Managed Hosting vs Shared Hosting vs Cloud Hosting. The Good and the Bad

There are many different types of web hosting services available, and it can be difficult to choose one that is best for your business. Managed hosting, shared hosting, and cloud hosting are all popular options, but each has its good and bad. Let’s take a look at the good and bad parts of managed hosting, shared hosting, and cloud hosting.

What are the differences between managed hosting, shared hosting, and cloud hosting?

A managed hosting is one where the provider takes care of everything for you. This means that the provider will handle the hardware, software, security, backups, updates, and maintenance. You only need to provide them with an IP address and payment details.

Managed hosting is when you pay a monthly fee to a third party provider who manages the servers and network infrastructure for you. They handle all of the technical aspects of your website so that you do not need to worry about anything related to the operation of your site.

The Good: 

1. Expect expert support, round-the-clock monitoring, and more. This can be a lifesaver if you’re not particularly tech-savvy or don’t have the time to manage your own server.
2. Better security measures in place than traditional hosts. They often have staff monitoring servers 24/7 and taking steps to prevent and mitigate attacks. 
3. Ideal for small businesses because it allows you to focus on what you do best – running your business. However, it does require some maintenance on your part.

The Bad:

1. The biggest downside to managed hosting is that it’s more expensive. If you’re on a tight budget, you may not be able to afford the added cost.
2. Another downside is that you’re somewhat dependent on your managed host. If they go out of business, you may be left in the dark. Or, if they experience a server outage, you may be affected.

Overall, managed hosting can be a great option for businesses that need expert support and don’t want to worry about server maintenance. But it’s important to weigh the good and the bad before making a decision. 

Shared hosting is when multiple websites share the same server—a cheaper option than the other hosting plans. Just like apartment dwellers sharing the building. Shared hosting is where you rent space on a server owned by another company—like tenants (server clients) renting apartments (domains) in a building (server). In this case, you are sharing the server (building) with other customers (tenants). If you use more than 1 GB of bandwidth per month, then you must purchase additional space.

The Good:

1. It is usually much cheaper than other hosting options. This is because you are sharing the resources of the server with other websites. This can be a great option for small businesses or bloggers on a budget.
2. Shared hosting offers a lot of flexibility, but it comes with a price tag. It also requires you to share the server with others.

The Bad

1. Less security. You share “walls” with other clients on the server and sometime a security issue at one share host client’s account may affect everyone else on the server. If one of those websites gets hacked or experiences a traffic surge, it can impact your website’s performance. 
2. You won’t have any control over how much space each site gets. 
3. You might not be able to use certain features because they aren’t available across all sites. 
4. You might not be given access to the server at all times.

If you’re looking for something simple and low cost, then shared hosting is probably the best choice. It’s the least expensive option cheap, easy to set up, and you can customize the settings to suit your needs but there are some downsides:

Cloud hosting is when you rent space on a remote server that is maintained by a third party. You do not have direct access to the server, but instead connect to it through the Internet.

The Good: 

1. Scalability: With cloud hosting, you can scale up or down as needed. This means that you can add more servers when you need to handle an increased load or remove servers when you no longer need them. 
2. Flexibility: With cloud hosting, you don’t need to maintain any equipment or software. This means you won’t have to worry about updating your website or installing new software. Instead, you simply pay a monthly fee for access to the service. 
3. Cost savings: If you pay monthly for your web hosting, you will save money over the life of your contract. In fact, you can save anywhere from $50-$100 per month. 
4. Support: If you ever run into trouble, you can contact support staff who will help you resolve the issue. This opportunity may not be available for a shared hosting account.

The Bad:

1. Cloud hosting can be more expensive than traditional hosting options, and data security can be a concern.
2. Cloud hosting is perfect for those who want to experiment with different platforms without having to worry about setting up a new server. They can easily switch between different operating systems and apps, and they can scale up or down as needed.
3. Cloud hosting is the most flexible option, but it can be expensive. It also requires you have an internet connection.

If you are looking for increased security, flexibility, and cost savings, cloud hosing may be the best option for your business.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are upsides and downsides to each hosting option, so it’s important to understand what each one offers before making a decision. Although shared hosting is the cheapest option, it’s also the most limited and least secure. While managed hosting is more bit expensive over shared hosting, it offers better features and support. And finally, although cloud hosting is the most expensive option, it offers the greatest flexibility and scalability, and ultimately a cost saver.