Almost all of us are familiar with the information system that is accessible over the Internet and is known as the World Wide Web (WWW), which is also referred to as the Web. The resources of the Web, which are transferred via HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), are accessible to users through a software application known as a web browser and are published by a web server. In the context of accessing the resources of the Web, such as web pages; the service of web hosting as well as web servers play a significant role. Here, in this blog, we shall elaborate individually on not only the role of web hosting and web servers but also make the difference between these two known.
Everything about Web Hosting
As per estimations, over 1.18 billion websites exist as of January 2022, although this number keeps fluctuating. Each of these websites requires the service of web hosting in order to become and remain publicly accessible over the Internet.
What is web hosting? Web hosting or website hosting is a service that is meant for hosting websites. Regardless of the type of a site, whether it is a blog, e-commerce site, site of an organization, etc.; every website needs to avail the service of web hosting. This service is purchased by the owner of a website from a service provider that is referred to as a web hosting company or as a web host or as a web hosting service provider. A web hosting company offers a range of web hosting services or solutions in the form of web hosting plans.
A web hosting plan offers web server space and various web hosting features, such as high uptime, fast speed, SSDs, user-friendly control panels, 24*7 technical support, etc. These features are meant for the efficiency of the service of web hosting and for ensuring the convenience of the users of web hosting services.
What happens in web hosting? As mentioned earlier, it is by availing the service of web hosting that websites become accessible over the Internet. Once a web hosting plan has been purchased by a website owner, his website gets hosted. This means that the files of his website get stored on a particular web server of the web hosting service provider, depending on the type of web hosting service that has been purchased by the website owner. These files are processed on the server and are subsequently delivered, over the Internet, to the Internet-connected devices of site visitors. At this stage the website becomes accessible to the site visitors.
It can be clearly seen that a web server plays an important part in this process. Detailed information about a web server shall be provided in the next section of the blog. In this section, we shall focus on the service of web hosting.
Web hosting, as a service, is available as different hosting solutions for Linux and for Windows. Some of the main web hosting solutions are as follows –
Reseller Hosting
Shared Web Hosting
Dedicated Web Hosting
WordPress Hosting
Managed VPS Hosting
Self- Managed VPS Hosting
Different types of web hosting services are needed to cater to different hosting requirements. Let us take the example of Reseller Hosting. It is a web hosting solution which provides the best opportunity to start the business of web hosting at minimum expenditure and at the least risk by becoming the resellers of the web hosting services of popular, professional and established web hosting companies. The other types of hosting services, such as Shared Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, VPS Hosting (Managed VPS Hosting and Self-managed VPS Hosting) and WordPress Hosting are meant for hosting different types of websites. You need to select a web hosting solution based on your website’s hosting requirements and your budget.
Shared Web Hosting plans are best for those with less budget for availing web hosting, as well as for less resource-intensive websites. WordPress Hosting is meant for WordPress websites and is designed to meet the security and performance requirements of such sites. Dedicated Hosting and VPS Hosting are meant for websites that require dedicated server resources, server customization, dedicated server space and dedicated IP address. In general, VPS Hosting, whether it is Managed VPS Hosting or Self-managed VPS Hosting, and Dedicated Hosting are the best hosting solutions for websites that are resource-intensive or those sites that have strict requirements for enhanced website security and speed.
It is not only your site’s hosting requirements and your budget that should influence your choice of web hosting solution, but also the reputability of the service provider. It is recommended that you avail your web hosting service from a reputed and reliable web host that has extensive experience of providing a diverse range of web hosting solutions to various types of websites. HTS Hosting, is one such web host! It excels at offering feature-rich and affordably-priced web hosting plans for every type of web hosting service, which ensures the seamless availability of the hosted sites of its rapidly expanding global client base.
As the best website hosting company that offers the best web hosting service, HTS Hosting has become the most preferred service provider of every type of web hosting solution for Linux and for Windows. Expert assistance awaits you, 24/7, as HTS customer care service that will help you choose an ideal hosting plan for your website’s peak performance, at the most budget-friendly price. The fact that HTS Hosting provides its services straight from its secure and fully-equipped data centre, HTS Data Centre, increases its efficiency as a web hosting service provider and makes it a reliable web hosting company for availing top-tier hosting services from, as it has all the necessary infrastructure and resources.
Web Server: An Essential Component in Web Hosting
When the service of web hosting is opted for, the files of the website that avails this service, get stored on a web server and are processed on it. Hence, it goes without saying that a web server is central to the service of web hosting.
A web server is a type of a server that is used by web hosting companies for storing and processing the files of the hosted sites. Every web server stores the files of websites, processes those files, receives incoming requests of web browsers of site visitors and responds to those requests for the files by making the stored files available. Without a web server, hosting of files won’t be possible. Without hosting the files, it won’t be possible to offer the service of web hosting and without the service of web hosting, it won’t be possible for websites to remain accessible over the Internet. That is why web servers are key to web hosting.
Although every web server performs the same function that has been mentioned above, the way a web server hosts the files of a website/websites depends on the type of web hosting service. In Shared Hosting, a single web server hosts the files of multiple websites, which means it stores and processes the files of several sites. A dedicated web server hosts the files of a single website. Hence, it stores and processes the files of a single website. A Virtual Private Server (VPS) which is used in VPS Hosting, also stores and processes the files of multiple websites on a single web server, which is virtually segmented into several, isolated, independent servers for providing dedicated server space and dedicated server resources to each of the hosted sites. Now you know how your hosted site’s files will be hosted on a web server, depending on the type of web hosting solution you choose.
Conclusion:
It is evident from the information provided here that web hosting is a service for making websites accessible over the Internet and a web server is a server that stores and processes the files of the hosted sites which are rendered accessible online through the service of web hosting. This is the main difference between web hosting, which is a service and web server, which is a server.
When you avail a web hosting plan, you automatically reserve space on a web server for storing and processing your website’s files. Additionally, you acquire certain essential web hosting features, such as high uptime, fast page loads, secure service, SSD, 24/7 customer care service, etc. Regardless of the type of web hosting you opt for, always look for the above-mentioned features in your hosting plan to ensure the efficiency of the hosting service. It is recommended that you opt for a reputed and professional web host, such as HTS Hosting. HTS Hosting operates from its state-of-the-art data centre and delivers the best hosting services at budget-friendly prices.
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