Shared vs Dedicated Web Hosting Plans
Many business owners who want to reach wider markets turn to the Web, and the first thing that comes into their minds is to develop their websites. Upon asking Web developers and graphics designers about the development of their websites, they at this point learn about Web hosting. They look for reliable Web hosting companies, and when they find some trustworthy Web hosting providers offering quality services according to many customers, they realize that there are different Web hosting accounts, and many of these business owners first learn about shared Web hosting plans and dedicated Web hosting packages over other Web hosting account types. Discussed below are the main differences between a shared Web hosting plan and a dedicated Web hosting package.
Shared Web Hosting Packages
A shared Web hosting account simply means multiple customers are sharing the resources of one Web server. These resources include the total processor speed and RAM resources of the computer, the bandwidth allocated to this Web server and the data storage space available in the hard drives connected to the Web server. Each customer is assigned fixed or unlimited data storage space and bandwidth by the Web hosting provider, depending on the type of shared Web hosting account of the customer. Some shared Web hosting account types allow users to be capable of upgrading the data storage space and bandwidth allocation of their shared Web hosting accounts. Of course, Web hosting companies limit the number of customers that share one Web server in relation to the hardware and bandwidth resources available in the Web server. This is to prevent system crashes, hardware problems and downtimes.
Some Web hosting providers offer customers the feature of purchasing IP addresses that will be attached to their primary domain and their other add-on domains entered in their shared Web hosting accounts. These IP addresses can be A, B, C or D class IP addresses. Most SEO (Search Engine Optimization) professionals recommend using different C class IPs for each website stored in one shared Web hosting account or one dedicated Web hosting account plan. Most Web hosting companies also provide Web server management and maintenance services to ensure that their 99% uptime guarantee is always implemented, and these management and maintenance services are already bundled with most of these shared Web hosting account plans.
These shared Web hosting packages are more affordable than dedicated Web hosting plans. This is advised for business owners who do not expect high volumes of traffic during the first few months of their sites going live on the Internet. After all, they can always upgrade to other shared Web hosting account plans with better hardware and bandwidth resources when the time comes that they need more powerful hardware resources and larger bandwidth due to the increase in their monthly traffic and onsite user activity. They can also opt to upgrade to a dedicated Web hosting plan also offered by the same Web hosting provider, in case they like the services provided by the same Web hosting company.
Dedicated Web Hosting Plans
A dedicated Web server account is where the customer leases an entire Web server from a Web hosting company. This means hardware resources and bandwidth along with data storage space available in the hard drives connected to the Web server are dedicated to the user and not shared with other individuals or companies.
This also means the processor of the Web server and its RAM resources are dedicated to the customer’s websites. A dedicated Web hosting plan is suitable for companies that run and manage large networks of websites with massive volumes of content and Web applications. These dedicated Web hosting packages are also recommended for websites that get large volumes of daily or monthly traffic.
Dedicated Web servers also usually host video streaming sites and file download portals. Networks of sites and online communities with a huge volume of users, members, subscribers and viewers who regularly enter and modify user-generated content like comments, posts, videos and other multimedia materials are also suitable for hosting by a dedicated Web server.
SAS (Software As Service) portals are websites that offer membership subscription access to custom Web applications. Most of these SAS portals have loads of subscribers who simultaneously use the custom Web apps provided by the website. These SAS websites, especially those with massive volumes of hourly or daily traffic, are frequently hosted under dedicated Web hosting plans.
These dedicated Web hosting plans are more expensive than shared Web hosting packages, though its utility and the benefits as well as the security, reliability and peace of mind it can provide customers who own large networks of sites that get huge loads of regular traffic are well worth the price. This means when choosing from a shared Web hosting plan or a dedicated Web hosting account, it is crucial to list down your specific requirements and needs so you can compare your list with the benefits and advantages that can be provided by a shared Web hosting account and a dedicated Web hosting package.