Shared hosting stands as the simplest and most economical method to establish your website on the internet. The reason behind its affordability is due to multiple websites being hosted on one physical server with limited resources, and the costs are divided among all users. However, since you share resources with others, it might not deliver the same level of speed, security, or flexibility as alternative options.
In this article we will take a look at the specific characteristics of shared hosting, so you can decide if this hosting solution is the way to go.
Let’s get started!
Ideal for New Website Owners
Shared hosting stands out for its budget-friendly nature, as it involves multiple websites sharing a single computer. Hosting companies often maximize the computer’s capacity by accommodating more websites than it could individually handle during peak activity. While this approach is suitable for smaller websites, it may pose limitations for larger ones.
If you are just starting out as a new website owner, you might initially consider shared web hosting, which can be as budget-friendly as $5 per site per month. However, once your website grows in terms of content and traffic, you’ll come to recognize that opting for a more robust plan from a reputable hosting provider offers better value for your investment, both financially and in terms of hosting capabilities and user satisfaction.
Moderate Performance Speed
Shared hosting plans are known for granting users access to a limited share of a computer’s processing power. As numerous users are hosted on the same server, situations may emerge wherein certain websites utilize a substantial portion of the allocated resources. Consequently, this can result in diminished website performance for all other websites on the server.
For this reason, shared hosting is most appropriate for websites experiencing lower levels of visitor traffic and possessing comparatively less content. It’s important to consider these factors when choosing a hosting plan so you can find one that supports your website’s requirements.
Level of Security
When you choose shared hosting, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the activities of other hosted websites can significantly impact the security of your own site. This vulnerability emphasizes the risk of your website being exposed to various threats, including viruses, hacking attempts, and a range of potential issues.
This security concern becomes even greater when you realize that hackers tend to target websites that share the same server address with others. As a result, the implementation of strong security measures becomes essential in order to protect your online presence effectively.
Limited Customization
Shared hosting offers limited options for customization. While you have the ability to make minor adjustments, such as fine-tuning specific aspects, you lack the authority to modify the overall functioning of the computer or implement specialized configurations.
Obtaining specific software that suits your needs might be challenging within a shared hosting plan because hosting providers typically only offer commonly used software. Accommodating unique software requests is avoided by most shared hosting providers because incorporating specialized software could potentially compromise the security of other users sharing the same computer. For this reason, website owners with unique requirements in terms of software and applications, tend to opt for other hosting solutions.
Limited Scalability
Shared server plans lack significant flexibility. You’re required to select a plan that comes with predefined limitations on factors such as data usage and storage space. These restrictions vary depending on the hosting company. While you can adjust your plan to accommodate greater or fewer limits based on your requirements and budget, there’s a limitation when aiming for expansion of your website.
The challenge arises when you seek to expand beyond the predefined limits. Resources, including the computer’s processing power, are shared among multiple users. Consequently, if you’re aiming for substantial growth and you demand a lot of resources, you might need to transition to a different plan or even a different hosting type altogether.
Conclusion
Shared hosting serves as a cost-effective starting point for websites. The main advantage of shared hosting is its affordability, yet it also comes with drawbacks like potential slowdowns, compromised security, limited customization, and restricted expansion. For websites with minimal traffic and static content, shared hosting can meet the requirements, but businesses seeking heightened performance and security should consider opting for more advanced hosting solutions.
