Finding an ideal web host is definitely one of the most difficult tasks because you have to consider numerous factors. It has been observed that most people have several doubts regarding the type of website that is going to be perfect for their business. Before anything else, you need to have knowledge about the different types of web hosting that are available. However, it is crucial that you start with the basics and understand what exactly is web hosting.
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is extremely simple. When you are viewing a particular website in a web browser, you are capable of doing so because of the sole reason that the browser is capable of downloading numerous files that are filled with important codes and also, the markup has been converted into something that you will be able to view.
Just like your personal computer, where you are storing your important files regularly, these files are also stored in a place from where you can easily access them. However, they are not in your hard drive, but they are in a place, which is known as the server. Servers are extremely powerful in comparison to your desktop or laptop because they need to manage a number of people, who are going to access the website. However, a server is made up of things like the CPU, memory, and other important components. It also has a Linux-based operating system.
The server owner is responsible for renting the server to a person who is the owner of the website, and he also provides various other important services, which include backups, server management, malware scanning, support, etc. This process of providing the infrastructure for the others is known as web hosting, and the person who is responsible for doing so is referred to as the hosting provider.
Web hosting is a lot more than only one thing and it is responsible for providing multiple packages, which can be different when the price is being compared. However, a basic decision that you cannot miss is to know the kind of hosting that you require. There are a number of ways in which you can differentiate the different kinds of web hosting, and one of the basic ways is by looking at the kind of technology that is being used. Now that web hosting is clear, it is time to know about the two important kinds of hosting, so that you can make a decision without being confused.
Shared hosting
Shared hosting is ideal for beginners and with the help of one shared hosting account; a particular website is going to be located on a similar server like the other bunch of websites. You may ask what exactly a bunch is and you need to know that this completely depends on the setup as well as the hosting provider. In addition, it is not at all uncommon for one site to make space with other sites.
Advantages- The greatest advantage of shared hosting is that you have the option of sharing the cost with a number of website owners. If the provider is capable of putting thousands of clients on a single server, it will allow the clients to spread the cost of operation among the different parties. This is an important reason as to why this type of hosting is extremely affordable.
Disadvantages- The biggest advantage is basically the biggest disadvantage also. As already stated above, the server is nothing but a computer, which has resources like RAM, hard drive space, and CPU speed. You know that the laptop is going to slow down when multiple programs are being run. Similarly, this happens for shared hosting as well. This phenomenon is referred to as the bad neighbor effect. In order to get help, you can visit the website of any reputed branding agency.
VPS Hosting
Virtual Private Server or VPS is considered to be the best and well-balanced among all the various kinds of web hosting. The VPS server is basically a shared environment; however, the manner in which it is normally setup is not similar to the other kinds of web hosting.
Each and every website on a virtual private server is responsible for sharing a single physical server, however, it is responsible for housing multiple as well as separate machines. This is responsible for making it a kind of middle ground between shared hosting as well as getting a dedicated server.
Advantages- VPS is reliable as well as stable in comparison to shared hosting. According to www.hostingfacts.com, this kind of hosting is limited to 10 or 20 websites for every server. This is responsible for decreasing the demand on the VPS.
Another important benefit that you need to have knowledge about is that they are responsible for providing more flexibility and also help the website owners to customize the environment. This is something that is not possible on the shared host because it is going to change the setup of other owners as well. In case of a VPS, your account is present within a virtual machine and therefore, you can make any change without anyone being affected.
Also, VPS is extremely scalable. This is going to be of great advantage to those business owners, who are looking forward to growing their sites.
Disadvantages- A huge disadvantage is that it is going to cost a lot more in comparison to the other types of hosting. Therefore, if your budget is tight, it is crucial that you look for a solution, which is going to work monetarily for you.
Another disadvantage is that if you do not have an idea about what exactly you have to do, you can end up removing crucial software and files without understanding.
Conclusion
It is understandable that it is extremely difficult to make a decision between the different kinds of hosting, especially with all the types available. Go through the two important types of hosting that have been mentioned above so that you can choose anyone.
| About the Guest Author:
Eva Vergis
