Web Hosting Reviews & Ratings

February 24, 2011

When Is Shared Hosting Better Than Dedicated Hosting?

Shared hosting often gets a bad reputation for being less robust than other hosting types, primarily because you have to share a web server with dozens, if not hundreds of other webmasters. Of course this can represent some significant limitations, and for many online business owners it is simply not an option. On the other hand, dedicated hosting is touted as being the 'holy grail' of web hosting, offering the most powerful hosting environment possible, in which you're leased a private server that is only utilized for your needs. Overall, dedicated hosting is far more suitable for a large business or someone that owns several web sites. However, there are some instances in which shared hosting would be more ideal than dedicated hosting.

Simple Blogs

Purchasing a dedicated hosting plan to host a simple blog, while admirable, is definitely not necessary. The amount of server resources needed to build, operate and maintain most blogs are insignificant in comparison to the capabilities of a dedicated hosting plan, and therefore do not want warrant the acquisition of a plan that costs more than $50 in most situations. However, if you're planning to create dozens of blogs within the same hosting account then you may want to consider a dedicated hosting plan. It is important to realize however that using a dedicated hosting plan for your blog may result in better site performance when the blog begins to exceed the capability of the shared hosting plan.

Portfolio Sites

Although it may seem professional to purchase a premium hosting plan for your business portfolio site, the truth is most sites like this only contain a couple of pages, which can be hosted on a minimal shared hosting plan. Purchasing a dedicated hosting plan for $100 per month to create a single small web site is the epitome of unnecessary expenditure. Imagine all of the business investments that could be made over the course of a year with the money saved from purchasing a shared hosting plan instead  of dedicated.  If you plan on creating a site through which your clients can view your previous work and engage in multimedia activities then you may want to consider a medium sized shared hosting plan.

Novice Webmasters

If you're just starting your internet career then you may want to consider a shared hosting plan rather than making a potentially unnecessary investment by paying for a plan that may not only be excessive, but also too complicated for your use. Most people start out with a shared hosting plan and after realizing the need for a larger plan then move to a VPS plan. Taking a gradual approach to hosting plan purchases and upgrades is the best way to avoid spending too much for no reason. As a novice webmaster your entrance into the web hosting industry should be reserved and calculated rather than aggressive and arbitrary.

Conclusion

If you're serious about your online endeavors, when success is obtained you'll eventually need a dedicated hosting plan. However, as a novice or someone that does not plan on immediate expansion, shared hosting plans are the most beneficial decision.

Tags: Shared Hosting,  vps,  VPS hosting,  web hosting,  dedicated server,  dedicated,  shared,  server,  bad,  comparison,  business,  best hosting,  shared server,  dedicated hosting,  hosting server,  web host,  leased server,  small business,  making money,  dedicated server hosting,  blog,  webmaster,  hosting plans,  shared web hosting,  shared host,  professional web host,  online business,  web hosting business,  web server,  small business owners,  web hosting plan,  server performance,  dedicated web hosting,  webmasters,  blogs,  web host costs,  web hosting industry,  web hosting types,  IT hosting,  dedicated hosting plan,  IT,  server resources,  professional web hosting,  IT professional,  types of web hosting,  blog hosting,  server environment,  shared hosting plan,  web pages,  shared hosting environment,  IT resources,  single hosting account,  private,  web hosting plans,  dedicated server environment,  starting a web host,  VPS server,  private server,  web server resources,  maintain the server,  server needs,  clients,  hosting account,  web hosting clients,  hosting environment,  VPS hosting plans,  business owners,  premium hosting,  types of hosting,  hosting plan,  maintain a server,  shared hosting account,  shared hosting plans,  powerful hosting,  private web server,  private dedicated web server,  dedicated web server,  VPS plans,  shared hosting costs,  several hosting plans,  private hosting,  IT costs,  dedicated host,  hosting business,  online reputation,  private dedicated server