Cloud Hosting vs Shared Hosting: Choose Wisely to Reap the Best Results

What is Cloud Hosting?

It is a type of web hosting that utilizes several servers to maintain a load balance and boost uptime. Your site can draw resources from a centralized pool of servers rather than a single server. Therefore, failure in one server doesn’t affect the operation of the site.

Visualize the cloud as an interconnection of different computers to form a web. As you connect more computers to the network, it gains more resources. 

When can you use Cloud Hosting?

A cloud hosting will serve your site best if you apply it appropriately. It is advisable to use this hosting when you want to:

• Start an eCommerce website, news agency, or any other website that will likely get unusually high traffic.
• Avoid purchasing the hardware
• Pay only for a resource you’ll be using
• Expand your business globally
• Store a large number of resources

What are the Pros of Cloud Hosting?

• Flexible and low pricing structure

Using the cloud for web hosting allows you to pay only for those resources you’re planning to use. There’s no need to upgrade your site entirely if you’re expecting the traffic to increase. During the traffic surge, you can scale up. Once the traffic has gone down, the hosting allows you to scale down the resources.

• Quick, hassle-free scaling

Most cloud servers give you access to an intuitive site management dashboard to help you view your website’s real-time performance. You don’t need approval from your cloud hosting vendor to scale the resources up or down.

• High uptime and availability

Cloud hosting allows you to use multiple servers’ resources virtually. Therefore, if one server experiences a technical issue or goes offline, your website will be transferred to another. Additionally, cloud hosting gives you the ability to scale up during the unexpected traffic surge to remain online. 

In traditional type of hosting, the physical server environment will significantly influence your website’s performance. Your website will go offline whenever the server stops functioning. To remain online during these periods, you’ll need to invest in the Content Delivery Network (CDN).

• Quick server setup process

Enjoy the ability to deploy your website quickly. Unlike most traditional hosting, cloud hosting doesn't come with a lot of hassles when you need your website to be online quickly. You’ll also experience fewer hurdles when migrating your site from one host to another.

• Improved safety

Your website will not suffer due to physical server issues such as system overload, hardware failure, and hacking. Whenever such problems arise, you can use another server provided by your hosting. Cloud hosting also gives you multiple anti-malware solutions and many layers of recovery options. Therefore, downtime becomes a thing of the past.

• Faster performance and speed

Most webmasters prefer cloud servers due to their blazing fast speeds. Apart from providing you with the ability to boost your website’s capacity effortlessly, cloud hosting enables seamless load balancing between multiple servers. This balancing ensures there is less strain on a single server.

• Stress-free server management dashboard

With today’s cloud server dashboard technology, keeping track of your web hosting is a breeze. The intuitive dashboard also allows you to scale on demand even if you’re a newbie in the world of webmasters. 

What are the Cons of Cloud Hosting?

• Reduced control

The policies of cloud hosting vendors may limit you in terms of what you can do. Additionally, when transferring services to a cloud, you’re handing your information over to the hosting provider. Your in-house IT team will not be able to handle any technical issues that may arise along the way.

• Some features may be lacking

Some cloud hosting vendors tend to provide only the most popular features, limiting your ability to customize your site. So ensure you understand the packages before signing up.

• No redundancy

A cloud hosting server is not backed up. Neither is it redundant. You may have to purchase a redundancy plan to avoid getting burned in case the technology fails.

• Bandwidth problems

You’ll have to plan accordingly to enjoy an ideal performance. Avoid packing many storage devices and servers into a small set of data centers. 

Shared Hosting: Is the cheaper option better?

What is Shared Hosting?

In shared web hosting, multiple websites use a single server to deploy their services. The hosting provider limits the total amount of server resources that you’ll use based on your hosting package. Usually, you will never know the websites that are sharing the server’s resources with yours. 

Most shared hosting vendors provide the same amount of storage space. Therefore, you need to conduct due diligence in selecting the best provider. 

When can you use Shared Hosting?

While you may use shared hosting for any situation, it is advisable to deploy when:

• Your website is a startup in the initial period of your business.
• Your monthly site visitors are not too many
• You are looking for a robust online presence without investing too much
• You only need a few resources, like RAM and disk space.

What are the Pros of Shared Hosting?

• Low cost

Shared hosting allows you to share the resources of a single server with other websites, leading to reduced costs. In most cases, the price of this hosting ranges between $2.99 and $9.99. Additionally, you get to enjoy cheaper technical services.

• Stress-free management of your website

Usually, you’ll get a built-in cPanel once you purchase shared hosting. The cPanel is a fantastic addition that allows you to run your website seamlessly without having to involve a professional now and then.

• Multiple packages

Most shared hosting vendors provide several shared hosting packages. This arrangement allows you to start small with a basic package. You can then upgrade to a higher subscription when your website demands so.

• Technical support

The shared hosting package usually includes technical maintenance support, saving you the headache that comes with technical issues. You don’t have to be an IT guru to use shared hosting.

• Easy to deploy

One of the reasons people love shared hosting is because it is easy to set up and run. The simplicity in deployment reduces the time to get online. 

What are the Cons of Shared Hosting?

• Reduced performance

If many websites scramble to share the same web hosting, the overall traffic will increase. Consequently, your site may be sluggish. The system may also crash and collapse if not well regulated.

• Reduced security

You don’t know the neighboring websites sharing the same hosting. If a site in the same server engages in risky behavior or has received a hit from hackers, you might not be safe.

• Low customization

If you’re looking to customize your site truly, shared hosting may not have the options you need. As such, your website performance may be limited.

What are the Differences between Cloud Hosting and Shared Hosting?