What is Hosting? How to Choose
What is hosting, what types (shared, VPS, dedicated, cloud), how to choose? Pricing guide.
What is hosting?
Hosting is the server where your site files live. To run 24/7 you need an always-on server.
Types
Shared: 100+ sites on one server. Cheapest. \$3-15/month. For business cards, small blogs.
VPS: virtualized slice with own resources. \$15-100/month. For mid-traffic sites.
Dedicated: entire physical server. \$100-500+/month. For high traffic.
Cloud: distributed network (AWS, GCP, Azure). Variable pricing. Best uptime and scaling.
Managed: platform-specific (WordPress, Laravel). \$30-180/month. No tech knowledge needed.
What to look for
- Uptime 99.9%+
- Speed (location, SSD, RAM)
- Free SSL
- Daily backups
- Email accounts
- 24/7 support
- Easy upgrade path
Recommendations
| Site | Hosting |
|---|---|
| Business card | Shared |
| Corporate | Premium shared/VPS |
| E-commerce | VPS |
| High traffic | Cloud |