Shared Hosting 101: What Is It?

There are three main types of web hosting - Shared, Dedicated, and VPS. Out of these three, the most commonly picked by up and coming website owners is Shared Hosting. There are several reasons why it remains a top choice for website owners. But before we dive into the pros and cons, what does "shared hosting" mean exactly?

What Is Shared Hosting?

Techopedia defines Shared Hosting as a web hosting service that lets multiple websites share a physical web server and all of its resources. Also referred to as Virtual Shared Hosting, this type of web hosting allocates a set amount of resources for each of the websites on the server. As that is the case, this form of web hosting is the most limited of the three, but that isn’t to say that it’s not without its merits.

Pros

Price - One of the primary reasons why users prefer Shared Hosting over others is that it’s relatively cheap. Customers could spend somewhere between €3.5 to €10 monthly. That is a far cry compared to Dedicated Server’s and VPS’ budget range of €59-€160 a month.
Packages - Though cheap, Shared Hosting service packages are actually very generous. For instance, most packages already come with technical maintenance. Moreover, you can easily upgrade your inclusions in the package, too.
All the Basics - If website owners don’t fully understand the concept of web hosting, then getting Shared Hosting is a great start. This will allow them to get a grasp of the concept without having to pay an extravagant price.

Shared Hosting is the entry point web hosting service for people who are considering launching their own website. As a stepping stone for them, Shared Hosting’s biggest advantages are mostly directed to guide people into broader horizons when running a website. Of course, there are some disadvantages to take note of as well.

Cons

Performance - Since multiple websites share a single server, it is to be expected that there will be some issues regarding performance. For starters, the load times on Shared Hosting services are significantly lower than those on Dedicated Servers.
Limits - Shared Hosting services create a lot of limits for customers. Customization is one, so customers can’t maximize the potential of their website from the get-go. There’s also a limit to the number of visitors a website can get before it experiences severe performance issues.

When it comes to the disadvantages, web owners should understand that they will be greatly limited with Shared Hosting. While they can use this service when they’re starting up, it is no longer recommended once their website gains traction and more visitors. By then, it’s time for an upgrade.

These are some of the important things that every website owner should know when it comes to Shared Hosting. The gist of it all is that it is the perfect option for newcomers but not a web hosting service to keep in the long run.

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Published on: 01-08-2019