It's a simple enough question : is shared or dedicated hosting better? But, it does come with a complex answer. Let's break it down a bit to see what option would be better for you.
Shared Hosting Vs Dedicated Hosting
For the Small Business
If you are running a small business that gets many hits per day, you will need to go with a dedicated hosting plan. Why? Because choosing dedicated hosting means less down time, and that, in turn, means happier customers. I know it's not so cut and dry, so let's go through the benefits of dedicated hosting here:
- Less Downtime
- Faster Speeds
- No Sharing With Other Companies
- Managed Hosting from A to Z
- More Security
- Most Customization and Control
For the Individual
Ok, so let's say that you are not running a business, but you still aren't sure what type of hosting to choose. In most cases (exceptions are possible), shared hosting is a decent and viable option. However, the minute your website starts getting a ton of hits, you should consider a dedicated option. What about costs?
Breaking Down the Costs
There's no doubt about it. Dedicated hosting just costs more. But, that doesn't mean that you can't afford it. In fact, you may not be able to afford not going with a dedicated plan! Just think about all those times your shared hosting site was down or slow. Did you lose any traffic during those times? If you did, then you have to choose a dedicated plan – the loss of those business dollars isn't worth saving a few dollars on a shared plan!
Shared hosting is cheaper, and that's why it's probably a better option for individuals. If you don't have the company budget to pay for dedicated hosting, shared hosting is another good alternative. If your site does start to pick up, though, you can switch to dedicated hosting while still keeping costs down. How? Through advertising. Consider placing some ads on your site to pay for your hosting plan. It may not be the most optimal thing in the world, but it's a good idea to help you make money until you can turn your site into a small business. And, hey, good job!
Shared or Dedicated: Where to Find Plans
On this site, you will find a number of different shared and dedicated hosting plan reviews. We take the time to go through each company, so that you can really see what is offered by any company you might be considering. When it comes to hosting, we recommend GoDaddy, BlueHost, Arxvive, and a handful of others. Why? Because these companies are worth your dollars. It's that simple.
Need some help choosing between a dedicated or shared hosting option? Let us know!
