What Is Web Hosting and How to Choose the Right Type in 2024

web hosting plan, you’re basically renting space on a physical server to keep all your website’s files and data.

Also, web hosts provide the necessary technology and resources that help your site live securely and smoothly on the internet. One example of this technology is Cloudways (a web host) servers that come with a built-in Content Delivery Network (CDN) and server-level firewalls, which help deliver your website’s content without any hiccups.

How Does Web Hosting Work?

Let’s take the example of a WordPress site. If you want to create a new one and bring it up online, you need two things: a domain name (like myamazingsite.com) and a web hosting plan.

You might have heard that WordPress is free to use. It’s true. But you still need a reliable web host to store your website files and manage your domain name.

And the server that is hosting your site is like a physical computer that works 24/7 to keep your website live. So whenever someone types in your website’s address, the host fetches the necessary files and serves them up so visitors can explore your site.

When exploring web hosting options, you’ll typically encounter two paths: self-hosted (unmanaged) and managed hosting.

As a beginner, you wouldn’t want to start with self-hosting, as it requires technical expertise to set up and configure a web server from scratch, not to mention the ongoing management of hardware and software.

In contrast, a managed cloud hosting provider like Cloudways takes the weight off your shoulders. Forget about the complex setup; launching a WordPress site is as simple as a few clicks. You can easily get your site live on powerful cloud hosting platforms like DigitalOcean, Google Cloud Platform, or AWS without breaking a sweat.

Since hosting features and prices can vary, choosing a plan that fits your needs is essential. Not to brag, but our managed web hosting starts at just $11 monthly.

Fastest Managed WordPress Hosting at Just $11/Month*

Experience lightning-fast speeds with Cloudways’ LAMP + NGINX hybrid stack, optimized to handle even the heaviest themes and animations. Improve your Core Web Vitals today.

Don’t Confuse Web Hosting With Domain Name System

Remember when I mentioned that WordPress websites require a host and domain name?

Well, I forgot to mention that before a visitor’s request reaches your web server, they travel through a network of name servers that make up the Domain Name System (DNS). The DNS translates your domain name into the server’s IP address and forwards the request accordingly. DNS ensures the browser connects to the correct server.

You can register your domain with any domain registrar, like Namecheap. But, if you need a convenient way of DNS management, you use the Cloudways DNS Made Easy add-on.

This add-on allows you to manage your domain directly from the Cloudways platform and speeds up DNS propagation to just a few hours, compared to the typical 24 hours with third-party registrars.

Types of Web Hosting

Different web hosting providers have various plans and prices, which can be confusing if you’re just starting out.

Here’s a simple breakdown of the main web hosting types so you can better understand each option and determine which one might be the best fit for you.

1) Shared Hosting

As the name suggests, shared hosting is a solution where multiple websites share the same server resources (bandwidth, disk space, and memory allocation). Although it is the most economical hosting solution and is suitable for small blogging or showcasing corporate websites with moderate traffic, it comes with many drawbacks related to performance and security.

In shared hosting, the host provides you with a complete administration system and takes care of all the features related to the hosting system, like updates, security, maintenance, backups, software installation, etc.

2) Dedicated Hosting

With dedicated hosting, you get a dedicated server for yourself (no sharing resources with other website owners). Dedicated hosting will serve you best if your website generates a lot of traffic and requires a lot of resources (like online marketplaces, ecommerce stores, or social networks).

Although no server is 100% secure, a dedicated server comes pretty close and is a great choice if website security is your top priority. In addition, dedicated servers perform better since you’re not sharing the resources with anyone else, and your website can handle the maximum traffic allowed by the server.

3) Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting is suited for those looking for extra-solid security, performance, and support. It is fairly similar to VPS hosting, but the main difference is that while VPS relies on physical servers, cloud hosting is based on several interconnected servers spread over a wide geographical area. This allows you to spread your data across these widely distributed virtual servers (thus the name cloud) and serve your customers more efficiently.

Where the VPS has limitations on bandwidth and data transfers, cloud hosting usually does not. Given its efficiencies and advantages, cloud hosting is also considered the new, more modern solution to hosting web apps and online businesses. Therefore, it is suitable for most businesses.

Large companies like Google Cloud Platform and AWS host their servers on cloud systems, which has advantages. Cloudways, of course, is one of the top cloud hosting providers.

Shared vs Dedicated vs Cloud Hosting—Which Is Better?

We already covered all 3 options earlier, but if we had to pick just one, I’d choose Cloud hosting.

Even though Cloud hosting can be costlier than shared hosting, it’s usually cheaper and more scalable than a dedicated server because most Cloud hosting providers only charge for what you use.

Cloudways Flexible, for example, uses the Pay-as-You-Go model, and you can scale server resources whenever you like. Cloudways Autonomous takes this up a notch by providing autoscaling for a complete hands-off experience but with hourly billing.

Shared hosting is the most affordable option, but you’d have to share server resources with other websites. This is not only a security concern, but also shared hostings are generally slow too, meaning your Core Web Vitals and SEO are going to suck.

Dedicated hosting gives you your own private server, which definitely makes performance better and you get more control, but it’s expensive and doesn’t scale easily either.

What to Consider Before Purchasing a Web Hosting?

Choosing the right hosting plan and hosting provider ensures your website is always accessible, secure, and scalable.

Here are some features to look for when choosing a host.

1. Disk Space

Every hosting provider allocates a certain amount of disk space. The more you pay, the more space you get.

Before buying space, figure out how much space you’d need. You won’t need much space if you just run a simple blogging site. But if you run an eCommerce site, you’d need considerable space to store product images and videos.

If you want your server resources to scale automatically in scenarios like these, you should look into autoscaling.

Why Consider Cloudways?

Upgrading your server is no problem at Cloudways, as we give you complete choice and freedom to increase your server’s hardware resources with a simple slider drag.

2. Bandwidth

Bandwidth size is basically your server’s capability to transfer data from your site to your visitors.

If you want your website to run fast, you need a decent amount of bandwidth. You can use up to 7 TB of bandwidth with DigitalOcean servers on Cloudways or up to 16 TB of bandwidth if you use Linode. But keep in mind that higher bandwidth comes at a high price.

Why Consider Cloudways?

Cloudways offers 20x the bandwidth compared to its competitors, lets you monitor your server’s bandwidth, and charges as low as $0.01 per GB for bandwidth overage.

3. Uptime

Your hosting should always be up and running. Otherwise, your site will be inaccessible. Uptime is measured in percentage. If your hosting provider claims to have a 100% uptime or a number close to that, you should consider getting it.

Why Consider Cloudways?

Cloudways guarantees a 99.99% uptime Service Level Agreement (SLA) backed by redundant power, networking, and storage systems, so your site remains accessible anywhere and anytime.

4. Security

Website security is something you can’t take lightly. One breach can cost you everything. Pick a host that offers built-in security features like SSL certificates, threat detection, two-factor authentication, and firewalls.

Why Consider Cloudways?

Cloudways offers 24/7 real-time server monitoring, bot and malware protection, vulnerability scanner, two-factor authentication, Cloudflare Enterprise, free 1-click SSL, DDoS mitigation, and much more.

5. Website Speed

Google says that the probability of a user bouncing off increases by 32% as page load time goes from 1 to 3 seconds.

Slow speeds also affect your site’s Core Web Vitals, which is one of Google’s ranking factors. If your site isn’t loading fast, your SEO will suffer badly. So, pick a fast web host. No compromises.

Why Consider Cloudways?

Cloudways dramatically speeds up your site and makes it load in under a second with a highly advanced tech stack with Apache, Nginx, Varnish, Redis, and PHP-FPM. Plus, you also get Cloudflare CDN at a huge discount.

Note: Check out our comparison of leading hosts to check which one is the fastest hosting provider.

Managed Web Hosting With Built-In Cloudflare Addon!

Improve your website performance and score higher on Core Web Vitals with Cloudflare’s Edge Page Caching!

6. Web Hosting Platform

Lastly, choose a host with an easy-to-use dashboard.

A good admin panel makes it easy to perform maintenance tasks, like updating software or optimizing performance, without needing extensive technical knowledge. And also it helps you manage privacy and security settings, install applications, take backups, manage server files, set up email accounts, monitor resource usage, configure domains and subdomains, and manage databases.

Why Consider Cloudways?

Cloudways provides a user-friendly user interface, making it simple to handle hosting settings. The user-friendly control panel lays out everything in front of you, and every function is just a click away.

Why Should You Choose Cloudways as Your Web Hosting Provider?

So why should you consider Cloudways over other web hosting services?

Firstly, it’s quite affordable, starting at $11/mo, and gives users the freedom to choose a completely hands-off hosting experience or a flexible experience where YOU have all the control.

If you go with Flexible, you can choose between 5 cloud providers (DO, AWS, GCE, Linode, and Vultr). Plus, you can launch your server in minutes, and manage everything from its easy-to-navigate platform (without requiring any technical know-how), and much more.

Here’s how easy it is to spin up a server and launch an application:

• Sign up or Log in to Cloudways.
• Once inside, click on “Servers” from the top menu.

• Click “Add Server” to start your first server.
• Select your application, cloud provider, and server size based on your needs. For example, choose WordPress, name your app and server (you can name them anything), and pick or create a project.
• You can select your preferred cloud provider (like DigitalOcean or AWS), the right server size, and the server location. You’ll also see an estimated monthly cost.

• Finally, click “Launch Now.” Your server and app will be deployed in minutes.

• Once everything is set up, you can access your application by clicking the www button next to your server. And that’s it. Your app & server are now live on Cloudways.

• How easy is that? Within the platform, you have complete visibility of your servers and applications and control over your server resources.

Now, let’s take a quick look at some of the platform’s features.

• Firstly, vertical scaling is super convenient with a simple slider drag. Also, it shows you the costs you’d bear, so you don’t exceed your budget.

• You can also set Off-site Backup and On-Demand Backup and never worry about data loss.

• Then the monitoring tab lets you monitor your server, so you always know what’s going on behind the scenes.

• On the application side, you get a ton of built-in features, such as a staging environment, Bot Protection, application-level backups, Malware Protection, and more.

Get Unlimited WordPress Staging Sites for Free!

Create and test your WordPress site without affecting the live version. No extra cost, no risk, no hassle.

• And activating these features is as simple as flipping a toggle switch.

• Speaking of features, most are free, and you can also purchase premium add-ons to further improve your hosting experience.

But even with their premium add-ons, you get value for your money. For example, Cloudflare’s Pro and Business plans cost $20/month and $200/month, respectively. The Enterprise plan costs even more. But with Cloudways, the Cloudflare Enterprise add-on costs just $4.99/month per domain, making it an affordable option for businesses of all sizes.

Still unsure about which web host to choose? Let the numbers speak. 100,000+ people use Cloudways, and everyone can try it for FREE with their 3-day free trial, which doesn’t even ask for credit card details.

How Much Should a Website Cost?

On to the most important question. Well, it depends on the hosting provider you choose and your chosen server resources and features. For example, if you choose high disk space and bandwidth, you’re obviously going to incur high costs. Throw in some add-on features, and the costs can increase.

Here’s a basic breakdown of potential website costs based on different factors like hosting, domain registration, and additional features:

Cost Type	Estimated Price Range	Description
Domain Name	$10 – $20 per year	Cost of registering your website’s domain name (e.g., .com, .org).
Web Hosting	$3 – $300+ per month	Varies based on the hosting type (shared, VPS, dedicated) and features like storage and bandwidth.
SSL Certificate	Free – $100+ per year	Secures your website; some hosting providers offer it for free.
Website Builder/Theme	Free – $100+ (one-time or subscription)	Pre-built templates or custom website builders. WordPress themes can vary greatly in cost.
Plugins & Extensions	Free – $250+ per year	Additional tools and features for your website. Premium plugins may require an annual fee.
E-commerce Functionality	$20 – $200+ per month	Tools to run an online store, including shopping cart, payment gateway, and inventory management.
Custom Design/Development	$500 – $10,000+ (one-time cost)	If you hire a web designer or developer for custom work.
Maintenance & Updates	$10 – $200+ per month	Ongoing technical updates, security, and content changes.
Email Hosting	$1 – $15 per month per user	A professional email associated with your domain (e.g., book a demo of the Cloudways platform. If you have any questions, leave a comment, and I’ll be sure to get back to you. Abdul Rehman Abdul is a tech-savvy, coffee-fueled, and creatively driven marketer who loves keeping up with the latest software updates and tech gadgets. He’s also a skilled technical writer who can explain complex concepts simply for a broad audience. Abdul enjoys sharing his knowledge of the Cloud industry through user manuals, documentation, and blog posts.