What is Shared Hosting and How Does it Work?

Shared Hosting is one of the most popular types of web hosting services, especially with new websites and those who have basic hosting requirements. While traditionally, site owners had to choose between a Dedicated Server and Shared Hosting service, today, there are numerous options available such as Cloud Hosting and VPS Hosting. However, Shared Hosting services remain the go-to name for basic websites. Today, we are going to talk about Shared Hosting and understand how it works.

Shared Hosting & How it works?

As the name suggests, in Shared Hosting, your website is stored on a server that is shared between multiple websites. Since several sites use the server’s resources, these plans are available at low costs. The web host allocates certain resources like RAM and CPU to each user, allowing them to run and manage their site. It enables the host to offer these plans at a cheaper rate as compared to the other plans and is ideal for websites with lower bandwidth or resource requirements.

Here is an example to help understand Shared Hosting services:

Living in a shared apartment is an alternative to renting your own apartment when you move to a new city. It helps you save on costs and the hassle of managing tasks like paying the electricity bills and getting the house cleaned regularly. Since multiple people share the apartment, the costs and tasks are divided between them, making it easier for each individual. While there are some disadvantages, such as not having complete control over the apartment or having to consider the comfort of others before doing anything, it fulfils the objective of living in a new city in a cost-efficient manner. While a shared apartment is not ideal for everyone, it is perfect for those who have a busy life and only need to get home to crash.

Living in a shared apartment can be likened to a Shared Hosting service. You get to enjoy all the resources of the server but with certain limitations. Shared Hosting is affordable and an excellent way to get your new website online in no time.

A Shared Hosting service offers a range of features and benefits, including:

• Lower costs – since the server’s resources are between multiple users
• Easy to start and manage – most web hosts offer plans that allow you to get your site online in no time. Also, they provide a simple control panel to manage administrative tasks efficiently.
• Professional management – the web host has a team of experts who manage your server and all tasks associated with ensuring that it runs efficiently

When should you opt for a Shared Hosting service?

• Usually, newly launched websites do not attract a lot of traffic. Hence, their resource requirements are low making Shared Hosting plans a good option.
• If you have little or no experience with web hosting, then you might want to start with a Shared Hosting plan to understand how hosting works.
• Saving costs is an obvious reason, but you must remember that if your site needs a customisable hosting environment, then you need to buy a VPS or Dedicated Server plan. In such cases, Shared Hosting will not suffice. Hence, even though you save on the upfront costs, the long-term impact on your business can be costlier.

Summing Up

Shared Hosting is an excellent way to get your website online quickly. While the advantages are many, it is essential to remember that it is best suited to websites that do not have high resource requirements and extensive programming needs. Hence, before you buy a Shared Hosting plan, ensure that you assess the hosting needs of your site and decide wisely. Good Luck!