Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
In this Itechguide, Victor answers the question “What is shared hosting?”. He explains shared hosting and compares it with Cloud, VPS, and Dedicated server hosting.
What is Shared Hosting?
Shared hosting means that multiple websites are hosted (“stored”) on the same server. To help you understand it – assume for a moment that your website files are stored (hosted) on your personal laptop.
Then, your friend asks you to host her website as well and you host the second website on your laptop. With the 2 websites hosted on your laptop, you have implemented shared web hosting.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsIn reality, it is not as simple as I have described it above but you get the message. To be able to “share” (or host multiple websites) on the same web hosting server, providers use specialized software. One popular software used by most providers is called cPanel.
Popular on Amazon
- Get NVMe solid state performance with up to 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds in a portable, high-capacity drive(1) (Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device & other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.)
- Up to 3-meter drop protection and IP65 water and dust resistance mean this tough drive can take a beating(3) (Previously rated for 2-meter drop protection and IP55 rating. Now qualified for the higher, stated specs.)
- Use the handy carabiner loop to secure it to your belt loop or backpack for extra peace of mind.
- Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256‐bit AES hardware encryption.(3)
- Easily manage files and automatically free up space with the SanDisk Memory Zone app.(5). Non-Operating Temperature -20°C to 85°C
Unlike the other types of web hosting packages, shared hosting allows the provider to “share” and assign resources to the websites hosted on the same server. With this hosting package, your website is assigned some disk space (to store your web files), RAM (memory) and some CPU compute power.
Benefits and Advantages
Here are some advantages of hosting your website on a shared package:
Cost Saving
Because your site shares resources on the same server, the provider is able to charge a relatively lower fee to host your website.
Recommended Free Tools
Easy Deployment
One benefit of hosting on a shared package is the ease of deployment and installation. If your provider uses cPanel, you can easily install WordPress on your domain, manage sub-domains or even create emails.
Also popular on Amazon
- Solid state performance with up to 800MB/s read speeds in a portable drive. (Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device, interface, usage conditions and other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.)
- Back up your content and memories on a storage solution that fits seamlessly into your mobile lifestyle.
- Take it with you on your adventures—up to two-meter drop protection means this durable drive can take a beating. (Based on internal testing.)
- Secure it to your belt loop or backpack for extra peace of mind thanks to the tough rubber hook.
- From Sandisk, a brand professional photographers trust to take on assignments.
Free Server Maintenance
Being on a shared plan means you do not have to bother about maintaining the server. The provider is responsible for maintaining the server, including installing updates, performing backups, etc.
Free Migration
If you are moving from one provider to another, some providers will offer you free migration. But be sure to read the fine prints! Some hosting companies may have web size limitations.
Limitations and Disadvantages
Share Resources
Clearly, the first disadvantage of sharing the same server is that the server resources are not solely available to your website. Most times, this is not a problem but if in the rare instance that one website starts consuming huge resources, this may affect the performance of your website. In reality, this rarely happens – the hosting provider will shut down any website that consumes too many resources.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Shared IP and SEO Concerns
Your website is identified by its IP address. In a shared plan, your website shares the same IP address with all the websites sharing the same web server. The implication is that if one of the websites is blacklisted by a search engine like Google, it may affect your site as well. One way to avoid this risk is to purchase a dedicated IP address for your website.
Also popular on Amazon
- Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
Security Concerns
Another disadvantage of hosting your site on the same server as other websites is that a security glitch by one website may affect your site.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Shared Hosting vs Cloud, VPS or Dedicated Server Hosting
In the previous section, I explained shared hosting and discussed the advantages and disadvantages.
To help understand the concept better, in this section, I will discuss Cloud Hosting, Dedicated Server and VPS hosting.
Cloud Hosting
In Cloud hosting, a hosting provider combines multiple physical servers into a big, single server with a massive amount of computer resources. The provider then distributes the server resources to different websites hosted on the “combined” server.
Also popular on Amazon
- NEARLY 2X FASTER THAN OUR PREVIOUS GENERATION(8) – move 1,000 high-res photos in under 60 seconds(6) with up to 2000MB/s transfer speeds(2).
- IP65 RATING AND UP TO 3M DROP PROTECTION(3) – protects against spills and drops.
- POCKET-SIZED – fits easily in pockets and small bags.
- SPACE TO OWN YOUR AI CONTENT – speed and capacity to download your high-res clips and photo edits.
- 256-BIT AES ENCRYPTION(4) – helps keep private files secure with password protection.
One advantage of using this Cloud hosting, compared to shared hosting is that the computing power of all the servers is combined into a single server with a huge amount of disk space, RAM and processor.
Unlike a shared package, hosting your website with this package makes it easy for you to scale – you can start with 30GB disk space, 4GB RAM and 2 processor cores. When your website grows, you can easily add more RAM, disk space and processor cores.
VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting
In VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting, multiple virtual servers are created in a single physical server. It is more like the opposite of cloud hosting. The hosting company will then assign customers the virtual servers.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
In essence, your website uses its own Private Server with its own RAM, disk space and processors. However, these compute resources are “shared” with other virtual servers on the same physical server.
Also popular on Amazon
- Easily store and access 5TB of content on the go with the Seagate portable drive, a USB external hard Drive
- Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
- To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition software required
- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
To compare VPS with shared hosting, VPS gives your website dedicated computing resources. These resources are also easily scalable. If your site grows beyond your current resources, your hosting company should be able to add more resources to your VPS.
There are 2 main differences between Cloud and VPS hosting.
- Cloud combines multiple physical servers into a single virtual server while VPS creates multiple virtual servers in a single physical server.
- In Cloud, most providers give you the option to scale your hosting (add more processors, disk space and RAM) yourself. However, in VPS you may have to ask your provider to add the resources for you.
Dedicated Server Hosting
Dedicated Server Hosting (DSH) is the bigger brother of VPS. In DSH, a customer is assigned a physical dedicated server. This means that the website hosted on that server is assigned dedicated resources on the physical server.
Compared to Shared Hosting, dedicated hosting offers your website more computing power. Unlike a shared package, you can easily scale your resources. But your provider will have to add the additional resources on your server for you.
I hope I have been able to answer the question “what is shared hosting?”. I also hope that you found this Itechguide helpful! If you found it helpful, kindly vote Yes to the “Was this post Helpful” question below.
Alternatively, you could ask a question, leave a comment or provide feedback with the “Leave a Reply” form found towards the end of this page.
Finally, for more Itechguides like this, visit our Tech Explained page.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
This article is very informative and helpful. In this article you can study about shared hosting, cloud hosting, vps hosting and dedicated hosting. After reading this article one can easily choose a web hosting plan as per their requirements and budget.
Great article. Shared Hosting is perfect for beginners starting a new website for the first time. Since you are sharing a server with other sites, you should allow for the occasional slowdown of your site with shared hosting.
Great post. Thanks for sharing this essential information about shared hosting. Everyone should know about those things.
very helpful article, you have cleared many points of mine
Glad you found the article helpful.
Very well written! I appreciate the points you have shared. Many things to learn from this article. Thanks a lot!
Thanks, Rasel!