Shared Hosting or Dedicated Hosting?
Before you begin your search for a web host you should first determine
whether you need shared web hosting or dedicated web hosting. A shared web
hosting account is an account on a web server that hosts other shared accounts.
A dedicated server is dedicated solely to one customer, who may run more
than one website.
Shared hosting is the most common type of hosting for small to mid-size
sites, and it is relatively cheap. On the other hand, if you have a large
website, you can purchase a dedicated server. The cost of a dedicated server
is higher than that of a shared hosting account. Whatever type of web hosting
plan you choose, make sure that the plan you've chosen fits your needs.
You'd better understand the distinctions between shared and dedicated hosting
so you choose the one that is right for your business.
Shared hosting (or virtual hosting)
You are sharing one server with a number of other clients of that company.
The number of accounts on one shared server can vary widely; from a few
hundred to thousands of sites hosted on one server. Shared web hosting
accounts have limited access to the core administrative functions of the
server. Instead, the host manages the server almost completely, and you
won't be able to install special software programs. Hosting your website
on a shared server is a workable solution for many small businesses, as
shared hosting accounts are priced much lower than dedicated servers.
Dedicated hosting
Dedicated hosting provides an exclusive server or servers devoted solely
to your web site. The primary advantage of using a dedicated server over
a typical shared hosting account is the sheer amount of resources and
control available to you. There are two types of dedicated hosting available
today: managed and unmanaged. With the managed option, the company provides
comprehensive support and maintenance on the server by professional technicians.
Dedicated servers are most often used by those who’ve outgrown typical
hosting accounts and now require massive amounts of data space and bandwidth,
those with mission critical web site.
Choosing a dedicated hosting is a good idea if your website requires:
- a lot of storage space
- a large amount of bandwidth
- a high degree of security
- the implementation of custom software
| |
Shared Hosting |
Dedicated Hosting |
| Traffic |
low traffic/bandwidth |
high traffic/bandwidth |
Reliability |
high
another website can affect the speed, uptime or security of your
server. |
higher |
| Disk space |
low to moderate disk space |
large disk space |
| Speed |
slow to fast |
faster |
| Processing power |
need low or moderate power |
need more processing power |
| Service |
low to moderate support |
more advanced and customized technical support |
| Cost |
cheaper |
expensive |
| Features |
need generally provided feature |
need a special or customized feature and which is not
available on a shared server |
FAQ
When should you upgrade from shared hosting to dedicated hosting?
Shared hosting is an inexpensive way to get your site online if you have
relatively few pages viewed on your web site. However, it is very easy to
outgrow shared hosting. Here are some reasons why you should consider upgrading:
- Your service needs custom applications such as databases, streaming
media and other bandwidth-heavy application.
- The size and volume of your site have out grown the shared environment.
- More specialized support is required.
- The services provided by your hosting server are critical to your business.
- The high volume on someone else's site that shares your shared hosting
server slows down your web site
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