In this day and age the use of the Internet has become part and parcel of our daily lives. Internet has become an important as well as popular means of disseminating information as well as providing entertainment. It also provides opportunities for buying and selling and makes services and products available online for purchase and use. All these facilities are made accessible online via websites that need web hosting to be available to everyone via the Internet. Web Hosting is usually either a chargeable or at times a free service provided by a web hosting service provider company that enables anyone to make his website accessible through the Internet. Web hosting encompasses the services and technology that keep a website up and running efficiently. It can be of many types based on the server type.
The major types of hosting services are- shared, dedicated, VPS, cloud, reseller, WordPress.
When we talk about shared and dedicated hosting in particular, each has its own benefits and which type of hosting will be the best for a person/company will depend on his/ his company’s specific requirements. For certain web hosting needs, a shared hosting service is good enough whereas dedicated hosting is better for others. Let us shed light upon it, so that this comprehensive information makes it easier to choose the best option between these two for web hosting based on one’s requirements.
Shared Web Hosting
As the name itself suggests, Shared Web Hosting refers to that type of web hosting service in which a website shares the same physical server space and its resources with one or more websites. Hence, the cost, as well as the bandwidth and other features, are shared among those that use it. This makes it a cost-effective web hosting option which makes it a popular choice for web hosting. The websites that share the server cannot access the accounts or websites of others. This helps to maintain the hosted websites’ security.
In the case of shared web hosting, the web hosting company will set up the user’s server and install all the necessary software. All that the user needs to do is upload his website. He can use easily the simple and user-friendly control panel and can create as well as manage his email account and database along with other tools.
It is budget-friendly, has a user-friendly control panel, is convenient to set up, takes very less time to set up and has a built-in cPanel to make website management effortless. It is an ideal option for website owners with low budget or those with smaller and simpler websites, for websites which receive limited traffic and don’t need customized configuration of the server, or where the content is updated very frequently, for bloggers and for small and medium-sized businesses which need a website to increase their reach. It is also an excellent option for those who don’t know how to configure a server or install and upgrade software and for those that find it challenging to perform technical maintenance. Apart from that, it is advisable to opt for shared web hosting when someone is new to web hosting.
Dedicated Web Hosting
It is a type of web hosting service provided by a web hosting company in which a server and its resources are dedicated for the use of a single website. Here, one particular website owner is the sole user of the server and its resources. It ensures greater flexibility to manage the website by enabling full control over server configuration as well as over the overall operating environment. It also lets the user enjoy a much larger spectrum of software and services to choose from. It is one of the safest web hosting options with maximum level of privacy and control. Dedicated web hosting is an expensive option when compared to shared web hosting, as in this case one server is exclusively allotted to a website.
Since all the resources of a single server are at the user’s disposal, dedicated web hosting ensures augmented performance with enhanced security and greater control over the server. It gives fast loading times and constant high uptime. Since the server is not shared with any other website, the performance of the website hosted on it is extremely stable. Despite being an expensive option it has the best price-to-performance ratio.
Dedicated web hosting is one of the best hosting options for websites that experience a lot of traffic, have strict need for customization and security, large enterprise level organizations and business critical applications. It is an ideal choice for businesses that are continuously expanding and hence have a need for greater control and flexibility when it comes to their servers’ customization. This type of web hosting is a powerful option for those users who want to choose their software and make sure that their system is always adaptable to changing needs. It is an advisable choice for websites that contain high-resolution photos and stream a large volume of videos or those that want a unique IP address which is not shared with any other website.
With so many beneficial features and a dedicated server exclusively catering to a user’s website, dedicated hosting comes at a higher price than shared hosting but it is totally worth it if one requires greater control and enhanced security. It requires strong technical skills and knowledge otherwise the user will need to opt for a web hosting package that provides support for building and maintain the equipment.
Web hosting service and plans should never be considered with a one-size-fits-all approach. Every website has its own hosting requirements which must be taken into account when opting for a web hosting service type or package. “Knowledge is power”. Equipped with this important information that has been shared here, anyone who faces confusion when choosing between shared and dedicated hosting options for his website, will be able to identify what he needs to look for when availing the right type of web hosting service. This will enable him to make a fruitful decision that will best suit his specific web hosting requirements.
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