Shared hosting is a type of Internet hosting service where multiple websites are hosted on a single server, or multiple servers in tandem. It is a popular choice for individuals and small businesses that are interested in a cost-effective way to host their websites. Shared hosting allows multiple websites to share the cost of hardware, server space, software, and technical maintenance, reducing total costs for everyone involved.
Shared hosting can be configured in two different ways: with a single server computer for multiple websites, or multiple server computers dedicated to different websites. With a single server, multiple websites share resources such as CPU power, memory, and disk space. A single server is often considered the cheaper option and is generally preferred for smaller websites or those with low hardware requirements. With multiple servers, each website receives dedicated server resources such as memory and CPU processing power, and only shares the cost of disk space. This is beneficial for high-traffic websites that require the most CPU resources and have larger databases.
Shared hosting is suitable for most websites, especially those with low maintenance, low data storage requirements, and minimal visitors. Some common applications of shared hosting include wordpress sites, small business websites and blogs.
Shared hosting is a cost-effective and easy way to host websites. However, it comes with some drawbacks, such as slower server speeds due to other websites sharing the same server, and bleds among different websites such as websites becoming unresponsive due to heavy server loads from other websites. Additionally, websites hosted on shared hosting often have limited access to available resources such as programming languages, databases, and software configuration tools. For larger websites with high-traffic, or those requiring specialized resources, dedicated hosting may be a better option.
