One of the most difficult problems when creating websites is deciding on the kind of web hosting service you’ll select. There are many Web Hosting Services to choose from, and they can vary in cost and features, so you’ll have to ensure that you’re making the right choice.

The best web hosting services aren’t all about cost but. eCommerce sites will require different features than the typical WordPress blog to provide an example. Making sure you choose a plan that gives you the correct amount of features and resources is vital, so you can prepare your website to be successful from the beginning.

In this post, we’ll discuss the various types of web hosting services that you can pick from, talk about their pros and cons and assist you in deciding between them.

Let’s get to it!

What Is Web Hosting?

Every site you’ve visited is on servers. The majority of servers are computers similar to the ones you’re familiar with but built from scratch to display content on the internet and manage web traffic.

When you sign-up for web hosting, you’re essentially renting server space — or, in certain cases, the entire computer by a service provider. You’re able to make use of that space as well as a small number of tools to develop and maintain a website anybody can access.

The idea is easy to comprehend on paper. But, web hosting services differ significantly in what they provide and how they operate. For instance, the idea of running your website on a server that only has the 512MB RAM of an old single-core processor will be nearly as painful as working on a machine with the same specifications.

As your website grows, so do its requirements. This is why, when searching for hosting options, you’ll discover a wide range of plans ranging from basic to customized.

In the ideal scenario, you’ll need to select a plan that is suited to your requirements and your budget. Choosing the most expensive web hosting service is a good idea; however, it’s generally not worth the money in the absence of a site that receives massive daily traffic.

If you’ve never signed up for hosting previously, the wide array of hosting options available could be overwhelming. This is why we’ll provide you with each kind of plan for hosting. We’ll go over which could be the ideal fit for your website and also what you’ll be spending on web hosting services.

7 Popular Types of Web Hosting Services with Pros and Cons

The differences in hosting plans extend beyond hardware and costs. For instance, in certain cases, you’ll see complete web hosting services that are built around specific platforms, like WordPress. With that in mind, we’ll look at the most popular seven kinds of web hosting that you’ll encounter and help you make an informed choice.

Shared Hosting

These hosting packages are the popular choice for owners of websites. In this kind of plan, one server is shared by many users. One computer (shared-server) can host a number of (or perhaps thousands of) websites.

While you can have shared resources, but you will not be able to access their files, personal information, or other information. The advantage of these plans, which are shared with other users, is that they can be affordable, as hosting companies can split the costs of maintaining servers among several users.

Shared hosting may not have the most favorable reputation; however, the quality of service you receive will be upon the hosting provider you use. While some shared hosting plans can be extremely limited, others are able to handle websites that receive adequate volumes of traffic.

If you’re looking for web hosting for beginners, Shared plans are your best choice. The web hosting industry is so competitive today that it’s not unusual to see shared hosting plans for less than $5 per month.

Remember that many web hosts want to lock you into long-term contracts in order to offer the most competitive rates. This isn’t at all a problem in the event that you’re certain of the website host that you’re working with, but it could be a bit daunting when this is your very first experience signing up to the service.

Advantages to shared-hosting

It’s not difficult to find plans that cost less than $5 per month.
Based on the company’s service, you could achieve excellent performance even on small to medium-sized websites.

Pros of shared-hosting

Shared plans usually do not work well on websites that have a lot of traffic.
It is common to enroll in a multi-year contract to get the most affordable rates.

Who should consider using shared hosting? Shared hosting is the first choice if it’s the first time you’ve created an online site. With the right hosting provider, you’ll be able to access all the tools required to start your project with plenty of room for growth as time goes on.

Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting

Virtual Private Servers (VPSs) are an upgrade over shared plans in terms of performance and customization. A VPS works because a single physical server will contain multiple virtually-partitioned sections. Each VPS or container is a complete system dedicated exclusively to your website. You get dedicated resources and access to the server’s configuration in some instances.

Practically speaking, VPSs provide a higher amount of separation between users, but they use the exact same server. This can, however, improve performance and security. Additionally, depending on the hosting service, you may be able to set up your VPS from scratch to ensure you have what you require.

A single-core VPS with 1GB of RAM will be sufficient to operate a basic WordPress website for a rough impression of the features you’re searching for. But, determining the resources required to run each project is complicated and could make the VPS an unattractive choice if you’re just starting out with web hosting.

If you have a VPS, you might not have access to an administration panel right in the initial setup. It is possible that you will need to use the command line to set up your server and set up a site. It is a complex procedure if you don’t have any experience with commands.

VPSs are available different in terms of resources, and prices can differ quite a bit. Like the shared host, it’s common to find VPSs that start with a monthly fee of around $4. If you do plan on using a VPS, we suggest you set aside a minimum of $10-$25 per month to pay for hosting.

Pros of VPSs

You will receive all dedicated resources for your site.
Depending on the host you are using, you may set up your VPS according to your needs.

Cons of VPSs

Estimating the number of resources you will require isn’t easy.
Setting up a VPS typically requires some technical knowledge.

Who should benefit from a VPS? If you’re looking to have complete control of your server without paying hundreds of dollars for dedicated plans, think about making use of a VPS. The level of customization that these plans offer is another good alternative.

Cloud Hosting

The cloud hosting area is the place where things become slightly more difficult. When people speak of”cloud hosting” or “cloud,” they’re usually speaking of distributed VPSs. The way it operates is that instead of creating a cloud server located on a single computer, the server is located on a network with them.

The computer network is known as”the “cloud.” The benefit of this method is that you can easily increase your server’s resources according to the need when you have an internet connection. Furthermore, cloud hosting ensures that downtime is not a problem, and neither are data losses due to the cloud’s built-in redundancy.

It all sounds great on paper; however, cloud hosting isn’t always a good choice for beginners. As an example, a lot of cloud hosting companies charge per hour. The user can “spin on” the instance, which’s, in essence, a VPS, set it up according to your requirements, and begin to accumulate fees.

Cloud hosting has pros and cons

Cloud hosting pros:

It has a very an extremely high level of scalability.
You are able to customize your server to suit your needs.

Cloud hosting’s cons:

The payment methods for cloud hosting could be a little complicated.
It’s not the best choice for people who don’t have any experience with the configuration of servers.

Should you think about cloud hosting?

If you enjoy experimenting with your server’s configuration and would like a greater level of scalability, cloud hosting is a possibility worth exploring.

Dedicated Hosting

We’ve discussed hosting plans that let the servers be shared with users in the past. Servers can be expensive, and if you want an exclusive server for yourself, you’ll need to pay a premium.

You’ll gain access only to one server with a dedicated server (or often multiple servers). This means that you’ll have complete control over its configuration while the Web hosting company will simply house it for you.

Dedicated servers are the best choice when it comes to web hosting. You should expect to spend a minimum of $100 per month at this price. Prices are only increasing from the point.

If you’re starting an entirely new website for something for fun, then using a dedicated server is excessive. This hosting option makes sense for established websites that require access to high-end hardware.

Benefits of a dedicated web hosting:

You can have a whole server for you.
In most situations, you can configure your server to suit your needs.
Uncapped bandwidth available to users

Con-of dedicated hosting:

It’s a pricey alternative.

Why should you consider dedicated hosting? Dedicated hosting is the best option for sites that require the best in terms of performance and have the money to afford it.

Managed Hosting

Managed hosting is different. It’s not a specific type of plan but instead a sort of service. Managed hosting is when the provider handles many of the day-to-day maintenance tasks that otherwise be on your own. These include security monitoring, backup update of software, and many more.

It’s crucial to recognize that hosted hosting services are available in all sorts of flavors. Managed shared hosting plans are available, as well as managed VPSs and even dedicated servers managed. In all these instances, you’ll have to pay more so that you don’t have to be concerned about the ins and outs of hosting. You are able to concentrate on building your portfolio, blog, or e-commerce site.

What is considered managed hosting can vary from one company to the next. Some hosting companies provide round-the-clock support for everything that goes into running your website. Other hosting companies will just handle maintenance.

Before signing to managed hosting, it is essential to know what “extras” the provider provides. Based on our experience, managed to host typically starts at the $15/month amount, though you may see higher-priced plans.

The advantages of managed hosting:

Your service provider will take care of the most basic routine maintenance for you.
Depending on the website hosting provider, they may enhance your site’s performance.

Pros of Managed Hosting:

It can be more expensive than standard hosting plans.
You’re not in complete control over your server’s configuration and the optimization of your site.

Should you think about using managed hosting? The idea of managed hosting is to make your life simpler. If you’re not a fan of managing website maintenance and aren’t afraid of paying a bit more for white-glove services, think about making use of managed hosting.

WordPress Hosting

Many web hosting companies offer plans specifically designed for WordPress users. Typically, WordPress-specific plans come with some form of managed services. They typically also come with no-cost licenses for premium themes, plugins, and other tools.

Be aware that you don’t have to utilize an exclusive WordPress plan to build a site using the platform. But, these kinds of plans are usually optimized to offer more performance and make life much easier. If you intend to use WordPress, the type of hosting could be the best choice.

In addition to plans specifically designed for WordPress, There are other hosting platforms that are exclusively compatible using this CMS. Most of the time, there are WordPress experts working as a component of their customer support staff and could be a great bonus. The best part is that WordPress-specific plans typically cost around the same price as generic plans.

Benefits for WordPress hosting:

Most of the time, it is bundled with degree management.
You’ll have access to WordPress-specific benefits, like no-cost plugin licenses and one-click installation.

The cons for WordPress Hosting:

It’s limited only to WordPress users and restricts the ability of any other platform.

Why should you think about making use of WordPress hosting? It’s possible to install WordPress in any web hosting plan that you subscribe to. But, if you’d prefer to go with a plan specifically designed specifically to your needs and built to the CMS from the beginning, WordPress hosting can be an investment worth it.

Reseller Hosting

If you’re a part of a business that is focused on building websites, like an agency for development or design and design firm, you’ll need to manage to host. Many customers do not understand the process of hosting and may need help setting everything up and functioning.

Reseller hosting provides an answer to these kinds of scenarios. In essence, it gives you access to a hosting account that permits you to host your customers. The clients pay you directly, and you’re accountable for managing their accounts.

If you think that it is a lot of work, you’re absolutely right. But, reseller hosting can provide a number of advantages in the event that you manage to manage it. The majority of web hosts offering reseller accounts let you charge whatever you want for hosting. That means that if you are a web development agency, you can turn to host into a stream for regular income.

Controlling the hosting of clients allows you to handle the maintenance of their websites, which means you can ensure everything is running just as it is supposed to. What reselling hosting cannot be used for is individuals or regular users. If all you’re seeking is a service that allows you to create an online presence of your own or a custom-designed website, you should think about a different option from this list.

The advantages of hosting for resellers:

You can create hosting accounts for third-party users and bill the accounts directly.
You are in complete control of your web hosting.

The cons of hosting for resellers:

It is usually your responsibility to billing clients, and that involves a great deal of responsibility.
In most instances, you will have to handle maintaining and supporting tasks by yourself.

Who should think about making use of reseller hosting? If you own a company that frequently needs assistance with web hosting for customers, it may be beneficial to provide this service internally. By using reseller hosting, you are able to invoice clients directly for hosting services and handle maintenance on their behalf while using a different company to provide the infrastructure.

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7 Popular Types of Web Hosting Services & Their Pros and Cons

What Is Web Hosting?

7 Popular Types of Web Hosting Services with Pros and Cons