Differnce between dedicated servers and shared hosting

If you're a newcomer to web hosting and website creation, then the issue of shared or dedicated server hosting can seem tedious at best, inexplicable at worst.  However, it's an issue that you can't afford to ignore.  If you make the wrong decision about server hosting at the start, then it could cost you a lot of time, trouble and money to put right.  In this article, we'll look at the five things you need to know about dedicated server and shared server hosting, so you can make the right decision first time around.

Differences Between a Dedicated Server Verses Shared Server Hosting

1. dedicated server hosting, as the name suggests, is a one server, one account deal.  If you sign up for this type of hosting package, your account is hosted on your very own server in the hosting company's data center.  Shared hosting, on the other hand, involves multiple accounts being run on the same server.

2. a dedicated server means that you can have as much traffic on your website as you like (within the physical limits of the server, of course).  Shared hosting usually involves restrictions in the number of visitors you can receive.  The hosting company can also shut down your website if they find that you've exceeded your bandwidth allowance on a regular basis.  Although that seems rather heavy handed, remember that the company has to balance the interests of every user on that server - they can't allow one user to eat up all the bandwidth at the expense of everybody else.

3. shared hosting often carries other limitations, such as disk space and security features.  For small businesses or personal use, these restrictions won't have much of an impact.  However, for a growing business, or for one that anticipates a lot of traffic, dedicated server hosting would be a better option.

4. generally speaking, a dedicated host will be more reliable, and able to expand to meet the needs of your business.  This may not be the case with shared hosting, where package limits are set at the beginning with no real opportunity for upgrading within those limits.  There is also a greater risk of downtime, simply because more people are placing demands on the server's resources.

5. dedicated server hosting tends to offer much more flexibility, and a greater number of features to enhance your website.  With shared hosting, you're sharing a set number of features too, so there is much less scope for customizing and enhancing your account according to your individual requirements.

In the end, the decision to go with dedicated or shared server hosting will depend on what you want your website to do.  Larger commercial concerns will need to go down the dedicated route, whilst shared hosting will be fine for most smaller businesses.  Remember that dedicated hosting is much more expensive, so your choice may ultimately depend on how much you're prepared to pay.