Dedicated, shared, and cloud is the common web hosting plans. Which one is the right one for your small business website is the biggest concern? So, to determine a suitable hosting solution for your business website, it is essential to know about its pros and cons.
Shared server
In a shared hosting plan, the server your website rents is a commercial space. You will receive a specific allotment of disk space and bandwidth based on what you pay. If the permitted usage is exceeded, you will have to pay extra.
Benefits
- Price structure – It is a shared server, so the price is extremely low, which appeals majority of small businesses.
- Low need for technical skills – The host offers a comprehensive administration system. The host is responsible for system updates, backups, maintenance, security, software installations, and more.
Drawbacks
- Limited resources – Shared users don’t have exclusive access to disk space, bandwidth, and other server resources.
- Slow speed & response time – A shared server can slow the app’s speed and response time, which makes it hard to quick data access.
- Potential for extra charges – As the shared server offers limited resources, you will have to pay more when your website’s allocated usage exceeds.
Dedicated server
Dedicated servers are committed as its name suggests. If your website experiences heavy traffic then you need plenty of server resources and a dedicated hosting plan is the best solution. Dedicated servers perform great as you will not be sharing the resources and your website is capable to deal with the maximum traffic the server allows.
Benefits
- Few limitations – As the server is not shared with anyone, you experience fewer or no limitations associated with the usage of bandwidth and disk space.
- Better speed & response time – The server capacity is not distributed, so your apps are more responsive and data access is faster.
- Little tech skill is enough – Just like the shared servers the dedicated servers are operated and maintained by the hosting service providers.
Drawbacks
- High cost – Dedicated servers mean your business resides all alone n the space and uses all the resources, so you have to pay the price. Higher cost accompanies flexibility, fast speed, and entire resource access.
Cloud servers
Cloud servers are interconnected servers circulating across the internet. You can spread data across extensively distributed virtual servers. It is similar to virtual private server hosting but without any limitations to data transfers and bandwidth.
Benefits
- On-demand resources – You are at ease to request resources as you use and pay.
- Scalability – More resources and quick access to the web hosts offer outstanding scalability. So, cloud-based services are collectively called cloud hosting.
- High availability – Cloud server stability is matchless, so no concerns about downtime.
Drawbacks
- Vulnerable to cyber-attack – Anything on the internet is vulnerable to cyber-attack including cloud servers.
- Limited control – Cloud hosting means the service provider manages and monitors the cloud server. You don’t have access to updates, firmware management, and server root.
If you own a blog then shared hosting is recommended, but if you are a business to receive optimum performance then dedicated servers will offer the best ROI.