How Affordable is Cheap Hosting?
Many web hosting providers throw around the word “cheap”, but you will find that even those prices tend to vary widely. The purpose of this article is to provide general information on the prices you should expect for today’s affordable web hosting packages. These are tips you will certainly want to keep in mind when shopping for a provider to host your website. If anything, they will help to determine whether you are being quoted a fair price.
Web hosting packages come in many different forms. However, there are essentially three major categories that will enable you to calculate approximately how much a plan should cost in their respective arenas. These categories include budget, Linux and Windows web hosting.
Budget Hosting
When it comes to web hosting, the terms “budget” and “cheap” are virtually interchangeable. This is without a doubt the most popular type of hosting as so many individuals are looking to get online with a personal site or start up business.
In most cases, someone looking to start a business doesn’t have a lot of money to invest, a factor that makes budget hosting very attractive. This type of hosting is cheap and often cost-efficient when considering all the perks you are provided. Budget hosting plans average from around $5 to $8 per month, with a few under the $4 mark. Although it may not sound all that expensive, anything over $10 per month cannot be considered cheap. A company advertising their service as so is very misleading and one you might want to avoid.
Linux Hosting
For most, the issue of cheap hosting often boils down to the choice of Linux or Windows. While both could fall under the budget category, they require a spotlight of their own due to performance and features. As it goes with the ongoing comparison between the two operating systems, Linux hosting is generally cheaper than Windows. However, there is no set price for Linux hosting. Depending on the features, you could pay anywhere from $5 to $15 per month.
An affordable plan at around $6 to $8 should be sufficient for most personal users and small businesses offering adequate bandwidth and disk space, multiple email accounts, web building tools and database access. Linux is regarded as one of the most reliable hosting platforms available. At the same time, you should always base your decision on the stability of the host itself to assure that you’re getting what you paid for.
Windows Hosting
Cheap and Windows didn’t always go hand in hand. In fact, there was a time when this platform was more geared towards bigger businesses as they were generally the only ones who could afford it. In an industry that has become extremely competitive, the price of Windows hosting has dropped significantly. Plans can range from $10 to $15 per month, but with some extensive research, you can easily find a Windows-based plan for under $10. This will get you a variety of Microsoft technologies such as ASP, Frontpage extensions and MSSQL databases; features that may not be offered in a Linux plan.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the price you pay for hosting all depends on the requirements of your site. The good thing as that making your way online doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg as cheap web hosting plans are abundant.
















