If you’re looking for a web hosting solution for your business, you’ve likely heard of shared hosting and managed hosting at some point in your search.
While both hosting services may appear to be similar, there are some key differences that can make a big difference to the level of service you can offer to your clients.
Today, we’re breaking down these differences between managed hosting and shared hosting so that you can choose the best one for your business and the needs of your clients.
The difference between these web hosting services.
Now that we know the key differences between managed and shared web hosting, let’s break this down even further and take a look at what these differences mean for your business.
Cost-effective hosting options
A shared hosting account is budget-friendly, making it an attractive option for cost-conscious businesses. Most shared hosting options, though, come with strict plans – and once you’re in the plan, it can be difficult to change if you need to.
A managed hosting provider offers higher resource allocation, ensuring better performance and reliability, though it may come at a slightly higher cost. However, managed hosting from Nimbus is endlessly scalable to suit your needs. So while the costs may be a bit higher, they are easy to manage.
Green hosting
Some shared hosting companies are eco-friendly, but not many. Most web hosts aren’t worried about their carbon footprint. You may also share a server with companies that aren’t green in the slightest, which may not impact your carbon footprint in the way you want. So, if you’re eco-minded like us, shared hosting might not be the greenest option.
Nimbus provides completely green web hosting plans. We’re running on 100% renewable energy. Our data centre saves 45 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere every year, and we’re still up to 400% more capable than our competitors at handling traffic spikes. So, you can reduce your carbon footprint and improve the performance of your clients’ sites by choosing Nimbus.
Simplified server management
Both managed and shared hosting offer minimal server management, so they are ideal for those with limited technical skills. However, there is a bit more to do (not a lot) with shared hosting. If you simply want to have a server that does everything for you, managed hosting is the best option.
With managed hosting providers like us, we take care of everything. You’ll receive 24/7 support, regular backups, security checks, and everything else you need. So you know that your clients’ sites are safe and performing quickly.
Scalability
A shared hosting service can be somewhat limited in terms of scalability, depending on the provider and whether they offer unmetered bandwidth options. This means if the websites you host grow, you may face constraints that can be tricky to sort out. If another website on the same server grows, your sites may also be affected.
Our managed hosting options are endlessly scalable. Whether you’re hosting one WordPress website or 70 eCommerce stores, there’s a plan to suit you. Choose the plan that fits your needs right now, and if your situation changes or your online store grows, easily manage your hosting plan and scale it up or down to suit your situation. You have the option to use managed dedicated servers or managed VPS servers, so there is no one else slowing your sites down, and if your sites become too big, we can increase the space for you.
Expert support
While there will be some support available from shared hosting providers, you are often on your own to find out whether your sites aren’t working because of a server issue, or if there’s a problem on your end. This can be really frustrating and may cost you or your clients a lot of money during the downtime.
With managed hosting providers like us, you have 24/7 support for any questions or queries you have from our amazing support team. Not to mention regular maintenance schedules, an easy-to-use hosting control panel, and automatic updates for site security. So, your websites will remain secure and supported.
Security
Shared hosting plans can never guarantee site security because you’ll be sharing a server with other websites – other websites that you don’t know or manage. This means there are loads of web pages that could pose a risk to you and your clients’ sites. Shared hosting plans can be risky to your security as you can’t control the data centres or cloud hosting option you’re using.
With managed hosting plans, you have additional security measures in place. This not only means regular security scans of the server, resource protection, and regular backups, it can also equip you with benefits like a free SSL certificate for every page you host, spam protection, checks to operating systems to ensure everything is in good working order, and a great deal more. In short – everything you need to protect your resources from cyber attacks.