Types Of Hosting Providers: Shared, Virtual Dedicated And In The Cloud
Types Of hosting Providers: Shared, Virtual Dedicated And In The CloudMany hosting providers offer different technologies, and their prices can differ significantly. For example, we can find very cheap shared hosting providers (from €1.50 per month) and dedicated hosting providers that cost hundreds or even thousands of Euros per month.
Today opening a web page is within the reach of anyone, content managers like WordPress make things very easy for the initiated. Hosting is a crucial component for a website, so you must choose well what server to use. It has to be adapted to the needs of the project and the budget. Therefore, we have decided to look at the main types of hosting providers in the market.
Shared Hosting
This is usually the most basic and cheapest service, like sharing a flat. The hosting provider will host several projects under the same roof (server), each with a part of the total server resources. Types Of hosting Providers
Continuing with the example of the shared apartment, this can work very well when the roommates are the right ones and compatible with each other. But if, for example, one of the classmates brings a lot of guests and is partying until all hours, it can make the rest of the classmates and the guests feel uncomfortable. There will be no place to sit, you won’t be able to talk because of the noise, the bathroom will always be busy, and it will be very hot. In technical terms, this means having a slow gateway (poor loading speed) or even poor server availability (a lot of downtime ) when the server crashes due to excessive visits (guests). That is why it is essential to choose good roommates and suitable hosting.
Advantages Of Shared Hosting
- The most economical.
- Easy to set up and maintain.
Disadvantages Of Shared Hosting
- A problem with one of the hosted projects can affect the rest.
- Less flexibility.
By sharing resources, your project’s speed and availability ( uptime ) can be affected.
Most web pages can be hosted by one of these hosting providers. But keep in mind that there are shared hosting providers that are better than others. For example, Web empresa and Factoría Digital offer excellent shared hosting services. It is critical not to share the server with many other projects and for the hosting provider to be careful about what websites they accept. Types Of hosting Providers
Virtual Hosting (VPS)
The idea is to split a server into several separate virtual entities. This way, independent virtual spaces are created with their operating system to host the projects. Thus, each client will enjoy assigned resources and will have greater access to the server, being able to configure it to their needs. Types Of hosting Providers
It is comparable to a block of flats with common elements (e.g., the television antenna). Still, each floor has its own space and complete autonomy when organizing and decorating it.
Advantages Of Virtual Hosting
- Greater flexibility and access.
- Problems with one project do not affect the rest.
- Cheap alternative to dedicated hosting.
Disadvantages Of Virtual Hosting
- You do not have the complete resources of a server, just a part.
- More expensive than shared hosting.
- They are usually more challenging to set up and use than shared hosting.
This type of service is suitable for projects with more significant resource needs, especially for those needing specific server configurations but needing help to hire a dedicated server. But remember that some shared hosting providers offer pre-configured and optimized servers for particular applications (e.g. Webempresa offers optimized hosting for WordPress, Joomla and Prestashop), so you won’t have to worry about configuration.
Dedicated Hosting
It is an exclusive hosting service for a project, the server resources are not shared with other projects. It also offers complete access to the hardware and software of the server, which allows for adapting its capabilities to each client’s specific needs.
It’s like living in your own home. If you have good money and need a lot of space to accommodate your friends and family when they visit, the most logical thing is that you live in your own house, if it has a pool and garden, the better!
Advantages Of Dedicated Hosting
- Greater flexibility and access.
- Greater resources.
- Greater security.
Disadvantages Of Dedicated Hosting
- It can be expensive.
- It wasn’t effortless to set up and maintain.
This type of hosting is indicated for large projects that need a whole server to host their project. It is possible to organize several dedicated servers and connect them to have the advantages of dedicated and cloud hosting.
Hosting In The Cloud (Cloud Hosting)
Your project will not be hosted on a single server but instead distributed across several interconnected servers in the cloud. Being present on more than one server, if one failed, the rest would compensate for that loss of resources. In addition, this service adapts to the needs in real-time. For example, if there is a specific peak in traffic one day, it is possible to increase the bandwidth to absorb it. Types Of hosting Providers
The real estate analogy gets tricky for this one, we need a bit of science fiction to make it work, so keep an open mind. This would be like having residences in several cities (e.g. Los Angeles, London, Benidorm and Rio de Janeiro). This way, you could instantly send your nephews to London or Los Angeles to learn English, your parents on vacation to Benidorm and your friends to Rio for…well, they will know why they want to go to Rio.
Advantages Of Hosting In The Cloud
- More efficient than dedicated hosting, the resources are adapted to the project’s needs.
- On paper, better server availability ( uptime ).
Disadvantages Of Hosting In The Cloud
- Its management requires advanced knowledge.
- Its entry price is high.
- Since resources are variable, so are final prices.
- Transferring personal data between countries may have legal implications.
Cloud hosting can be: shared hosting, virtual hosting (VPS) or even dedicated hosting. It is a suitable solution for large projects such as SAAS (Software as a Service) applications such as Gmail, Dropbox, etc.
Conclusion
If you are thinking of launching a web project, the most normal thing is that you start with a shared hosting provider, you always have time to hire superior services afterwards. Of course, keep in mind that not all providers offer the same services and the same quality.
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