How to Find the Cheapest WordPress Hosting
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world, and for a good reason: it’s incredibly easy to use and offers a lot of features. With over 20 million downloads, it’s clear that many people are finding the benefits of WordPress. The problem is that not everyone can afford the best and the most expensive plans when it comes to hosting. In this article, we will discuss some of the options available to you when it comes to hosting your WordPress site.
VPS Hosting
A virtual private server (VPS) is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a private server that you pay for on a per-hour basis. With a VPS hosting plan, you get the resources of a full-fledged server, such as a CPU, RAM, and storage, along with high-speed internet access. You also get the control over the server’s resources, so if you’re running a website that gets a lot of traffic, you can easily upgrade the service to a paid plan and gain more resources to handle the increased load. VPS hosting is typically much cheaper than ordinary dedicated or shared hosting, and, as a result, is a popular choice among small businesses and bloggers who are looking to keep their costs low.
One of the many advantages of VPS hosting is that it gives you the option of choosing either a dedicated IP or a shared IP. A dedicated IP is a unique IP that is assigned to your VPS when you sign up for the service, and it remains the same regardless of what server you are using. A shared IP is a physical IP that multiple users share, which can lead to conflicts when using the service if you don’t lock it down (more on that in a bit). If you don’t want to use a shared IP, then you need to get a dedicated IP, which is more expensive but gives you more control over your site.
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting is pretty self-explanatory: you’re paying for the resources of a whole server, so it doesn’t get any simpler than that. When you sign up for dedicated hosting, you get access to a website platform, along with high-speed internet access, and you don’t have to worry about capacity limits or overage fees. This type of hosting is perfect for large businesses and bloggers who need a stable and powerful platform to operate on. Some of the more popular platforms that are supported by dedicated hosting providers include WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
The downside to dedicated hosting is that you have to commit to a service contract and are therefore locked in regardless of whether you want to stay or go. You also have to deal with the overhead of a whole dedicated server, which creates additional costs that you have to factor in. Finally, if you don’t have the money to pay for a dedicated server each year, then you’re better off with a VPS, since you can upgrade and switch providers whenever you want without penalty.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is exactly what it sounds like: multiple users (or websites) share the resources of a single server. When you sign up for shared hosting, you get access to a website platform, along with high-speed internet access, and you don’t have to worry about capacity limits or overage fees. This type of hosting is perfect for those who are looking for a stable and cost-effective solution, and it’s a great choice for bloggers or small businesses who are looking to get started quickly and don’t have the money to spend on separate servers. Some of the more popular platforms that are supported by shared hosting providers include WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal.
The downside to shared hosting is that if you’re not careful, you could end up with a server full of websites that are all pulling in the same direction and slowing down the whole network. To avoid this, make sure that you install a content caching plugin, like WPCache, or use an SSD drive to store your site’s files on. The better your hardware and software, the better your experience will be when using shared hosting.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is, in a nutshell, when you rent out computational resources, such as servers, storage, and bandwidth, in the cloud. This is also known as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) hosting, and it’s a great option for bloggers, websites, and businesses that want to keep their costs low and don’t have the budget for expensive infrastructure. When you use cloud hosting, you get access to a website platform, along with high-speed internet access, and you don’t have to worry about capacity limits or overage fees. This type of hosting is perfect for small businesses and bloggers who want to keep their costs low and want to improve their productivity. If money is no object to you, then cloud hosting is the way to go.
The downside to cloud hosting is that you have to be mindful of your resource usage, as you are sharing the computational resources with other users. You can easily overrun your allocated resources if you’re not careful, which can lead to unexpected fees or even termination of your account. To avoid this, make sure that you have enough resources allocated (CPU, RAM, and storage) to handle your site’s traffic. You can also use free tools like Google Cloud Platform to track your resources and costs so you don’t run out of money unexpectedly.
Free Hosting
Free hosting is, in a nutshell, when you don’t have to pay for the server resources that you’re using to host your website. When you don’t have to pay for the server resources, it becomes a lot more affordable, which is important if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option. The downside to free hosting is that you don’t have full control over the server’s resources, so if you’re looking for a stable and high-performing platform, then you may not be the best choice. Some of the more popular free hosting providers include DreamHost, Bluehost, and Hostgator.
Hostgator, in particular, has an extremely affordable shared hosting plan, with some of the lowest rates available, which makes it a popular choice amongst bloggers. If money is no object to you, then free hosting is the way to go.
Considerations When Choosing a WordPress Hosting Plan
Choosing the right hosting plan for your WordPress site isn’t easy, but it’s worth it in the end. If money is no object to you, then go for the cheapest plan that can still give you a good experience. Don’t just go with the cheapest plan available; factor in the cost of the actual service contract and what features you want before making a decision.