What is Website Hosting: Advantages and Disadvantages

The hosting or web hosting is the service that provides users of Internet a system to store information, images, video, or any content accessible via the web. It is an analogy of "accommodation or accommodation in hotels or rooms" where one occupies a specific place, in this case the analogy web hosting or web page hosting, refers to the place occupied by a web page, website , system, email , files, etc., on the internet or more specifically on a server that usually hosts several applications or web pages.

Companies that provide server space to their clients are often referred to by the English term web host .

Web hosting, while not necessarily a service, has become a lucrative business for Internet companies around the world. The Hosting or Hosting is a space on a server that will be active 24/7 for a year where it will store the information on your website. It can be defined as "a place for your web page or emails", although this definition conceptually simplifies the fact that web hosting is actually space on the Internet for virtually any type of information, be it files, systems, emails , videos, etcetera.

What is a hosting or web hosting?
The hosting or web hosting is  the space where a website is hosted  so that anyone can see it on the Internet.

This would be the most summary explanation of what hosting is, but what I want is to resolve once and for all any doubt you have about what a hosting is exactly  and therefore what it is for . I will explain it very clearly and simply, you will see. 😉

Go for it!

What is hosting? What does it mean?
Let's start by the easiest, explain the meaning of the word "hosting", ok?

What is the meaning of hosting?
Hosting in Spanish means accommodation , that is, the space where someone stays or places something.

In this case, as we are talking about  web hosting , and as I mentioned at the beginning of the article, it would be the space where a website is hosted  so that it is "visible" on the Internet for everyone who wants it.

So far simple.

What happens is that you have probably seen many different ways to call web hosting , but it is important that you understand that all refer to the same really:
  • hosting
  • web hosting
  • web hosting
  • hosting hosting
  • web hosting
  • web hosting
  • webhosting
  • webhost
  • Etc.

All this is the same! 🙂

Types of hosting
One of the ways to classify the types of hosting that exist is precisely based on how hosting is organized within the web server , as you saw in the image above.

I will explain what are the main options that exist when choosing or hiring a hosting, its main advantages and disadvantages, and with an image that I have done in each case so you understand better what it consists of:

Free hosting
A free web hosting (also known as free hosting ) is a service that allows users to publish websites for free. When registering for a "free hosting" service, the user usually obtains a control panel from which they can administer the service  and a URL from which the site can be accessed. There is a wide variety of sites and companies that provide "free web hosting" services, each one of them has its particularities in terms of the type of service provided and the conditions of it. The possibilities of free accommodation are generally limited when comparing the paid accommodations. This leads to the fact that such accommodation is mostly suitable for creating personal websites or non-profit sites. Although there are services that offer free accommodation at the level of payment. This explains why it is expected that such a project will need the corresponding payment services throughout its development. limited disk space; limitation of the size of each file ; limitation of certain file names. Eg, are prohibited * .jfif , * .exe etc; limitation of certain information (as an example we can mention the prohibition of erotic or pornographic themes, some of them allow it but with limitations; Absence of support for server scripts and database management system or a certain limitation of its use; Domain only of third level. Lately the second level domain names are offered in the .biz, .info, etc. areas. Some limitations can be avoided when using additional services. For example, Free scripts allows you to perform some operations without using the scripts.

Shared hosting or shared hosting
This is the most common type of hosting because it is one of the most economical. The key is precisely that several hosting share the same physical server , this means that they share the server processor, memory, hard disk, etc.

In other words, if you hire a shared hosting, you will be using the resources of a web server  together with other clients. Of course, the data is private for all; none can enter your hosting or you can enter the hosting of the rest.

Advantages of shared hosting
  • It is cheaper than the rest of hosting because they also share the costs and maintenance of the server.
  • It is the hosting provider who is responsible for management and maintenance.
  • No advanced technical knowledge is required to manage your hosting, and you can do it from the control panel (usually cPanel ).
  • You can upgrade to more powerful hosting packages in case your website needs more resources.
  • Etc.

Disadvantages of shared hosting
  • The shared resources tend to make your website go slower if they are not managed well (when resources are missing, when they are shared among many hosting, etc.).
  • It usually has fewer resources available than other types of more powerful hosting.
  • If any of the hosting has a technical problem can affect the server and therefore the rest of hosting that is in it.
  • A website that has many visits can suddenly cause the server to slow down and therefore the rest of the hosting that is hosted on it.
  • Etc.

Dedicated hosting or dedicated server
This type of hosting is one of the most expensive because it is usually used for websites with many visits or other business applications that need a lot of power. The key of dedicated servers is precisely that all the resources of 1 physical server are assigned exclusively to  1 hosting .

That is, if you hire a dedicated hosting you will be assigned a physical server with all its resources available to you (all the processors you have, all the memory, the entire hard disk, etc.). And it is not shared with other hosting or its resources are used for another project that is not yours.

Advantages of dedicated hosting (dedicated server)
  • It has all the available resources of a physical server with all its power.
  • The hosting provider is responsible for the administration and maintenance of the server.
  • They usually have a much more personalized customer service.
  • You can manage your hosting if you want from the control panel (usually cPanel WHM or Plesk ).
  • Etc.


Disadvantages of dedicated hosting (dedicated server)
  • It is one of the most expensive types of hosting because the management of the entire physical server is included in the price.
  • It is usually strange, but if it is the client of the hosting that is responsible for the management of the server, it is of vital importance to have advanced technical knowledge.
  • It is important that server resources are well configured and optimized to really take advantage of their potential.
  • It is more complicated to update your hosting with more resources because it would imply improving the physical server or changing to a more powerful one.
  • Etc.

Elastic hosting or elastic sites
Perhaps it is one of the least known types of hosting and yet it is one of the best suited to the needs of those who use it. It could be said that it is an intermediate step between shared hosting and VPS hosting, being more powerful than the first and cheaper than the second.

The concept is very similar to that of the VPS in which each user of 1 hosting is assigned resources of the physical server (processors, RAM, hard disk, etc.), but here it is encapsulated in what they call an independent virtualized environment. (LVE) , which does not become a virtual server at all.

In this way, each user will have a hosting as in the shared (the same control panel, etc.) but with the server resources already assigned in their LVE just for him, as in a VPS. So you have the advantages of VPS without having to manage it yourself or pay more for one administered.

Advantages of elastic hosting
  • It is cheaper than VPS hosting  and much more than the managed VPS, because it is really a shared hosting.
  • You have resources allocated only for your hosting and that are not shared with the hosting of other users.
  • As in shared hosting, it is the provider who is responsible for its management and maintenance.
  • No advanced technical knowledge is required to manage your hosting, and you can do it from the control panel (usually cPanel ).
  • You can upgrade to more powerful hosting packages in case your website needs more resources.
  • Etc.

Disadvantages of elastic hosting
  • It is usually more expensive than the "classic" shared hosting  because resources are not shared here.
  • It is not recommended for more "special" websites that need more specific modules or features that are not provided by standard hosting.
  • It does not have the "personal" administration that a "managed" VPS can have, for example.
  • Etc.

VPS or Private Virtual Server
The VPS hosting is the most used when looking for a more powerful web hosting than shared hosting and cheaper than the dedicated server. The key is precisely that a physical server is not hired but 1 virtual server that is created specifically for 1 hosting with the resources that have been assigned (processors, RAM, hard disk, etc.) of the physical server.

It is important to emphasize that the VPS can be "managed" (it is the hosting provider who is responsible for its management) or "not managed" (it is the client who is responsible for its management).

In this way, the physical server really behaves like a "simple box" where virtual servers "take" their resources as needed. And since this virtual server is private  (it is not shared with anyone else) for the client, it is as if he had a physical server just for him.

Advantages of the VPS hosting
  • It is cheaper than the dedicated server because the expenses and maintenance of the physical servers are shared.
  • It has more resources than a shared hosting and is not shared with other hosting.
  • If it is "managed", it is the hosting provider who is responsible for its management and does not need advanced technical knowledge.
  • You can manage your hosting if you want from the control panel (usually cPanel WHM, Plesk or VestaCP ).
  • You can upgrade your hosting to more powerful private virtual servers in the event that your website needs more resources.
  • Etc.

Disadvantages of hosting VPS
  • It is more expensive than shared hosting , and more if you hire "managed".
  • It usually has fewer resources available than a dedicated server hosting.
  • If it is "not managed", it is the client of the hosting that is in charge of its management and it is convenient that it has some technical knowledge.
  • It is important that the VPS resources are well configured and optimized to really take advantage of their potential.
  • Etc.

Cloud hosting or hosting in the cloud
This is the most advanced hosting and it is usually used for very powerful applications and websites with many visits. More than a product, it's about hiring a hosting service (like when you hire electricity, water or gas in your home), since it does not focus so much on the physical servers but on the resources needed by the hosting in each moment .

The key is that the hosting uses a network of physical servers connected to each other (can be even from different sites around the world) that behave as if they were a very powerful super-computer with unlimited resources .

As in VPS, cloud hosting  can be "managed" (it is the hosting provider who is responsible for its management) or "not managed" (it is the client who is responsible for its management).

The good thing about this "shared hosting in the cloud" is that if one of the physical servers of the network of servers stops working, your hosting will not notice anything, because it will continue using the resources of the rest of the servers as if nothing happened.

Benefits of cloud hosting
  • Without doubt the biggest advantage is that you have unlimited resources and the highest possible power for any system or website.
  • It is the most profitable for web projects that need a lot of power, because they only pay for what they consume in each moment (unlike the dedicated server that pays for it consumes what you consume).
  • It is the most reliable because it stays perfectly even if there is a problem with one of the servers in the "cloud" or if it needs more power at a very high consumption peak.
  • Whether or not they are "managed", they tend to have a much more personalized customer service.
  • You can manage your hosting in the cloud if you want from the control panel (usually cPanel WHM or Plesk).
  • Etc.

Disadvantages of cloud hosting
  • For small / medium websites that need few resources it can be the most expensive type of hosting of all.
  • Although the hosting is "managed", it is advisable to have enough technical knowledge to understand it well.
  • If it is "not managed", it is vital to have advanced technical knowledge to know how to manage it correctly.
  • It is important that the resources are well configured and optimized to really take advantage of their potential by consuming only what is necessary at each moment.
  • Etc.

What hosting to choose?

Well it's going to sound very simple, but many times the simple answer is the best answer: choose the hosting you need .

Even the same hosting provider can offer different types of hosting (shared, dedicated, VPS, etc.) and different packages or hosting options with more or less GBs of space, more or less GBs of transfer, more or less CPUs, etc. .

My advice is that you only hire what you need for your website, neither more nor less:

If you are going to create a new web page  for a hobby or you do not think it becomes "serious", you can create it directly on sites like Blogger or WordPress.com where they already give you free hosting.

If you are going to create a new website with the idea of starting a personal or professional project, start with a basic hosting package. So you will not pay too much if you really are not going to have many visits at the beginning.

If you already have a website and it starts to be something really "serious", think of an intermediate hosting package that can grow your website and do not fall short with a basic package.

If you have an online business or have a good number of visits then it makes more sense to hire an advanced hosting package and even some more powerful hosting such as a VPS (as is my case).

And if you have a powerful online business or you have many visits, what I advise you is a VPS hosting at least, and depending on your needs, even think of something more powerful.

A good idea is to contact directly with the hosting provider that gives you the most confidence and advise you on the best option for your specific case.

Simple, is not it? 🙂

If you have arrived at this article it is likely that you are somewhat lost in the wonderful universe of hosting web pages , you have doubts about what type of hosting  you want to hire or even, you are looking for a new accommodation different from the one you currently have.

If you are a person who is dedicated to digital marketing, you are an entrepreneur or have a digital project in mind, you may not have deep knowledge about web development and design . Although with Internet it seems that we know how to do everything, it is a very complicated sector. In this sense, knowing in depth what an accommodation consists of and being clear about which one you need is not so simple.

This article aims to be a guide that clarifies all the doubts about it, from the most basic points to more complicated and difficult to understand concepts.

Where to get a web hosting?
So, you may ask yourself, "If I want to create a page, do I need an accommodation?" Sure. A web page or an online store must always be active for any user, anywhere in the world and at any time - unless it is in maintenance, fall or other special cases. In this case, you need a hosting for your web page.

"And I have to buy it?" As I said before, the hosting works thanks to a web server and this should be powerful enough. So much so, that it is not logical to have it in a house, besides that it is a very expensive option.

Thus, the right thing to do is rent a hosting service through a company dedicated to providing web page hosting. These companies store their clients' websites within a Data Processing Center, that is, a fully formed and complete infrastructure with all the necessary power and technical aspects.

These companies offer different services and hostings with characteristics that adapt to the needs of each person.

Main aspects of a hosting service
Before going on to know in detail what are the different types of hosting, it is interesting to know what are the main characteristics of a web hosting. Why? Hosting rental companies offer different options to hire based on these characteristics and the price varies depending on them.

How to choose the best hosting or the most suitable hosting provider? You can take a look at the following features to check what you need.

Disc space
The space of the web server with which the web page in question has. It depends on the number of files; if it is a dynamic or static website.

Monthly transfer
The amount of information that users can download per month. The more space the files occupy on a website, the more a monthly transfer is needed. The same happens if the web has a very high volume of web traffic.

E-mail accounts
The website hosting service offers a number of email accounts with the domain name of the web. The project is useful for communication.

Number and types of databases
The database is an essential element for the creation of a web page. Hosting services can offer one type or another such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB ... etc. Thus, it is interesting to check how many databases can be created in the same hosting plan since they determine the number of websites that can be hosted simultaneously.

Support
A customer service offered by the company itself to solve problems with the website via mail or telephone.

Place
The site where the hosting is hosted influences the optimization of the website and therefore is its subsequent positioning in search engines . For this reason, it is interesting to check the place and bet on a national provider.

Security
It is very easy to hack or enter a web page if you do not have the necessary security, more if you are in a shared hosting because if a page inside that hosting becomes infected, the problem can also affect others. Therefore, a hosting must provide the necessary security to prevent any problem of this style from occurring or to offer a solution to this situation. I am referring to a system of automatic backups to restore the web page to the previous state in case of a disaster.