There are five different types of web hosting. While each of these serves the same fundamental function – storage and computational power for your website – they do differ in the nitty-gritty details, such as capacity and the amount of technical knowledge required.
SHARED HOSTING
Shared hosting is the most common and least expensive form of web hosting. As the name implies, a computer server hosts multiple customers’ websites at the same time. Naturally, coupled with the affordability of the method is a reduction in power, as each website sharing the server is afforded less capacity and bandwidth etc. This ordinarily means that a single CPU, a single hard drive, and a single network connection is used to accommodate a number of websites, and their respective traffic.
ADVANTAGES
- Inexpensive and easy to setup.
- Great for low-requirement websites (such as blogs etc.)
- Doesn’t compromise on reliability.
- Great option for those with minimal needs.
DISADVANTAGES
- Limited hardware capacity due to shared server.
- Inability to customize or make direct changes to the server (no root access).
- Performance potentially jeopardized by other websites.
- Added risk from shared server.
VIRTUAL PRIVATE SERVER
Virtual private servers sit on the line between shared hosting and dedicated hosting. As the name implies, a virtual private server is a dedicated server, but uses a virtual machine rather than a physical one. The main advantage of this versus shared servers is that it allows the user more control over the server environment with root access.
However, it’s certainly not without its own little caveats, and doesn’t entirely nullify the problems posed by traditional shared servers. VPS hosting is best for those developing custom applications, or for those that want to make custom modifications to their server to fulfil a specific web function or are running a SaaS (software-as-a-service) business.
VPS’s provide improved access to server resources, which are typically more generous than those available in a shared hosting situation. While a server computer will still have multiple VPS’s, serving multiple customers, they are typically far fewer than those in shared server environments, and have a more substantial allocation of resources.
ADVANTAGES
- Still more affordable than dedicated servers.
- Root access with more control over the server.
- Increased resources.
- Fewer security issues.
DISADVANTAGES
- Remains susceptible to performance issues from traffic spikes in other servers.
- Lacks the substantial system resources offered by dedicated server hosting.
DEDICATED SERVER HOSTING
We’ve dressed up dedicated server hosting for a reason – it’s the option that offers the maximum control over a web server alongside substantial performance capacity. This is the best choice for growing and up-and-coming websites, which will require a server that can accommodate sporadic spikes in activity. For any business, traffic spikes are naturally a great thing, and should never be stifled by hardware, software, or network bandwidth capacity limits.
ADVANTAGES
- Improved performance capability and capacity (bandwidth, CPU, storage, etc.)
- Full control over the server machine.
- Server machine can be customized as desired.
- Minimal security risks.
DISADVANTAGES
- Substantially higher cost over alternatives.
- Singularly responsible for the server.
- Potentially requires more technical knowledge.
CLOUD HOSTING
Cloud hosting is a form of VPS hosting that scales with the amount of traffic your website receives. Herein is cloud hosting’s main advantage – it has an unlimited capacity to handle traffic spikes, and removes any possibility of bandwidth or CPU bottlenecking. Under the dedicated and shared server methods, real machines are used that have finite limits. These limits cannot suddenly shift depending on the quantity of traffic as a single computer only has a certain amount of CPU power and bandwidth to provide.
ADVANTAGES
- Unlimited capacity to accommodate spikes in traffic.
- Scalable cost – pay for what you use.
- Multiple VPS’s within a single customer account, allowing for multiple instances of a website’s development cycle to exist simultaneously.
- Great for new or growing websites.
DISADVANTAGES
- Service can vary from provider to provider.
- Can become costly if website receives a lot of traffic.
- Mainly suitable for those with higher-than-average needs.