Every individual who is running a website is familiar with the term Web Hosting. However, what most of them are are not aware of is the different types of Hosting and how every type will have a different impact on their website. Knowing each type of Hosting and how it works will help you know which one to opt for, for your new website.
If you take the decision without a second thought, not only will your site not get the optimum amount of traffic, but you will also face an avoidable loss. I am calling it an avoidable loss because it can be avoided and averted easily by obtaining the right information about all the different types of Hosting. The information that I have shared below will help you make the right decision.
What Is Web Hosting?
Web hosting is basically a service on the internet which offers clientele a space and server for them to host their sites. Web hosts not only offer their clients space to host their websites or host the site on their behalf, but they also provide them with all the necessary tools to create their site and present it on the web for people to use and access.
The corporations and companies that offer web hosting services to clients are known as web hosts, and with time and technological advancements, there has been a huge growth in different varieties and types of web hosts. Today, you can find a huge range of web hosts in every category.
Types Of Web Hosting?
There are multiple types of web hostings available in the market today. Each type is unique and different from the others in many ways. Each type of web hosting is different than the other in its properties, performance, benefits, and its way of working. To generate more traffic on your website, you need to know all the types. The multiple types are listed below.
- Shared Hosting
- VPS Hosting
- Dedicated Server Hosting
- Cloud Hosting
- Managed Hosting
- WordPress Hosting
- Reseller Hosting
- Colocation Hosting
- Clustered Hosting
1. Shared Hosting – Best for Beginners
The first type of hosting that we will be discussing is Shared Hosting. This is the entry-level and the most basic type of web hosting, which is why it is suitable for beginner-level website owners. In Shared Hosting, there is one server, and multiple different websites use that same server.
This type of Hosting was given the name Shared Hosting because each website present on the server shares all the available resources that the server has to offer. This includes the RAM, storage, Bandwidth, and the CPU of the server. Shared Hosting is the ideal type of hosting for small-scale business and entry-level website owners.
Advantages And Disadvantages
The first major advantage of Shared Hosting is that it costs a small amount of money as compared to other types of Hosting. As the resources of the server are shared amongst multiple websites, the cost of the entire hosting plan is pretty low. The entire process of setting up a website on a Shared Hosting server is quite simple that does not require you to have extensive technical knowledge.
However, a drawback of Shared Hosting is that as the websites share the same server, if there is a glitch in one site, it will affect the performance of the other sites. Another disadvantage of Shared Hosting is that as the sites are sharing the same server, the speed is not very high.
2. VPS Hosting – Best for Growing Websites
VPS Hosting stands for Virtual Private Server Hosting. VPS Hosting is slightly similar to Shared Hosting, but it is different in some aspects. Like Shared Hosting, in VPS Hosting, different website owners share the same server. However, unlike Shared Hosting, in VPS Hosting, every website that is using the server will not be using the same space on the server.
The company splits its main server into many small spaces or servers, and then those small servers are used by different website owners. Even though the main server of all websites is the same, they are all using their own virtual server. This type of Hosting offers different websites that are using the server to have some customization along with their own space. This way, you will be able to tinker with your website according to your liking and requirements without facing any hindrance.
Advantages And Disadvantages
The main advantage of VPS Hosting is that despite using the same main server, each website gets and uses its own small server. This means that each website using the server will get its own resources. VPS Hosting also offers customization to each website that is using the server.
The speed that VPS hosting offers is also higher than Shared Hosting. VPS Hosting is also quite cost-effective, which is why it is ideal for small-scale website owners. In addition to that, VPS hosting also allows the website owners to run any kind of software that they require.
The major disadvantage of VPS Hosting is that despite getting their own small server, the main server of all the websites is the same. Therefore, if there is a high traffic spike at one website, then it will affect the performance and the speed of other websites as well. Virtual Private Server Hosting or VPS Hosting is a great fit for website owners who want to upgrade from Shared Hosting servers and need more customization for their websites.
3. Dedicated Server Hosting – Best for Experts
As the name indicates, Dedicated Server Hosting is the type of hosting where every website gets its own server that is dedicated to that one website only. Dedicated Server Hosting offers the maximum amount of control over their website’s server. This is one of the most used types of Hosting, especially by large businesses.
In Dedicated Server Hosting, each website has to rent a server, and once they have rented that server, their website is the only one that is using the resources of that server. As there are no shared resources, the performance of Dedicated Server Hosting is remarkable. The owner of the website has complete control and admin access over the server and its resources so they can alter the resources and the system according to their website’s requirements.
Advantages And Disadvantages
The first advantage of Dedicated Server Hosting is that the owner of the website does not have to share any resources of the server with any other website. Once you have rented the server, your website is the only one that has access to the resources of the server. This means that the loading and operating speed of the website are amazing. In addition to that, the website owner has complete control over the settings of the server. As no other websites are using the server, nothing will affect the speed of your website.
But all good things come at a cost; as amazing as the benefits of Dedicated Server Hosting are, they come at a hefty price. In dedicated Server Hosting, website owners have to rent a server, and that costs a large sum of money. Furthermore, another drawback of Dedicated Server Hosting is that it requires a lot of technical knowledge. As you get access to server settings, you will have to have a higher level of knowledge to operate the website and control the server.
4. Cloud Hosting – Best for Big Businesses
One of the recent and newly introduced types of Hosting is Cloud Hosting. Cloud Hosting is similar to VPS Hosting in some manners. However, there are many differences between the two. In Cloud Hosting, there is one main server which is divided into multiple small servers. Each small server is dedicated to a specific responsibility or offers a specific resource.
Each website that is using Cloud Hosting will get access to all the small servers that offer different responsibilities and resources. They will get to choose whichever befits their requirements and use that. If one server lags or does not perform well for any reason, then any other server will be assigned those responsibilities so that there is no lag on the server.
Advantages And Disadvantages
The first great benefit of Cloud Hosting is that it allows website owners to pick the server that befits their needs the best. If you need only a specific type of tools, then there is no need to pay for all the extra resources, as Cloud Hosting will give you the option to pay for those specific resources only.
Moreover, Cloud Hosting is also quite cost-effective, as users are picking the servers that they want to use; they will only have to pay for that. Another advantage of Cloud Hosting is that it helps website owners to increase and generate more traffic on their website.
However, the major drawback of Cloud Hosting is that as the website owners are renting servers according to their needs, they will not get as much customization. Moreover, if you use multiple resources and tools at the same time, then you will have to pay a large sum of money. This type of Hosting is ideal for businesses that do not want to pay extra for the resources that they probably will not be using. So, they are best for every medium-scaled business out there.
5. Managed Hosting – Best for Personal Sites
Managed Hosting is another type of hosting which is used by many website owners. In Managed Hosting, hosting servers offer their services to websites on lease. These services include hardware setup, software setup, technical support, security monitoring, data configuration, data backups, etc.
The host will provide and offer these services to different websites, and they will have to provide these services to the website that selects them. In Managed Hosting, there are different managing plans present, and the website can pick one that befits their requirements the best.
Advantages And Disadvantages
The first great perk of Managed Server is that at a time, only one website gets access to the server. This means that there is no more lag in performance, and the website runs at optimum speed. In addition to that, in Managed Hosting, websites can pick and assign responsibilities to the server that they require. The service provider will then have to cater to those responsibilities on behalf of the website owner. The disadvantage of Managed Hosting is that it comes at a higher cost than other types of Hosting.
6. WordPress Hosting – Best for Portfolio Sites
Another type of Hosting is WordPress Hosting. This type of Hosting focuses only on WordPress sites, and it focuses on offering different users the tools that will help them run their WordPress site more smoothly. There are two types of WordPress Hosting, Shared WordPress Hosting and Managed WordPress Hosting.
Shared WordPress Hosting
The process and functionality of Shared WordPress Hosting are similar to that of Shared Hosting. There is a single server, and every website using that server will get access to the same resources and tools. The websites have to share all the resources, which means the cost will be lower than the other type of WordPress Hosting.
Managed WordPress Hosting
Similar to Shared WordPress Hosting, the setup and the process of Managed WordPress Hosting is similar to Managed Hosting as well. This type of WordPress Hosting focuses on providing extra resources to the WordPress websites such as more security, better speed, etc.
Advantages And Disadvantages
The first disadvantage of WordPress Hosting is that it is only for the websites that are running on WordPress. Moreover, in Shared WordPress Hosting, all the websites will have to share the resources of the server, which means the performance of one website will affect the others that are using the server.
The advantage of WordPress Hosting is that if you have a WordPress site, this Hosting server will provide you with tools that cater to your every need. Moreover, as this server is only for WordPress websites, it offers more security to all the WordPress websites out there that are using this type of Hosting.
7. Reseller Hosting – Best for Hosting Business
As the name indicates, this type of Hosting focuses on buying services from a service provider and then further selling those services to a client. For instance, in Reseller Hosting, you are the middleman, you will buy the host services from one server, and then you will resell those services to a client. This type of Web Hosting is ideal for web designers, who are already managing websites, and they have a huge clientele, so they can easily resell the host services to their existing clients instead of searching for new clients.
Advantages And Disadvantages
The first and the best advantage of Reseller Hosting is that it can help people generate a large sum of money. As you buy services from one host, you can buy them at a wholesale price. Then you get to decide the reselling price of those host services and resell them at a price that gives you a profit.
In addition to that, for as long as the client uses the host services, you will generate a steady amount of money from that. The disadvantage of Reseller Hosting is that you can not offer it to a single client; you will first need to have a large circle of clientele to purchase your host services. Furthermore, you will be solely responsible for the services that you offer, so in case of any glitch or malfunction on the website, the client will ask you to take care of it. This is why this type of Hosting is only suitable for people who are tech-savvy.
8. Colocation Hosting – Best for Startups
Another famous type of Hosting is Colocation. In Colocation Hosting, all kinds of space, servers, equipment, and bandwidth are available for purchase. All of these resources and tools are present in a facility or a Colocation center. Business owners and hosts are given access to all of these servers and equipment. The site owners and businesses can purchase space that befits their needs the best and hosts their own servers on it. Basically, in Colocation, you are renting space to host your own server.
Advantages And Disadvantages
In Colocation Hosting, you have to deal with every single setting of your server, which in my opinion, is a major drawback. As you will be renting space for hosting your own server, you need to make sure that you have enough audience to use your server.
As you have to pay a large sum of money to rent out or purchase a space in the Colocation Center, this type of Hosting is not ideal for smaller-scale businesses. The advantage of Colocation Hosting is that as you are only renting space and are the host of your serves, you will be provided with full access to server settings.
9. Clustered Hosting – Best for Large Companies
Cluster Hosting is exactly what the name indicates. Instead of the host server offering a single server, the hosting server is present on multiple servers. The host creates a cluster of servers, and they can keep adding more servers to their cluster. This makes sure that the server runs smoothly and the performance does not get affected in case of any problem. Offering sites on multiple clustered servers instead of a single server ensures that the performance of that site will never go down.
Advantages And Disadvantages
The first major advantage of Clustered Hosting is that even with huge traffic on the website, the performance and the speed of the website never get affected as multiple clusters of servers are being used. In addition to that, another benefit is that as more servers are present in the cluster, the available space is also significantly large. The major disadvantage of Cluster Hosting is that it requires a lot of knowledge and information to be able to run a large cluster of servers smoothly at the same time.
How To Choose A Hosting?
Before you go and invest your money in a type of Hosting, first, you need to know what your requirements are. Knowing precisely what you are looking for helps you in picking the best and most suitable type of hosting for your website. If you are a small business and the website is in the initial stages, then it is best for you to get Shared Hosting. If you are running a fully established business, then you can go for either VPS Hosting. The businesses that are flourishing and blooming and get a ton of traffic on their website every day should opt for Dedicated Hosting.
Cloud Hosting is ideal for websites owners who know their way around resources and tools and how to use them. When you are a tech-savvy individual, then you should get Cloud Hosting, as it will offer you a variety of servers, each catering to different responsibilities. On the other hand, the people who are not tech-savvy should probably go for Managed Hosting, as it will have some experts take care of all the settings of your website for you. In addition to that, if you are only looking to earn money from websites, then you should go for Reseller Hosting.
FAQs
How do I choose a host?
The first that you need to do to figure out how to choose a host is to find out what your website requires. Knowing the precise needs and requirements of your website will help you choose a host that befits those needs perfectly. If you want to generate low traffic without spending a large sum of money, then a Shared Host will be ideal for you.
What are web hosting and types?
Web Hosting is basically a business that offers services that are needed to run a webpage or a website. The different types of web hosting include Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Reseller Hosting, WordPress Hosting, Cloud Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, and many more.
Conclusion
Web Hosting is a new way to make your web pages and websites grow by increasing the traffic of the websites on the internet. However, high traffic and smooth performance will only be possible if you invest your money and get the best-suited type of Hosting for your website. Knowing each and every type in detail is critical for that, which is why I have shared detailed information on all the types of Hosting in the article above.