Shared vs Cloud hosting

Shared hosting refers to a plan that hosts multiple websites together, sharing resources on one server, and has been around since the beginning of web hosting history, unlike Cloud hosting which, thanks to its newer technology, enables a site to be hosted on a cluster of servers, which allows it to be moved to another server in case of any issue.

You may be used to seeing the Cloud winning the popularity vote every time, but the truth is when it comes down to choosing the ‘best’ type of hosting it has to be the best type of hosting for you. Bottom line: Each have their own uses. We break it down for you here:

Performance

Shared hosting may have evolved to guarantee a 99.99 percent success rate in theory, but due to the very nature of its shared services, it can be impacted by another website that experiences unprecedented high traffic at any one time. It can experience real fluctuations – ranging from perfectly acceptable to painfully slow, depending on the activity of other websites sharing the same platform. This will never be an issue for Cloud hosting as each website is hosted on a dedicated server, so you can expect an exceptionally-fast performance every time – no matter what the level of traffic. And greater performance also means greater reliability.

Scalability

This is probably Cloud hosting biggest advantage, as with so many servers on standby acting, effectively, as one system, any needs – ranging from data storage to speed – can be adjusted. Customers are able to monitor their own usage and scale up and down as needed. Enhancing features with Shared hosting, on the other hand, would require upgrading to another plan completely.

Security

In a shared hosting plan, the server must be manually configured to become accessible to more people in a secure way. A cloud server, however, allows ports to be both changed and locked down further than a normal shared plan.

Cost

Shared server space will always be cheaper, thanks to its resources being shared across the board.

Support

Some may claim that the added features Cloud hosting offer over Shared means more support is available, but when using a top-notch hosting provider (like us!) you can rest assured that no matter which plan you choose, you will have access to help every step of the way.

Shared hosting is the most popular for a reason – it’s cost-effective, ease-of-use is the perfect solution for small to medium-sized businesses everywhere with minimal needs. It is also important to note that there are multiple plans on offer – even with Shared hosting – increasing the likelihood that you will find one that best suits your business. If, however, you are a larger company with an expected high level of traffic – especially in the sales arena – you’ll probably need the speed and flexibility offered by the elite services of the Cloud.

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