Types of Web Hosting

When it comes to finding the perfect web host, it is best to know your options. The following web hosting choices are the most popular options on the market today. Figure out which one suits your needs and purchase it accordingly. Think long term only when necessary, as most web hosts can upgrade you with minimal effort.

Free web hosting will be our first stop. Some internet service providers offer free web hosting. The individuals that a free web host would best suite are small webmasters that receive low traffic. Since this is best suited for web hosting that requires very little bandwidth, this is not recommended for sites that receive high traffic spurts. The disadvantages however, outweigh the advantages.

The advantages are that it is free, so you don’t have to worry about spending money. A free e-mail is often an option if you would like to take advantage of that. Another advantage is that it is good for personal sites, family sites, and even to have as a hobby. Next are the disadvantages. With this kind of hosting, limited or no software options are provided. When it comes to support, limited technical support and limited or no database support is offered. You also have limited security options when choosing this type of hosting.

Next in line is shared web hosting. This type of web hosting is very cost effective. When you have this kind of hosting, you get a domain name for your website and it gets hosted on a server along with about another hundred websites. This sounds bad, but some of the best web hosting options for starting developers is of this type! The advantage of this is that it is low cost because the cost of the web hosting is shared among all the users. This is good to have for a small business that generates an average traffic amount. You will also receive support with this kind of hosting, and there are several software options. There are still disadvantages with shared hosting, including reduced security, due to the other websites that are hosted on your server. Also, there are many restrictions that come from database support, software support, and traffic volume.

Virtual private server (VPS) hosting is the next step up. With VPS, you get the added security of a dedicated server without the costs. Often time’s webmasters purchase a dedicated server only to discover that they don’t need it. VPS allows you to have all the root access and functionality of a dedicated server, but with your costs shared between you and a few other users. This limited partnership allows you to receive your own operating system and root access, matching the use of a dedicated server.

Dedicated web hosting is the last step. With this kind of hosting, your website is placed on to its own dedicated server. This option is the most expensive one that you can choose. It is recommended for large web sites that attract high volumes of traffic at all times of the day. The advantages of this web hosting outweigh the disadvantages. Let’s start off with the disadvantages, the first one is that it is expensive and the second is that it requires you to have more technical skills than the other options. The advantages are that it is good for high traffic volumes, and large businesses. You can set up multiple domain names for your web hosting, with multiple IP addresses. This dedicated system also allows for more advanced scripts to be run smoothly. Dedicated servers have the most security, freedom of use, and more of every other option available. For those with serious websites, there is no other choice.

Deciding which type of web hosting is right for you is not always easy – but read up as much as you can before making a decision – as it’s one of the most important ones you’ll make in your website building life!