When you first decide to create your website, it is unlikely that your mind will immediately jump to which web hosting plan you will choose. Web hosting is an overlooked but very important component of every successful website. This is the space where your website’s files will get stored, but there is so much more to it than that. If you are looking to decide which web hosting type is best for your WordPress site, you are in luck!
Using WordPress
Millions of people use WordPress for their sites due to its simplicity. WordPress was originally designed with the purpose of blogging. Since then, it has evolved and is the CMS of choice for many different types of sites. Now, you can also use WordPress for eCommerce websites as well because of its amazing potential.
WordPress is also open-source software. This is beneficial if you are building something new or if you encounter an error with your site. The WordPress community is large and diverse, so there is a great deal of support available. The community is also quick to take appropriate action when identifying security issues.
Shared
Shared hosting refers to a plan in where hundreds of different websites are on the same server. These sites have access to all the same resources, including RAM, bandwidth, and disk space. As your website is not taking up much space or rations, these plans tend to be the cheapest. Often with a shared hosting plan, the provider will set up WordPress for you.
Shared hosting is a great first step, but it also has its fair share of challenges. It is common for sites on a shared hosting plan to be slow, run out of space, and experience server overload.
Unmanaged VPS
Having a VPS (virtual private server) is typically the next step up from shared hosting. Your website will be on a server shared with others, but it will have its private section. VPS enables each website to have access to an allocation of the total resources.
With an unmanaged VPS plan, you will take charge of all the administrative controls. You will have the ability to tweak the server to meet your requirements. Some people prefer this if they have technical skills and abilities. They feel more confident managing the operating system and server resources. The only thing that the hosting provider would be responsible for is ensuring the availability of the physical server.
Managed VPS
With a managed VPS plan, the hosting provider will be responsible for everything related to the server infrastructure. A managed cloud hosting provider such as Cloudways (one of the fastest WordPress hosting solutions) will maintain the hardware,
server software, and network. This includes maintaining the hardware, server software, and network. They will also need to stay alert for updates and patches so that you always have the latest upgrade. If you have questions or need help troubleshooting, the provider will need to respond to you. Many hosts will offer a 24/7 service for answering questions, which is important if your site goes down on holiday.
One of the best options is to integrate a Windows VPS which is a more affordable and a secure one. This is because they need time to focus on growing the company, and it can be stressful to worry about the website logistics at the same time.
Dedicated Server
A dedicated WordPress hosting plan involves your site having an entire server to itself. This setup allows for heavy traffic and ensures stronger security for the site. This is important particularly if it is an eCommerce storefront that collects confidential information from clients. The business cannot risk having a security lapse and losing the good faith of their customer base.
As dedicated hosting plans are on their own server, this also means that the website enjoys all the resources without having to share them at all. This is helpful if your website has videos that require a lot of bandwidth to view.
Which One Should You Use?
Overall, the answer to which web hosting is best for WordPress depends on your specific requirements. If you are a new website owner or a blogger, a shared hosting plan will suit your needs.
As your business starts to grow or you notice more virtual traffic, the best course of action is to upgrade to a VPS hosting plan. Some people decide on unmanaged hosting if they can configure their own settings and take on more responsibility. Others choose to manage to host and allow the provider to cover that role.
Dedicated hosting is the next step if you have a huge company and hundreds of website visitors daily. This is the most powerful but most expensive type of WordPress hosting.