Although they are not your only choices when it comes to finding the best web hosting solutions, the differences between shared hosting and dedicated server solutions are far and wide. The most basic difference between shared server hosting and dedicated server hosting is the environment in which both operate. One is shared with the resources provided by an environment (shared server hosting) and the other is uses resources independent to another server.
Shared Hosting vs. Dedicated Server Services
The differences between both are wide. Within a shared hosting environment, consumers utilize a server, which pools its resources with other servers. If you were to think of a shared hosting environment as a pie, a shared hosting server is a single piece of the entire pie. The shared hosting server pie is shared (thus shared hosting) by other clients all utilizing and pulling resources from the same server. This is the main reason why shared hosting accounts are typically the cheapest in the web hosting industry.
On the other hand, a dedicated server is a server alone. Whereas a shared hosting account is a single piece of a larger server pie, a dedicated server is the entire pie. Within the entire pie, a dedicated server has all of its own resources (RAM, Bandwidth, CPU Cores, Disk Space) and allows for great server customization (customers can install applications and programs they please). Compared to dedicated hosting, shared servers do not offer the amount of resources or the security dedicated servers provide.
Shared Hosting Pros and Cons
The major benefit of shared hosting is price point. Due to their shared environment, shared hosting accounts from industry giants like GoDaddy or FatCow can cost consumers dollars or cents per month. This said, even though shared server hosting is cheap, customers pay for what they get. Some of the cons of shared hosting are downtime, lack of support, unexpected server issues, server speed performance and security – just to name a few. The major question consumers have to ask themselves is if the risks of shared servers are worth their cheap monthly expense.
Dedicated Server Hosting Pros and Cons
While the major benefit of shared hosting is price point, the major benefits of dedicated server hosting are security, resources and server customization. With maxed out resources, greater hardware and software security and the ability to install applications/programs of choosing, dedicated servers are far and away beyond anything a shared server could ever offer its consumers. Yet, unlike shared hosting accounts, dedicated server solutions can prove to be more expensive. Dedicated server pricing starts at $100 a month from qualified hosting companies across the United States.
Shared Hosting or Dedicated Server Hosting?
To decide which service you want to use, there is only one question to ask: Is the price point of shared hosting worth the risks and lack of resources shared server’s supply? If the answer is no – which, we have to say, it should be – then a dedicated server is a better choice for your web hosting solutions.