Shared hosting is perhaps the oldest form of hosting. Many computers use the same server to run their website. Cloud hosting is a new infrastructure that companies are adopting these days. Often, people confuse the terms with each other, but they are different. This article will show how cloud is different from shared hosting. At the basic level, a group of servers work in the cloud solutions to run only one website. All servers are sharing their resources. Some people think that cloud hosting is also a shared hosting with a cloud tag that is not true. Let us discuss the differences in detail.
What Makes Cloud Different
Cloud technology itself is the main advantage of using cloud hosting. First, let us make sure that we know what a cloud is. Here is the most basic definition of the cloud: “A pool of dynamically allocated resources across a large network of physical components, instead of a fixed set of hardware.” Of course, no such technology is working in shared hosting. Another different thing cloud hosting uses is server virtualization technology. It groups the servers. Results are improved reliability, higher performance, better redundancy, and on-demand scalability.
Cloud comes with infinite scalability. An infinite number of machines work together as a system. Whenever the requirements increase, the system adds more machines.
Have you recently added a new product launch or a viral video or blog post on your website? If yes, it may experience sudden traffic and a chunk of new customers. Many hosting types may not be able to bear the sudden load and end up in server crashes. But if you have cloud hosting, it will quickly scale up to the need. So your website is always ready to meet the expectations. That is also good from a redundancy point of view. As many servers are hosting your website, the failure of one server will be no big deal. When the management is hard for many servers, the system adds new servers. Servers are compensating for each other’s faults. In the end, you have the guarantee of resources when you join a cloud hosting network.
Benefits of Shared Hosting: Suitable For Small Websites
Things work in different ways in shared hosting. There is only one physical server, and all websites use its resources. Every website uses its server resources to run its application or web. In most cases, shared hosting is the cheapest way possible. The same sharing is the reason behind low costs. They are low because many customers are dividing the resources.
Despite being the most affordable solution, there is a limitation. There is no guarantee of resources. Several customers have only one set of hardware. As a result, you never have any resources or performance guarantee as an individual user.
There is no ideal hosting solution. Depending on needs, different businesses should have different hosting plans. Shared hosting is excellent for portfolio websites and small business websites. These websites usually do not have to manage heavy traffic.
Competition for Resources: Is Shared Hosting Equally Good For Big Business Websites?
But if you have to manage a big eCommerce website, you should not use shared hosting. It is incapable of handling intensive applications. Websites and applications compete for processing power. The hardware power will be switching its directions from time to time. So the competition will be there.
Think of this scenario. You are the shared hosting customer, and your website traffic suddenly increases. You are in a safe zone until and unless all other websites are quiet or have very little traffic. Then, the system will allocate you some of its resources. But what will happen if these websites are equally popular?
All servers have a finite number of resources. The struggle of intensive applications will never end. The results are not in your favour as a business owner. The performance becomes inconsistent, and the loading time increases. The user experience becomes terrible. It will be more than a serious issue if you have a business website. Those websites have to generate sales and process transactions.
There always are different hacks. Sophisticated technologies may still help shared hosting perform better for complex websites. At least it will be able to handle websites with medium level needs. Yet, there will always be competition for resources. You cannot rely on shared hosting for demanding websites. If you need high performance consistently, a cloud or dedicated platform will suit you.
Does Cloud Hosting Suit Any Size of Business?
As you can always scale the resources, cloud hosting suits any business size.
Dedicated cloud hosting ensures only you can use all resources you configure. Just like the complete servers, you have the guarantee of processors, RAM and SSD storage. Whether you manage a simple blog or a business website, it will show the best performance. Enjoy the performance that matches the levels of the dedicated server. Moreover, you can manage everything from one central control panel. For example, SFTP makes file management easy for you. You even have the freedom to edit source code and manage databases and DNS.
Every website feels like it is hosted on one hardware and uses a dedicated RAM and processor. Thanks to virtualization technology. It is most likely that these resources are divided into four servers. Also, these could be found in four data centres. But this does not matter for websites, as they get the required resources.
Putting It All Together
In the end, it again comes to your needs. It would help if you choose what works best for you. Shared hosting is an affordable solution. Opt for it if you have to make a simple portfolio or a small website. But for a big eCommerce website, cloud hosting is a good solution.
Are you looking for scalable and feature-rich cloud solutions? Grid Hosting offers fast and consistent cloud servers at an affordable rate.
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