The usual question at the start of a web project is: “Should I order shared hosting, or a cloud server with more resources?” The answer depends on the size of the project and what it has to do.
Shared hosting is a server whose CPU and RAM are used by many sites at once.
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It costs less, it is managed through a control panel such as cPanel or Plesk, and it does not require server administration.
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It fits a personal blog, a company brochure site, or a small shop that is just starting.
A cloud server assigns virtualized resources to your account. On OwnHost, cloud server CPU and RAM are isolated in hardware. That is a different product from shared hosting and from a VPS.
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When traffic grows, you can move to a plan with more RAM or CPU.
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A busy neighbor on shared hosting does not consume your isolated cloud resources.
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It fits mid-size and larger shops, high-traffic news sites, and custom applications.
Starting on shared hosting is reasonable. When the site slows down, or daily visitors pass about 1,000, compare a cloud server.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions this article is most often asked.
1 Who should use shared hosting?
A personal blog, a company brochure site, or a new shop with light traffic. CPU and RAM are shared with other sites on the same server.
2 Is a cloud server the same as shared hosting?
No. On an OwnHost cloud server, CPU and RAM are isolated in hardware. A VPS is a separate product as well.
3 When should I compare a cloud server?
When the site slows down, or daily visitors pass about 1,000, compare a cloud server plan.