Types of Web Hosting [All You Need to Know to Be a Pro]

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Online presence is the key to success in the rapidly developing tech world. If you or your business need a website, you also need web hosting. Depending on your requirements, you need to choose a reliable and affordable web host for your website, but first, you need to learn about the types of web hosting that are available and see which one is the most suitable for your specific needs. Read on to learn more.

What Is Website Hosting?

Web hosting is the way to publish your website on the internet – this is made possible by a web hosting service or a provider. The more technical hosting definition says that web hosting is the service of providing storage space on a server on the internet for websites and apps. Websites are hosted on servers – and once they’ve been hosted they are made available on the internet for anyone to access them.

In simple terms, web hosting servers are a virtual rental space – all the information regarding the website is stored on these servers. Without web hosting, there would be no place to store all your data, so your site wouldn’t be functional.

When people want to access a site they need to type the website address or the domain name into the browser. The computer then connects to the server hosting the website and the site will be opened in the browser. This is the most basic server hosting definition.

If you want to acquire web hosting, you need to have a registered domain name for your site beforehand – all hosting companies require you to have one, and you still haven’t acquired one, the best domain name registrars will help you purchase it.

Purchasing a hosting plan from a hosting provider means that you’re renting their server space and you can store your data (HTML and CSS files), documents, and media content. Web hosting services also provide all the additional services, software, and connectivity that are required for the functioning of a site.

How Many Types of Web Hosting Are There?

There are numerous web hosting types, and it is possible to use any computer with an internet connection as a server, but the process of configuring the computer to act as a server is quite challenging and can prove to be too difficult for beginners. It’s a better idea to choose a hosting service because you will have more time to focus on the site itself, and you’ll be able to rest easy knowing that you have reliable hosting. So, what is a web hosting company? A web hosting company is a company that provides hosting services for websites.

Two of the most prominent features to keep in mind when selecting a web hosting service provider are uptime and speed. Uptime is the amount of time your site is up and running – this is calculated in percentages, between 1% and 100%. A 100% uptime indicates that the site never goes down, but most web host providers guarantee a 99%+ uptime rate, which is a good rate, promising reliable hosting for your site. The second important feature is speed, i.e. the loading time that’s needed for pages to appear on your site. Before committing to a certain provider, make sure that these two features are the provider’s main focus.

Types of Web Hosting

There are different hosting types that serve to accommodate the various needs of different clients. The major web hosting types are:

Shared Hosting

Web hosting providers offer more than one hosting type, so what is shared hosting? This hosting type is the most commonly used hosting – it’s very frequently found among small business sites and personal blogs. With this hosting type, you share one server with other sites, including all other resources such as memory, disk space, and computing power. This is the most cost-effective hosting type, but the low prices come with some limitations. Each of the users is sharing resources with all the other users on the server, including CPU and RAM.

VPS Hosting

If you’re using a VPS (Virtual Private Server), this means that you are sharing the server with other clients. The provider sets aside a separate part of the server for your website. In these cases, the client gets a select amount of memory and resources, making it an excellent choice for small business hosting. The web hosting provider separates the server into compartments with the use of virtual walls, and each client can install their own software and OS. VPS hosting is a combination of shared and dedicated hosting; by choosing a great VPS hosting provider, you get the benefits of dedicated hosting for affordable prices.

Cloud Hosting

The most reliable hosting type available is cloud hosting. The web host provides you with a whole cluster of servers, and your files and data will be replicated on each of the available servers, thanks to the dedicated resources used by the cloud host. If one of the cloud servers is busy, or there’s a traffic spike, the traffic is automatically rerouted to another server, resulting in little or no downtime. This is known as scalability and it’s what makes cloud hosting an excellent choice for busy websites. When comparing cloud hosting vs VPS, it’s clear that they’re not mutually exclusive. It’s possible to offer VPS hosting on a cloud structure, which results in the best performance in a virtual environment.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting is a very secure and reliable hosting type. So, what is dedicated hosting and how does it work? Dedicated hosting provides you with a separate physical server for your website, which provides you with the flexibility to manage your site however you see fit. If you rent a dedicated server, you get all the benefits of having your own personal, physical server with the additional support provided by the web host. This hosting type is an excellent choice for large businesses with sites that generate a lot of online traffic. However, this hosting is pricier than other types, so you should only consider it in case your site really needs it.

Reseller Hosting

This type of hosting allows resellers to rent servers, bandwidth, and software from a large web hosting companies, and then resell the services for profit to people that are looking to build a website and are in need of a web host. The resellers can tailor and brand their packages with the use of a customized control panel. They are also responsible for interacting with customers and the quality reseller hosting providers serve as the link between the clients and the hosting providers.

WordPress Hosting

WordPress hosting is a type of shared hosting that has been created especially for WordPress website owners. The WordPress hosting services definition states that the servers used for this hosting are configured for the platform and contain some pre-installed plugins, used for security and caching. This managed hosting comes with WordPress-specific features, like a command-line interface and one-click installation.

It is possible to set up a WordPress site with another hosting, for example, on a Virtual Private Server, but you won’t be granted access to all the features that are available with the custom-built WordPress hosting.

Did you know: Almost 40% of all sites on the internet are built on WordPress.

How Much Does It Cost to Host a Website?

The prices for hosting a website depend on the hosting type you choose for your site.

The cheapest hosting is shared hosting, with prices ranging between $2.50 and $15 per month. VPS hosting costs slightly more – the cheapest option for this hosting is $3.95/month, however, if you opt for a better host, you can expect to pay up to $100/month. Cloud hosting utilizes a lot of resources for its services, so the server cost starts at around $10/month and can go up to $300/month. The cost to host a website on WordPress is somewhere between $3 and $15/month, which sounds quite affordable. The most expensive hosting is dedicated hosting, with prices starting at $80/month and growing up to $700/month.

Which Hosting Option Should You Choose?

As you can see, there are many hosting options you can choose from but it’s very important that you make the right choice for the specific requirements of your site. The first thing you need to know is the definition of each web hosting, and based on this you’ll be able to determine the hosting type you need. If you have a personal website, you shouldn’t pay a lot of money for dedicated hosting, since your site doesn’t require such powerful hosting. On the other hand, if you’re managing a high-traffic site or an online store, you should go for a dedicated host. In case your site is small or medium-sized, you could consider shared hosting.

You also need to match the type of site you’re building with one of the types of hosting – if it’s a blog, then high-quality WordPress hosting is the way to go, but if you want to open an online shop, then you should go ahead and turn to an ecommerce hosting provider that can provide you with dedicated servers capable of withstanding heavy traffic flow.

When choosing a web host, there are numerous things to consider, such as the amount of support and storage you’re getting. Another thing to consider is how much it will cost to host a website – this can be a determining factor. Make sure you don’t sacrifice the site’s performance just to save a few bucks – sometimes you need to pay a little more for reliable hosting. Although there are free hosting options you can choose from, this isn’t always the best course of action. When you opt for paid hosting, you get additional features and security, which might be very beneficial for your site’s overall performance in the long run.

Did you know: Only 48.2% of internet traffic comes from humans; the remaining 51.8% comes from bots.

Web Hosting Types: At a Glance

If you’re just starting your own website, regardless of whether it is a personal or a business site, you’ll need hosting. So, here are the main things you need to know when choosing a hosting type:

Shared hosting is the most common hosting type. Web hosting companies host multiple sites on the same server, according to the shared hosting definition. Each of these sites shares the available resources with all the other sites hosted on the same server. This hosting is very cost-effective, making it an ideal choice for small and medium-sized sites. If you don’t want to spend significant sums on hosting, perhaps you should consider some of the great shared hosting options available on the market.
VPS hosting is a combination of shared and dedicated hosting. Hosts place more than one site on the same server, but the sites are separated by virtual walls, which create a separate space on the server for each of the sites hosted there. With this kind of hosting, you get almost all the benefits of dedicated hosting, but for a significantly lower price and you can get excellent VPS hosting for Windows.
Cloud hosting is the most reliable hosting available. The meaning of hosting on a cloud is basically that all the site’s data and files are replicated on various servers, so even if one of them is currently not working, the site’s traffic is automatically rerouted to another functioning server. This is an excellent choice for extremely busy sites.
Dedicated hosting is a suitable option for large sites with a high traffic volume because this hosting type provides them with an entire server or a whole group of servers if the site requires it. This hosting type provides the site with good loading time, reliable uptime, and plenty of storage for all of the site’s content – but at a higher price.
Reseller hosting can refer to any of the types of hosting, but keep in mind that resellers acquire it directly from web hosts, and then sell it to you at a higher price.
WordPress hosting is in essence shared hosting, but configured to fit the specific needs of sites created on the WP platform.
Did you know: When the internet was first established, there were only six TLDs in existence – .com, .org, .net, .edu, .gov, and .mil.

Conclusion

Web hosting is an essential service for all existing websites and there are several types you can choose from. You need to outline your site’s specific requirements before deciding on a web hosting provider and the type of hosting you need. After you have all the information, you can choose the best option for your site.

FAQ

Can I host my own website?

You can, but it requires a lot of time and energy. If you don’t have the necessary technical knowledge, it’s better to go for a web hosting provider.

Which hosting is best?

There is no universal best when it comes to web hosting as it all depends on your site’s needs. Cloud hosting is often considered the most reliable option, while dedicated hosting provides the best levels of security and storage.

How many types of hosting are there?

There are several types of web hosting: shared, VPS hosting, cloud, dedicated, reseller hosting, and WordPress hosting.

1 Comment

  1. In the beginning, I didn’t believe that I am able to go through a post as long. Your writing style has captivated me. Then you came back with another outstanding content as usual. Great Article Neil. While I read the article just a few days ago, I did not leave a comment. But, I thought that it merited a mention in a thank-you. I’ll be using some of these tips on my own sites very soon.

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