Shared Vs. Dedicated Hosting

The type of web hosting you choose is dependent upon exactly what you are wanting for your site. Both hosting options have their benefits and their downfalls and you must decide what is most important for you.

If you are planning on having a small website, whether business or personal, shared hosting might be a good choice, particularly if you are looking to save money. Shared hosting costs less because you are sharing a server with other websites and the cost for running the site is divided between the website owners. The prices for shared hosting can vary from just a few dollars a month or more. This is usually dependent upon how many others are sharing the site. There are some downsides however to using shared hosting. Most shared hosting sites offer you a limited amount of disk space and bandwidth for your website. Some will even charge more if you use more bandwidth than you are alloted. Additionally, you may have to deal with other websites on the server using too much bandwidth, which can cause your website to run slowly and even freeze up.

Dedicated servers on the other hand, mean that your website has it's own dedicated server that is not shared with any other websites. This is the best choice of hosting service, particularly if you are planning on having a large website or will have a website that will have a high level of traffic. A dedicated host offers a higher level of service to it's website owners. They generally have more features available to users and make the sites easier to build. Many people feel the downside to a dedicated server is that they are generally very expensive. They can range anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars a year. But, if you have a large website, whether business or personal, it is definitely worth the money. Dedicated hosting offers a much more reliable service to you and ensures that you will have a higher amount of uptime on your website.

Choosing the right web hosting services is one of the most important thing you can do when building your website. If you feel that you can't afford a dedicated host right now, you can either attempt to use shared hosting or save up the money until you can afford dedicated hosting. If your website is small and you think you will not have any problems using a shared host, than you should start looking into companies that offer quality shared hosting. However, if you know you are going to have a large website, and fear shared hosting may not work for you, then you would be better off choosing a dedicated host. It's best to with a host that can provide for your needs from the start, rather than having to switch hosts at a later date.