Did you know #1 part in building a profitable blog online? If you said, web hosting, then you are right. Whether you agree it or not, web hosting plays #1 role in your website’s success. Web hosting directly impacts your:
website speed SEO user experience security of your site above all your overall sales
So if you’re using a cheap or free hosting, you’re killing your site all by yourself. Another big mistake most bloggers make while picking hosting for their sites is they often go for shared hosting (usually offered by Hostgator, Bluehost etc) over managed hosting. If you’re wondering about what’s the difference between managed and shared hosting, this post is for you. You will also discover all the pros and cons of using both shared hosting vs managed hosting along with some of the best services that offer those hosting features. Are you ready to find them out? Let’s dive in.
Managed Hosting vs Shared Hosting: Which is better?
What is managed hosting?
In Managed hosting, a service provider leases dedicated servers and associated hardware to a single client. That means, Managed hosting services minimize the amount of hands-on IT work that needs to be performed to keep a server running at peak performance. While you focus on your software, the hosting company will handle the hardware. Some companies offer managed hosting as an add-on to their existing cloud, VPS or dedicated packages. Here are the 2 types of managed hosting:
Semi-managed hosting: It is for those people or businesses who want to use a hosting company’s support and infrastructure but feel comfortable managing their own servers. Fully-managed hosting: This hosting is best for those with limited technical knowledge. It also allows people or companies to focus on growing their business.
Benefits of Managed hosting:
- Regular monitoring of server: One of the major benefits of managed server hosting is regular monitoring of server which enables proactive detection of irregularities, vulnerabilities or failures that affects the productivity of your business. It continuously scans your server for server hardware, CPU usage, operating system, applications running on OS, network traffic, memory and disk usage and more. Thus, this regular check keeps your site and server working efficiently.
- Automated backups: With managed hosting services, your data is secure and backed up. You need not worry of hacking attempts, data crash or anything which is unfortunate for your site as with Managed WordPress hosting you get automated backups.
- Enhanced security assistance: They have various tools and have ability to handle server security related issues, block hacking attempts. They constantly scan the operating system for viruses, run security audits to find security vulnerabilities, which they can fix in order to prevent the server from being attacked. They also install proper security mechanisms against malware and phishing acts so that there’s no breach in your website security.
- Fully managed control panel: A managed server hosting is accompanied with control panel which helps you to manage your hosting account and website efficiently. You can create databases, email forwarders, DNS records, access logs, view performance statistics and more with this robust tool on your hosting account.
Pros and cons of managed hosting
So what are the pros and cons of using managed hosting? Pros: Cons:
What is shared hosting?
Shared hosting allows multiple websites to utilize a single server. In other words, it is the web hosting in which the service provider serves pages for multiple web sites, each having its own Internet domain name, from a single web server. However, you will have a limit on the total amount of server resources you can use, but this will be defined by your hosting package.
Pros and cons of shared hosting
Let’s now talk about some of the pros and cons on shared hosting. Pros: Cons: Shared hosting is a great choice for beginners whose sites don’t receive a lot of traffic. Read: Bluehost vs GoDaddy: Which is the Better Host?
The differences between managed hosting and shared hosting
There are several hosting companies around the world and they offer many different packages and it is not obvious most of the times which one company and which package to select. Without talking about the difference between two hosting types, this post is incomplete. Here are the key differences between shared hosting and managed hosting:
With shared hosting, there are other sites that are hosted on the server along with your website. With managed hosting, you will get all hosting benefits because you are all alone on a server. With shared hosting, the amount of disk space and bandwidth you are allotted is limited because there are others sharing the server. With managed hosting, you get a computer all on your own, so you can customise it extensively. You will be able to choose the amount and type of memory, the OS to install, and other hardware elements that make up a computer. With shared hosting, the hosting company installs firewalls and server security applications and programs. With managed hosting, the downside is that you actually need to know quite a bit about computers and server technology. You could get a completely unmanaged service where you need to install the OS yourself, let alone all the tools needed to run a web server, security scanning, malware removal and so on.
The hosting type that you choose will depend on your budget, server and website needs, and the amount control that you desire.
2 of the best managed hosting services
1. WPX hosting
To succeed in online business, your website has to load fast. From blogging for fun to selling products online, no matter what the purpose of your website is, the site will get benefited from quick loading times. Improving website speed can help you get more visitors and thus there is an increased visibility in the search engines. Faster websites have higher conversion rates which results in more of the visitors joining your email list, clicking on links, purchasing products, or taking some other important action. If you want such fast loading website then WPX Hosting is for you. Click here to start your website using WPX hosting NOW! (BloggersPassion is hosted here) Pros Cons
Features
WPX hosting is currently serving over 40 million page views every single month. Their pricing options, unbeatable customer support, blazing fast servers, daily backups make their hosting unique from the rest of the competitors. If you are searching for a dedicated, affordable and secured web hosting service to host your WordPress sites, you should definitely start using WPX. You will get some of the best customer support. Here’s a detailed review of WPX hosting just in case if you want to find more about it.
2. WP Engine
WPEngine hosting offers fast and robust servers that can handle anything. They offer automatic security updates, daily backups, one-click restore points, automatic caching, top-tier security, one-click staging area, and more. WP Engine only offers managed WordPress hosting. There are five different plans available: Personal, Professional, Business, Premium, and Enterprise Grade. Click here to start your website on WP Engine Pros Cons
Features
WPEngine can provide decent hosting and is perfect for developers and freelancers. You will find that WP Engine’s advanced features save your time on WordPress development for clients.
2 of the best shared hosting services
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is an official WordPress recommended hosting provider that offers a wide variety of hosting plans for beginners to larger businesses with 24/7 customer support. With Bluehost, you never have to worry about your website being slow even when there is a lot of traffic. It offers a wide range of hosting plans with tons of features that help you easily build your website. Click here to start your website on Bluehost Pros Cons
Features
If you are looking for a reliable web host with a strong reputation, if you can pay extra to get access to more features and a dedicated support team of WP experts and if you are on a budget and just want general-purpose shared hosting, then go for Bluehost.
2. Dreamhost
DreamHost offers domain registration and web hosting services, including managed WordPress hosting. It offers everything you need to grow your website, whether you are a new blogger or established business. Click here to start your website on Dreamhost Pros Cons
Features
If you need a lot of help getting started, it may not be the right choice for you Since they only offer support via tickets. Here are some of the frequently asked questions about managed hosting vs shared hosting. Recommended Web Hosting Resources: – WPX Hosting (we use the same host)– WPEngine– Kinsta
Best web hosting deals for all kind of budget bloggers Best Dreamhost alternatives to pick in 2023 How to start a blog in 2023? Comparison of best web hosting sites by Bloggers Passion Best managed WordPress hosting solutions for high traffic sites Hostinger Web Hosting Review 2023: Should You Host Your Website with Them?
Final Thoughts
As I said earlier in the post, web hosting is what makes or breaks your blogging success. If you’re really serious about making money from blogging, you need to treat is as a business. Every business needs investment. Here’s where putting your investment on web hosting can pay a lot in the long run for you.More Posts Worth Reading:
W3 Total Cache vs WP Super Cache: Which is the best caching plugin? Yoast SEO Premium vs Free Version: Why you need to buy its paid version? Blogger vs WordPress: Which is the better CMS and why? GetResponse vs MailChimp: Which is the best email autoresponder?
So what are your thoughts about managed hosting vs shared hosting? Are you using shared hosting or managed hosting to run your website? Do you have any questions? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
