What’s the Difference Between WordPress Hosting and WordPress Native Hosting?
Many people are unaware of the distinction between hosting and native hosting for WordPress. The definitions below will clear up any confusion:
Hosting
Hosting is the space on a server where your WordPress installation resides. When you upload a WordPress installation to a hosting provider, they will give you the space to install the software. This is where all of the files for your WordPress site live. Typically, you will have a choice of either shared hosting or dedicated hosting. With shared hosting, all of the sites on the same server share the bandwidth and storage. This is usually a cheaper option, but you will have to share the server with many other websites. With dedicated hosting, you are completely responsible for the server and its resources. The cost is usually higher, but there is no limit to how many sites you can run on a single server.
Native Hosting
When we talk about native hosting, we are referring to the programming languages and APIs (application programming interfaces) that are directly integrated into the WordPress platform. The most popular and well-known native hosts are WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The main difference between the two is that WordPress.com is basically just a specialized subdomain of WordPress.org. With WordPress.com, all of the functionality and user experience is contained within the platform. When you install WordPress on a web hosting account with them, you get a full copy of WordPress with all of the plugins and themes pre-installed. In addition, they provide daily backups and security patches as part of their service.
WordPress.org allows you to download the entire platform, complete with all of the plugins and themes. This is convenient for people who want to use WordPress for multiple sites as you can have a single installation on a server and create separate accounts for each site (blog). When you install WordPress.org, you get a free domain and you can configure hosting through a dashboard interface. You do not get any additional functionality other than what is offered in the WordPress.org Core distribution. In other words, you are not getting the advanced features that are available in the paid plans from WordPress.com.
As you can see from the definitions above, WordPress hosting is broader than just the location where your blog resides. It also includes the servers and other software that you might need to run your blog. WordPress Native Hosting, on the other hand, is strictly the blogging software itself. Most people think of WordPress as a hosting platform, but it is actually quite a bit more than that. It is a fully functional web application that you can install and run on your own servers.
The Appeal Of WordPress Hosting
One of the reasons why people choose WordPress hosting is because it provides them with all of the tools and functionality that they need to get their blog up and running in a matter of minutes. There are many different host providers that offer WordPress hosting, and they all have something great to offer. The best part is that you can review their features before making a decision. This way, you will know exactly what you are getting into.
When you run a blog or website, you will inevitably need somewhere to store all of the content that you produce. WordPress is a widely used content management system, so it makes sense that the content would follow the software. As a result, WordPress hosting is a great choice for content creators who want to keep their content independent of the platform.
The best part of a WordPress hosting plan is that you get a free domain. This allows you to build a brand around your content, whether you are a professional content creator or a hobbyist blogger. In addition, you get a free web analytics tool from Google that will track the content on your blog.
WordPress hosting is still fairly new, so it is difficult to speak with certainty about its future. However, it seems likely that WordPress will continue to rise as people discover the advantages that it brings. If you are searching for a blogging platform or looking for a way to store and present content, WordPress is a great choice.