Shared Hosting vs. Dedicated Hosting – What is the Difference
When starting an online business, the first steps you go through are choosing a domain name and looking for web hosting services. There are plenty of choices out there, and sometimes it can be slightly overwhelming for the beginner to make the right decision. Don’t worry – it’s not as complicated as it sounds. You don’t need to be a programmer to tell the difference between shared hosting vs. dedicated hosting. We will help you with that. Let’s find out together what are they, who needs them, and where to find them.
What is shared hosting?
Shared hosting is a service that offers you to share a server with other hosting accounts. In this case, you will use the server together with other websites. The web server, database, and other applications will be mutual and set only by the hosting provider – you won’t have access to them. This service offers many advantages, but also has its inconveniences. If you start a personal blog, or if you have a small website with few functions, shared hosting would be enough to meet your needs. It can also work for projects with limited budgets and is easy to operate with – the perfect solution for beginners. Let’s not forget this is the most budget-friendly solution on the market. On the other side, this option is less productive compared to a virtual server. There is no root access, and you can’t change the configurations of the server by yourself. Shared hosting doesn’t allow you to install additional server software, and it can cause interruptions when there is more traffic on your page.
What is a dedicated server (VPS)?
A dedicated, also known as Virtual Private Server or VPS, offers you an exclusive system that belongs to you only. Here, you’ve got full administrative control, and you can easily configure or install modifications and applications. You can also make use of system resources (RAM, CPU) which were designed especially for your hosting service. VPS is usually a lot more expensive than the shared server, and it’s suitable for expanding your business. A dedicated server can increase the traffic to your website and better its loading speed. One of the biggest advantages is that you have root access to the server, you can reach more resources and easily install different software. The only disadvantage is that it requires a bigger budget. Keep in mind that you also need to have come competence in system administration to deal with it.
Conclusion on the shared hosting vs. dedicated hosting services
If you own a small to medium business, shared hosting might be a suitable choice for you. In this case, the differences between shared hosting vs. dedicated hosting won’t be decisive about the performance of your web page. You can reduce the expenses and find an attractive offer for the money you can spend. On the other side, you should keep an eye on the security measures. Even if you do everything you should to protect your page, don’t forget you are sharing the server with other clients, and if there is a cyber-attack, no one can guarantee you won’t get hurt. Thousands of websites fall into the trap of malware – make sure you do the right choice before purchasing a hosting package.
And if you desire to grow an international brand and host a big website, the VPS is the best option. Thanks to it, you have more access to system resources and administration. You get to install software and control the operating system. Dedicated hosting also allows you to manage many projects at the same time, in the same place. You get better security and a satisfying user experience for your customers.