Hosting a WordPress Site Locally – What’s the Difference?

You’ve decided to host your own WordPress site, and you can’t decide on a location for it. After all, you’ve got so many options: your bedroom, your dining room, maybe even your bathroom. But if you really want to host a WordPress site, why not choose the best one? The one that you feel most comfortable in? The one that has everything you need? The one that makes you feel like a local?

Perhaps the most important factor to consider when choosing a location for your WordPress site is bandwidth. Just like cell phone service, your Internet service provider (ISP) may give you a certain amount of bandwidth to use each month. This amount may be more or less than you need, so you want to be sure to utilize all the bandwidth you’re given.

If you host your site on a server that’s located within your ISP’s network, your bandwidth won’t be a concern. Even if you go over your monthly allotment, your ISP will only charge you for the traffic they perceive that you’re using. This may mean you won’t have to pay more than a small amount of extra each month. Depending on your site’s activity, this could be well worth it.

On the Nitty-Gritty: The Pros and Cons of Each Method

Now that you know what you need to know about bandwidth and where you should host your site, it’s time to decide which method is best for you. Let’s examine the pros and cons of each. Keep in mind that your choice of hosting service will depend on your financial situation, the type of content you have, and the type of users that will be visiting your site. We’ll discuss each of these points in turn.

Traditional FTP Hosting

With traditional FTP hosting, you retain full control over the contents of your site. You have complete ownership of the files, and you can install any plugins or themes that you want. You just have to upload the files to your hosting provider’s server when you’re done. This can be quite a challenging process, as you have to learn how to install plugins and themes manually. Thankfully, there are many companies that offer professional assistance if you need help.

Even after you’ve uploaded your files, making minor adjustments and adding new content frequently involves going back and re-uploading the files. This can be a time-consuming process, as you have to log in to your hosting account whenever you want to make changes. It would be best to do this a few hours before you publish your content, as this will give you time to test it and make any necessary edits.

Another disadvantage of traditional FTP hosting is that you have to store your website’s files on a server that’s managed by your hosting company. This means that if your site gets hacked, the perpetrator could potentially access and alter your site’s content. Although this could happen to anyone, it’s more likely to occur to those that don’t have a significant amount of experience or knowledge in this area.

Shared Hosting

With shared hosting, you no longer have full control over the contents of your site. After paying a one-time fee, you gain access to a host of Web servers, upon which you can install and run your site. When you sign up for shared hosting, you give the hosting company permission to use your server, which houses your site’s contents.

As a result, you have less control over the files than you do with traditional hosting. You can’t upload any plugins or themes that you want, and you don’t have full ownership of the files. However, you can install and activate plugins and themes provided by the hosting company, as they were vetted by the provider and are safe to use.

One of the main advantages of shared hosting is that it’s very easy to use. You only need to log in once to start using the service, and after that it’s just like using a desktop computer. You don’t have to worry about configuring routers or setting up DNS records, as these tasks are taken care of by the hosting company. This makes shared hosting a popular choice among beginners or intermediate WordPress users that want to host a simple blog.

VPS Hosting

A personal virtual private server (VPS) gives you all the benefits of a shared hosting plan, along with the additional security of a private server. After spending a one-time fee, you gain access to a virtual private server, which you can use to host your blog. Just like with a physical server, you have full access to all the files, and you can install any plugins or themes that you want. You just have to upload the files when you’re done.

One of the main advantages of a VPS hosting plan is that you have ultimate control over the contents of your blog. Even if you don’t have a lot of knowledge about servers and web security, you don’t have to worry about any of this. You just have to ensure that your login information is secure and you’ve implemented appropriate password protection. You can also use VPS hosting to try out new plugins and themes before you deploy them on your site.

Another advantage of a VPS hosting plan is that you don’t have to worry about storage space. Just like with traditional FTP hosting, your site’s files will be stored on a remote server that’s managed by the hosting company. However, unlike with traditional FTP hosting, with a VPS hosting plan you don’t have to worry about storage space. Once you reach your limit, the hosting company will notify you that your content will go into a free storage space until you purchase more.

Where Should I Host My Site?

With the above information in mind, where should you host your site? There are several factors to consider, including your financial situation, the type of content you have, and the type of users that will be visiting your site. Let’s examine each of these points.

Your Finances

If you’re looking for a free service, shared hosting is your best option. Even if you decide to purchase a VPS or traditional FTP hosting plan, you’ll only need to spend about $5-$10 per month on domain names and SSL certificate purchases.

However, if you’re looking for a more professional and stable solution, VPS hosting is your best choice. The reason for this is that you have full control over the contents of your site with a VPS. This means that if you have a lot of traffic or want to make changes frequently, you can do so without having to worry about storage space limits or security leaks. If you decide that VPS hosting is suitable for your needs, be sure to read our in-depth review of the most popular VPS hosting providers, so you can choose the one that’s right for you.

Your Blog’s Content

Let’s assume that you’re using a free service for hosting your blog. Regardless of the hosting plan you choose, you can’t change the fact that you don’t own the server. This means that the contents of your blog are at the mercy of the server’s owner, who could potentially disable or delete your blog at any time. This is something you need to consider, especially if you’re publishing content that includes personal or financial information.

Even if you decide to move your blog to your own hosting server, you’re still at the mercy of the server owner. If you want to ensure that your blog can’t be deleted, you’ll have to purchase a premium domain name and pay for hosting every month.

Who Will Be Visiting My Site?

Your site’s content will determine its most prominent demographic. If you want to find the answer to this question, simply examine the topic of your blog. For example, if you’re a fashion blog, your articles will mostly be read by women. If you’re a lifestyle blog, your articles will mostly be read by men.

Now that you know more about the various hosting plans available, how should you choose a location for your blog? If you want to host your site on a server that’s managed by your ISP, your bandwidth isn’t a concern, as this is already taken care of by the Internet Service Provider. However, if you want to retain full control over the contents of your blog, choose a traditional FTP hosting plan or a VPS hosting plan, depending on your needs.