What are the basic four types of Web Hosting?

Web Hosting comes in all different shapes and sizes, with different setups suitable for different types of a webmaster. In general, hosting can be broken up into the following categories:

1. Shared Hosting

This is usually the cheapest form of hosting because it’s the most economical when it comes to the use of hardware. Shared hosting means that multiple different websites are all hosted on the same server, with each user being allocated a certain amount of storage space and a certain amount of resources. This is often the best option for hobbyists and bloggers.

2. VPS Hosting

A virtual private server (VPS) setup is like a shared hosting setup on steroids. It generally uses more powerful hardware and takes its name from the fact that while multiple websites are being stored on the same physical hardware, each uses virtualisation software to allow them to operate independently as though they were dedicated mini-servers.

3. Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting is a good choice for the pros, and like its name suggests, it involves the use of a server that’s dedicated to a single website. In other words, unlike shared and VPS hosting, the user doesn’t have to share storage space and resources with other people and they have a physical piece of hardware all to themselves.

4. Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting allows webmasters to tap into a large bank of servers that are all interlinked and designed to take over from each other if needed. In other words, if you need more resources, the cloud will provide more resources to rise to the demand. Cloud hosting is usually the best option if you want to aim for 100% uptime and don’t care how much you need to pay for it.