When you as an e-merchant or website owner have to choose hosting, you are often presented with several different solutions. Cloud-based server, shared server or dedicated server.
The possibilities are many. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of the individual solutions? We come in here.
What is Shared Hosting?
Shared hosting is what we call a web space in everyday life. As the name indicates, shared hosting is where you share one server with many other websites.
In this way, the server’s resources are distributed to the many different websites, and you therefore do not have as much power to do with.
This, of course, is also reflected in the price you end up paying. You can get an acceptable web space down to 10 DKK / month .
However, there is a big difference between the prices and the performance you get from the various providers. Personally, I always recommend the Bronce package at Unouro (which netkablet.dk also runs on), as you really come a long way with a standard web space with them.
I even have lots of smaller websites that run really well, and I always start on a regular website. shared hosting at Unoeuro.
If your website is reasonably built up and you have few and simple SQL calls for your database, you can easily have about 3,000 visitors a day at a standard web hotel at Unoeuro.
A good example of a website with about 3,000 visitors per day at peak periods, my own blog is GoDownsize.com , which is hosted on a shared web hotel. When we post a new Youtube video on the corresponding Youtube channel, it often hits thousands of visitors at the same time, and it still runs really well and stably.
So it is not necessarily the number of users who decide whether to use a shared or a dedicated server, but to a great extent how technically demanding your solution is.
Benefits of shared hosting
As previously mentioned, you do not have a very high degree of freedom with regard to the technical aspects of your server. However, this can also be emphasized as a significant advantage.
When choosing shared hosting, it does not require the smallest IT skill, and it is often just plug and play.
In addition, many hosts are super skilled at making email setup, installing the most common CMSs and easily linking subdomains.
As mentioned, the prices are between NOK 10-200 / month, and that is an incredibly cheap solution.
Disadvantages of shared hosting
For new and small websites, there are no significant disadvantages of shared hosting. It is only when your site has grown very large.
If you have a larger website with many visitors and advanced calls to your database, your website will therefore be slow.
This goes beyond user-friendliness as well as your Google placements.
With shared hosting, you also have limited freedom in setting up and configuring software. Some providers have also set up their system so that all websites struggle with each other about the server’s resources.
This is not a good solution, as your website may run very slowly, because other websites on the server draw heavily on all server resources.
There are few shared hosting plans that run this way, and if you choose Unoeuro, you are at least sure there is no site on the same server as you and sucks the whole power.
What is a Cloud solution
In a typical Cloud solution, multiple virtual servers are connected, and you can scale your space and performance as needed without maximum performance.
Your website can therefore draw on several different servers as needed.
A good example of a solution that requires a cloud setup is the shopping portal Katoni.dk , and they have therefore chosen a cloud solution. They collect clothes, shoes and accessories from Danish online stores and have over 200,000 products.
According to Martin Skovvang from Katoni, they have chosen this solution because they give them the flexibility they need for their setup consisting of both web servers, databases and a number of other systems.
He says:
We can adjust everything from number of CPUs to the amount of RAM and set up load balancing as well as firewall rules with a single click.
Flexibility means that we can adjust resources exactly to the need, for example. the web server does not require as many RAM as, for example, the database.
The products can be sorted in many different ways and this is where extra server power is needed. If you look past one of their categories, notice their top filter that allows for quick filtering.
They actually started at a web site at Unoeuro, but gradually the site became more advanced and their filters and other features slowed down. They have therefore chosen a cloud server at Google , because you get much more for your money by purchasing the solution from one of the major providers abroad.
Benefits of cloud hosting
The advantage is that you can scale very quickly and efficiently.
If your traffic suddenly rises, Google and Amazon’s cloud solutions will allow new servers to be automatically started from one second to the next, so your site will not be shut down.
The good thing about cloud is that you only pay for the servers that are active. Ie that if you need 3 extra servers and pumps for a short time while you are running a TV spot for your website, then you do not have to pay for these servers beyond the time they are activated.
Disadvantages of cloud hosting
As with the dedicated server solution, you need an IT expert if you want to run in the cloud.
It simply requires a little more knowledge of servers and setup when switching from a shared solution.
In addition, it is relatively expensive, and therefore you should never start on a cloud solution, because the cheapest and best for new sites is always a cheap shared hosting plan .
What is a dedicated server?
A dedicated server is, as the name also indicates, a server where one should not share its resources with others. This way, you have an entire server’s power allocated exclusively to your site.
However, a dedicated server requires significantly more IT skills and a larger investment.
When investing in a dedicated server, one must have a good idea of one’s future needs. It is possible to expand and scale down with RAM and disk space, but the actual capacity is not just up or down.
Benefits of a dedicated server
A dedicated server gives you the ultimate freedom in choosing software and hardware, expanding the frame and, not least, a significantly larger capacity.
However, this is also reflected in the price.
In addition, a dedicated server can handle a larger number of users and more advanced solutions than a standard web site can.
Disadvantages of a dedicated server
The disadvantage of a dedicated server lies in the reduced freedom that one has in terms of up and down adjustment of needs. If you have very large volumes of traffic (eg webshops that run TV commercials during periods), you can run out of power.
If you’re looking for a more scalable solution, look for a Cloud-based server.
A dedicated server requires a lot from you as an IT man. However, it is possible to purchase a server with SLA (Service Level Agreement). This means that the provider sets up the server and provides maintenance. If you are not an expert in setting up servers, I would definitely recommend that you get help.
Without the right setup, your website may very well run slower on a dedicated server than with shared hosting.
The fact that you can use all the server’s forces is of course also reflected in the monthly price. Typically, it is around 600-4.500 kroner / month depending on how much service you need and the power the server needs.
The conclusion …
Whether one should choose one or the other depends 100% on one’s needs and on how technically skilled one is.
If you have a smaller website or a new website, you always have to start a shared hosting with fx. Unoeuro .
