Which Hosting Is Right for Your Site?
Hosting is something that every site owner needs. It’s vital to have a place to house your website’s content and have others access it when they want to. There are many different hosting companies out there, all with their perks and quirks. It’s important to choose a hosting service that’s going to be around for the long term and has a good reputation. In this article, we’ll discuss the various types of hosting available and which one is right for your needs.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is pretty self-explanatory. Other sites on the server are sharing the cost of hosting with yours. Typically, this involves renting a server from a hosting company and installing your website’s content on it. Since there’s more than one person using it, there’s more than one way to access your content. This is perfect if you’re just starting out and don’t have a ton of money to invest in your own server.
The advantage of using shared hosting is that it’s very easy to set up and requires minimal effort. Just make sure that you’re getting a reputable company and that you’re not paying too much for the service (especially since there’s more than one person sharing it).
Virtual Private Server (VPS)
A virtual private server (VPS) is essentially like shared hosting but with a couple key differences. First, your data is physically separated from the other sites on the server. This ensures that no one else is going to walk over to your content when they’re logged in to one of the other sites. It also means that if one of the other sites gets hacked, your content won’t be affected. Finally, since your data is physically separated, it is much more secure. The disadvantage of a VPS is that it is more expensive than shared hosting and, therefore, more difficult to get started with.
Soft Hosting
A soft hosting plan is something that you should consider if you’re looking for a free version of hosting. With these plans, you don’t need to worry about setting up a space on a server as they handle all this for you. You just need to upload your content to a gallery accessible via a simple web interface. The advantage of using soft hosting is that it’s incredibly easy to use and doesn’t require much effort. You’re basically renting space on their server and giving them content to host for you.
The disadvantage of soft hosting is that since it’s free, there’s no guarantee that they’ll keep up with their end of the bargain and actually keep your content up. It’s also vulnerable to hacking, since it’s a free service and anyone can access it. Of course, this is something you can prevent by using a strong password and not sharing it with anyone. It’s also a good idea to download and run anti-virus software on your laptop when you’re using the free version of soft hosting.
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting is, in many ways, the opposite of shared hosting. With this option, you’re paying for the usage of a specific server that’s only dedicated to your needs. This means that no one else is going to be using it or even accessing it on a regular basis. Since it’s only used for your site, it’s much more secure than the free version of hosting discussed above. The advantage of dedicated hosting is that it’s much cheaper than VPSs and, therefore, easier to get started with. If you’re looking for a long-term solution and don’t want to worry about paying for hosting on a regular basis, this is the option for you.
The disadvantage of dedicated hosting is, again, cost. It’s not entirely clear how much cheaper it is than a VPS, but it’s definitely a significant amount. Even more significantly, it’s a lot easier to find a server with good quality hardware than it is to find a good-quality virtual private server. The last disadvantage is that you’re essentially giving them your entire website and, therefore, losing some of the advantages that a VPS provides. Since this is a dedicated server, there’s only one way in and out (unless you get a load balancer, which essentially acts as a proxy server for your site, but that’s another topic).
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is, in many ways, the evolution of dedicated hosting. Instead of having your content stored on a physical server, you have it stored on remote servers that are networked together. This means that your data is virtually limitless and, since there’s no restriction on the number of sites you can have on a single server, very secure. The advantage of using cloud hosting is that it’s incredibly easy to get started with and there’s a virtually unlimited amount of storage available. The disadvantage is that it’s a little harder to find a good-quality server than it is to find one that’s dedicated to your needs. In addition, there’s now a wide variety of content that you need to find a remote server that’s capable of storing. Finally, since this is a shared server, like the other kinds discussed above, it’s vulnerable to hacking. To prevent this, you can use a VPN (virtual private network) to ensure that your traffic is always kept private when connecting to public servers (like the ones used by Dropbox, Google, and Amazon).
The advantage of adding a little bit more complexity is that you now have the option to specify the amount of memory and storage you need. In addition, there are now plenty of good options when it comes to dedicated and cloud hosting. If you’re looking for a long-term solution and don’t want to worry about paying for hosting on a regular basis, these are the two options for you.
To help you make the right decision when choosing a web host, we have compiled a list of everything to consider before signing up with a firm.