to operate at optimal performance with high security level. This type also allows full root and admin access so users can control everything about the server, from security to the operating system that they run. Nonetheless, dedicated servers are an expensive option due to these benefits. This is why they are typically reserved for the websites of large enterprises with high levels of technical readiness and high volumes of traffic — 100,000 monthly visits at least.

Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting comes with multiple remote servers with different responsibilities. If one server has an issue, the other servers will take over those responsibilities. With cloud servers, a website will have high level performance due to higher uptime rates and minimized server errors. This hosting type also offers scalability and a pay-per-use model in case owners need to accommodate sudden surges in their website traffic volume. This is why it is best for medium and large business websites that are growing rapidly with unpredictable traffic volumes; any website with more than 50,000 monthly page visits may consider a cloud hosting as an alternative to VPS hosting.

When choosing a website hosting option, companies should consider two main things. First, they need to know their requirements: their websites’ purposes, functionality, content, and potential traffic. They also need to assess their available budgets and resources such as the IT support team. The next step is assessing available providers. It is essential to ensure its reliability, flexibility, bandwidth, data backup, server location, features, customer support, and, of course, available plans and pricing. After that, all that is left to do is choose a provider that meets the budgets and requirements.