The choice of the hosting solution is an important decision that in the long run will have a tremendous influence on the performance of your website. That’s why, prior to ordering any random hosting package, we highly recommend checking dedicated server pricing and diving deeper into the understanding of the various available hosting plans.
Here in the article, we will compare shared and dedicated hosting and the major pluses/minuses of both variants. If you want to figure out what option will better suit you, just continue reading and you will get all the needed information.
What is the Main Difference Between Shared and Dedicated Hosting Solutions?
Webhosting or it may be also called shared hosting offers several users one physical server. All the resources are divided between the sites’ owners that’s why the price for such a solution will be cheaper compared to the other type of hosting.
As for the dedicated hosting, all the resources are used by one client so the performance characteristics are way better. The price for the dedicated server may start from $100 and go up depending on the technical characteristics.
Now, when it becomes clear about the major distinction between both hosting types, let’s discuss some other differences between the solutions.
Management
The shared hosting solution is the basic type that is usually applied by clients who launch their first website and don’t have huge traffic. The peculiarity is in the limited configuration of this hosting type. That is fantastic because users with no technical skills don’t need to bother about lots of issues because everything will be done by a professional team of experts.
With a dedicated server, you are getting full control so you can configure your hosting solution without any restrictions and limitations. Here, you may either configure everything on your own or hire a professional to delegate this task.
Customization and Flexibility
Shared hosting plans don’t offer many customization options. There are some providers that can provide more cloud storage, but there is nothing connected with the backend modifications. There is less flexibility because several users are on the same server, and any change will impact their experience as well.
As for the dedicated servers, there are no such issues with limitations of your access. Users of the dedicated hosting can install any needed software, change the storage amount, add bandwidth, and much more.
Security
No hosting provider can guarantee 100% safety, most hosting solutions have some vulnerabilities. Of course, if you want, then using some tools and features can improve the security of your website. However, as you already know, on the shared hosting you cannot instant additional software for protection purposes. Moreover, a shared type of hosting is more inclined to malware attacks, because several clients are using one server.
The dedicated hosting offers better security, mainly because of the possibility of installing additional security software.
Scalability
To understand how scalable each type of hosting is, you should measure what resources you can initially get. Since shared hosting offers fewer resources, it is definitely less scalable.
The dedicated servers, on the contrary, are way more scalable than shared hosting. If you’ve used all the resources on your server, you may get additional servers or upgrade the hardware according to the current requirements.
Pluses and Minuses of Webhosting
Pluses
– Professional team assists with some technical staff such as updates, backups, and security.
– Ideal option for clients with minimal traffic and low budget.
– Users don’t need technical experience to manage the server.
Minuses
– Security vulnerability.
– Users have fewer resources such as storage space, bandwidth, and more.
– Limited control over the configuration processes.
Pluses and Minuses of Dedicated Servers
Pluses
– Better scalability when you need additional resources.
– Higher performance characteristics and reliability make it ideal for companies with bigger traffic volumes.
– Full control level over the server.
– Better security because only one user is on the physical server.
Minuses
– This type of hosting is the most expensive one.
– Users should have minimal technical skills to manage everything effectively.
– Businesses with small traffic won’t benefit from such hosting.
Summing Up
To conclude, before selecting the hosting solution you should better evaluate all the pros and cons of the available plans and only then rent a hosting package. The businesses with high traffic volumes will mostly benefit from the dedicated server while small companies that are just launching a site can use shared hosting. Remember, you can always change or scale the current plans so don’t be afraid to test available options.