Difference Between Hosting and WordPress Hosting – What’s the Difference?
Hosting is, in its simplest form, where you live on the Internet. It’s what’s known as a “web address,” or simply a “website.” You can think of it like this: If you have a website, you have hosting (unless you pay a lot for very specific hosting plans).
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) created by the folks at Automattic. It’s a system that allows anyone to quickly and easily setup a blog or website. Essentially, WordPress is a tool that allows anyone to quickly build a website. Once you have it set up, you can use it to build all kinds of things, including blogs and marketing sites. If you’re looking for a free CMS, you could do a lot worse than WordPress.
Now that you know the basics, let’s dive into this important topic a little more:
Features
The first and most important thing to consider when deciding between hosting and WordPress hosting is the features that each one offers. Here’s a quick rundown of the features you should know and consider before making a choice.
Free hosting offers a ton of features and is very versatile. It can handle almost anything you can think of, including video uploads, podcast feeds, galleries, blogs, and more. In addition, most web hosts will give you a free domain with your hosting plan. So, even if you don’t want to use their entire service, you can at least use their domain to create websites or blogs.
WordPress hosting offers a more limited feature set, but it’s still quite robust. It’s designed to be used primarily for personal blogs and small business websites. In addition to being able to handle almost any type of content, WordPress allows you to set up customized themes and install third-party plugins. This can make your site stand out above the rest.
If the above features don’t sway you, then maybe the pricing or the convenience of having a team of experts building your site for you will. With WordPress hosting, the cost is usually based on the size of the team you need to have build your site – from one person to several. For example, if you have a small site that you need built quickly, you might want to consider a DIY option where you hire freelancers or students to help build your site. Or, if you’re looking for a more personal touch, you could hire a designer to create something unique and one-of-a-kind.
Interface
When referring to the user interface (UI) or the look and feel of your website or blog, you’re usually referring to the design and layout of the pages. That’s what draws visitors to your site and makes them stay for a while – the design and feel of the site itself. So, how does the UI of each service compare?
One of the first things you should consider is how easy it is to navigate. Does the website or blog layout make sense to you, or is it cluttered with a lot of different web elements that you don’t know how to use? Another important factor to consider is how responsive the site is to different devices and screen sizes. You don’t want to build a website or blog that looks great on a big screen but then, when viewed on a small device, such as a mobile phone, it looks awful and doesn’t fit properly on the page.
One of the key differences between WordPress hosting and regular hosting is in the interface. With WordPress hosting, you don’t have access to the cPanel (control panel), which is the main menu you’d be hitting if you were to visit a site’s control panel. Instead, you’re directed to a dashboard, which is slightly different but similar to a cPanel. From the dashboard, you can install WordPress and other services like a mail chimp or gravatar (a service that allows you to login with your email address).
Another important feature to consider when comparing WordPress hosting to regular hosting is functionality. How easy is it to add, edit, or remove content from your website? Can you embed videos and other elements from social media in your blog posts? Are there any third-party apps that can be integrated with your site, such as a contact form or booking calendar?
Security And Backup
This one might not seem important at first, but having a secure website and a back-up are essential. If you lose your website’s content or settings because of a virus, hack, or any other technical issue, you’ll want to have these recovered as soon as possible. To ensure this happens, you’ll need a web host that offers reliable security and back-up services.
If you want to compare the level of security that each service provides, check out this scorecard from Reliable Choice. It rates the security of over 20 different web hosts based on 13 metrics, with a possible total of 100 points. The best score is 20/20, meaning the service offers perfect security from all perspectives. You can also find this score in the documentation for each host, which is usually very easy to follow. In addition to security, you should also look into how easy it is to restore your site’s content from backup if you lose any. This is usually handled within the context of the service you select, so you don’t have to worry about it. Most services offer this feature in some form, so you don’t have to worry about losing content because of a hiccup.
Pricing
This is probably the most important factor to consider when comparing hosting and WordPress hosting, especially if you’re looking for a free service. As previously mentioned, WordPress is a free and open-source platform, which is why its pricing is minimal. As a result, many web hosts offer free plans, which enable them to gain more traction with potential customers. This is important, because attracting new customers is one of the best ways to grow your business. In fact, a lot of web hosts will even sweeten the deal with some type of coupon or discount if you’re signing up for their service during one of their promotional periods – usually between October and April.
When selecting a web host for your blog or website, be sure to consider the pricing. One of the best places to find that information is in the host’s documentation, which you should be able to find on their website. It’s important to read the fine print, though, because it usually contains some type of caveat. For example, you might have to register for an account with the host in order to access the information. In some cases, you’ll also need to pay a one-time setup fee.
As a blogger, entrepreneur, or even a busy internet user who just wants to keep things simple and fast, it’s important to find a web host that meets your needs. If you need something simple and easy to use, but don’t want to spend a fortune, then check out these free hosting alternatives.