If you are planning to launch your first website, then you need to understand that for a site to be available to online users, it needs to be stored on a web server. While you can buy a server and host your site in-house, it can be costly. Hence, most new website owners prefer opting for hosting plans offered by web hosting companies. There are various types of web hosting services available, like Shared Hosting, Cloud Hosting, VPS Server Hosting, Dedicated Servers, etc.
Today, we will talk about web hosting and offer details about the different types of web hosting services available to you.
1. Shared Web Hosting
Shared Hosting plans are the most basic type of web hosting service. It is preferred by most new website owners since it is cheap, easy to use, and offers all the basic features required by most new sites. In Shared Hosting, the webserver is shared between multiple users. Hence, the server’s resources are divided between them, and the performance of one user impacts that of the others. While some users are concerned about the security of the websites on a Shared Hosting server, there are ways to secure your site on Shared Hosting setup too.
2. VPS Hosting
In VPS Hosting, a website resides on a virtual server. The host creates multiple virtual servers on one physical web server and allocates dedicated resources to each of them. Also, each virtual server is isolated from the others and has full root access making it function as a dedicated server with limited resources. VPS Hosting offers a range of benefits to site owners, including customizability, better security, account isolation, better control, etc.
3. Cloud Hosting
In Cloud Hosting, the data of your website is hosted on a network of multiple servers. This is one of the most preferred types of web hosting services today since it offers instant resource scalability, data redundancy, and maximum reliability, among other features.
4. Dedicated Server Hosting
This is the oldest, costliest, and most reliable hosting service. In Dedicated Server Hosting, a website resides on a web server without sharing it with any other users. Hence, the server’s resources and computing power are dedicated to the website. Site owners can make changes to the system configuration files if needed, with full root access. The major benefits of Dedicated Servers are the allocation of an entire server, elimination of server sharing issues, complete privacy, advanced security, total control and high customizability.
5. CMS-specific Hosting
In recent years, many businesses have started opting for Content Management System or CMS-based websites like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc. Hence, web hosting companies have designed a special hosting service dedicated to each CMS. Each of these hosting services has features unique to the CMS, allowing site owners to have seamless hosting experience.
Summing Up
Remember, every website is unique and has specific requirements from the hosting service. Hence, don’t fall prey to claims that one service is better than the others. Before looking for a hosting plan, analyze your site’s hosting needs, and then compare different hosting types to find the perfect web hosting service. Choose from managed and unmanaged services or Windows and Linux web hosting plans. Also, not all hosting companies are the same. Research thoroughly and find the hosting service that your site deserves. Good Luck!
