Shared vs Dedicated Website Hosting

There are two main categories of hosting environments – shared and managed dedicated. Aspiresite also offers a Virtual Private Server, Freedomâ„¢, the only Web hosting environment that bridges that gap between shared and managed dedicated.

Shared Website Hosting

Shared hosting is an economical and flexible Web solution that businesses often use to run an online presence. As the name implies, shared hosting means that a site shares a Web server, usually in a secure data center of a hosting service provider such as Aspiresite. Small and medium size businesses – particularly those new to the Web – are fond of shared hosting solutions. This is because shared hosting is a quick, cost-effective, secure and reliable means to establishing a professional Web presence, and, it doesn’t require advanced technical skills. Within a matter of hours, a shared hosting customer can have a site up and running on the Web. Depending on the business needs, a shared solution ranges from simple, informational sites to those with e-commerce and streaming media. And when it’s time, a business can easily upgrade to a managed dedicated server solution.

Dedicated Website Hosting

Managed dedicated hosting enables a business to lease one or more servers for its exclusive use. This solution gives customers an added level of control over their Web presence having to invest in purchasing a server and the secure environment. Similar to shared hosting, the server is located in a hosting service provider’s secure data center with 24×7 physical security and support and redundant Internet connections. In addition, businesses can customize servers to meet their performance needs, install customized software, and individualize settings for multimedia and e-commerce requirements – even host multiple Web sites on a single server. And they have the option of “root access” for full server control. While the hosting service provider still handles the server maintenance, managed dedicated hosting requires an added level of customer involvement. Customers who select managed dedicated hosting require IT and server administration expertise to maintain the server.

Choosing Shared or Dedicated Website Hosting

Typically, a business new to the Web will start off with a shared solution and move to a managed dedicated solution as the business grows and as the customer becomes more familiar with the Web. As a rule of thumb, small and medium business establishing an entry-level, basic Web presence are well served by a shared solution. A business that has specific software needs, wants full control over their server or expects high traffic and bandwidth would benefit from a managed dedicated solution.

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