Shared web hosting plans

Shared (virtual) hosting implies sharing server resources with several clients, where each has their own workspace (web server partition). In this case, the same set of software is available to all users, and memory, processing power, disk space, and other resources are distributed between them. It is one of the basic hosting types: almost any company can offer a range of shared web hosting solutions; it is also at the top of the most affordable ones. Shared hosting is considered to be a good choice for beginners launching small projects.

Despite the fact that web hosting and domain hosting are closely related, these are different services. A web host provides the space to store a site’s content and ensures its functioning, while a domain host provides a domain name, that is, the address by which a user will be directed to your site. Let's draw a simple analogy: if web hosting is the house in which the site lives, then the domain is the address by means of which it can be found.

Consider the main types of hosting.

Shared hosting

Building on the definition given in the first section, you could say that shared hosting users compete with one another for resources: if load on one or more websites located on the server exceeds the limit value and free resources run out, the performance of the rest may suffer. In order to avoid that and provide the best operation of shared hosting, companies often impose restrictions on the use of server computing power, for example, on the number of running processes, database connections, or RAM allocated for script execution.

Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting

Virtual Private Server (VPS) involves sharing server resources with several clients. In this case, the amount of computing power and memory is reserved for each user. VPS applies virtualization technology to separate one physical server into numerous virtual servers. In essence, VPS hosting simulates the operation of a dedicated server for each user. Сustomers have an entire operating system at their disposal to form a certain kind of insurance against problems that may occur while neighboring sites are being maintained.

WordPress Managed Hosting

Due to the popularity of the CMS WordPress, a number of companies offer WordPress managed hosting. Besides having WordPress pre-installed, the service comes with a multitude of features and support, leaving all the technical aspects to the host. This includes security, performance, WordPress updates, backups, website uptime. The service allows you to focus on running your business without getting distracted by website management duties.

Cloud Hosting

In cloud hosting physical servers are combined into a cluster, and storage systems are combined into a storage area network (SAN). Management software (hypervisor) is installed on physical servers to connect them and create virtual servers, also called cloud servers. The main advantages of cloud hosting are high flexibility, scalability, fault tolerance, and a wider range of technologies and services available. Keep in mind that companies sometimes offer an hourly billing model.

Dedicated Servers

In this type of hosting users are provided with their own physical server dedicated for their exclusive use. In this case, the server can be customized at the discretion of the users: they can choose the operating system and software along with setting up the entire hosting environment to suit the needs. Renting a dedicated server is almost the same as having your own local server but it comes with the professional support of a hosting provider. One of the key benefits of using a dedicated server is high fault tolerance.

A shared hosting plan is a set of hosting services provided under certain conditions. According to its structure, it can be divided into two components:

• A set of restrictions on the use of server resources. That includes limits on disk space, CPU load, RAM consumed, and the maximum number of websites hosted.
• A set of technologies provided. These can include a control panel, databases, programming languages, and software available, etc.

Providers’ offers (hosting plans) can vary greatly even within the same hosting type, that’s why giving at least an approximate price range is quite problematic. The cost of web hosting usually depends on the following parameters:

• Hosting type (shared / VPS / cloud / dedicated server / etc)
• Hosting plan (amount of resources provided, available technologies, contract period, accompanying services included
• Company (hosting provider)

Companies usually offer a wide range of hosting solutions starting with basic ones like shared web hosting packages and ending with specific ones like WordPress. In order to choose the hosting that best meets your demands, you need to approach the choice comprehensively and take into account different parameters. We recommend paying attention to the following criteria.

Site uptime

Uptime is one of the key components of a reliable web hosting. The number of visits directly depends on it as well as profit in case the project is commercial. The uptime value shows what percentage of the time the system was available. For example, an uptime of 90% indicates that within an hour the site may be unavailable for 6 minutes or for 2 hours 24 minutes over a day. Therefore, the higher this indicator, the more stable the work of the site. It is recommended to choose a hosting service with at least 99.9% uptime. However, hosting providers unfortunately cannot guarantee a consistently high uptime. But in case unplanned downtime does occur, the host can lower your bill. Anyway, we strongly recommend checking out the SLA before making a purchase decision.

Site Speed

By speed we mean the ability of the hosting service to quickly display a website page. If it takes too much time for a page to load, most of the visitors will leave without waiting, resulting in traffic loss. Another point worth paying attention to is the larger your project, the more bandwidth is required for its successful functioning. If you plan to build a high traffic website with lots of content, you'll need a host that can handle crazy speeds on large sites. Keep in mind that site speed also depends on many other factors such as hosting settings or CMS used.

Customer Support

Customer support is also of paramount importance. Pay attention to the technical support service work schedule, the average response time, ways of interaction available (ticketing system, chat, mail, instant messengers, etc). However, you should not rely entirely on user reviews. The best way to assess the support service quality is to test it directly during the free trial period available from many hosting providers.

Traffic Volume

For some hosting seekers volume of traffic is the determining factor when choosing a plan. When thinking about how much traffic you might need, you should consider not only the current, but also the anticipated future tasks and needs of your project. If you are planning a significant enlargement of the site, it may be worthwhile considering advanced offers once and save yourself the scaling trouble in the future.

Price

In case the budget is limited, the price usually keeps the number of valid alternatives to a minimum. Anyway, one should not chase promotions and amazingly cheap offers in an attempt to save money. Promotions tend to run out and cheap offers can turn into a poor-quality service, leading to the need to change hosting. Nevertheless, there are some reliable ways of getting a good deal: some companies provide significant discounts for long-term rent or provide extra products and services (for example, domain name) for free as a bonus addition to the plan.

Migration Features

Some hosting companies offer free one-click migration for popular site builders. This option becomes particularly significant in case your site is made using WordPress platform. The feature will save time and take away you from the hassle typically associated with migration.

Managed Hosting

Managed hosting will free you from a significant number of routine configuration, administration, and management tasks, but at the same time deprives a bit of the configuration flexibility. A small site can operate without it, but in the case of a large project, managed hosting will save you a lot of time in the long run and is worth the extra cost.