What type of web server should I choose: dedicated hosting or shared hosting? In this article, we show you the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.
In a previous article, we talked about how important it is to hire a good hosting provider for Prestashop in order to avoid problems with your most valuable asset: your online store.
When it comes to creating an eCommerce, the million-dollar question is, what type of server should I choose: a dedicated or shared server? In this article, we will explain the characteristics of each one so that you can choose the one that best suits you.
Hosting of the online store on the server
There are notable differences between one server and another and in the hosting plan that we choose, we have to take into account the characteristics of our web as well as factors that influence when selecting one or another. For example, it is not the same as a web that receives 10,000 daily visits to one that receives 1,000.
It is also not the same to have a couple of simple products as to have a great variety of products with different combinations. This will influence the decision we make about the type of server we hire.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is one in which our online store is hosted with other customers and shares resources. Let’s say we have a space reserved for us within a server shared among several users. The resources that are shared are disk space, CPU, RAM memory, monthly transfer, bandwidth, and IP, among others. The advantage is that it is more economical and there is no need to manage it like a dedicated server that requires technical knowledge if it is not already managed.
The company providing the shared hosting has to take care of the security of the server as well as make backup copies. You can hire a web hosting plan superior to the one you have already contracted and the price is still competitive. The problem comes when at the security level we are more exposed to suffer malware attacks and not only that but we also run the risk of appearing on a blacklist because another user of the server is doing SPAM because it shares the same IP as we said.
Hard disk space and bandwidth are slowed down because it is limited and shared. If the space or bandwidth limit is exceeded, you may be charged extra. The server performance and response time are much lower than in the dedicated server due to the fact that the use of bandwidth, microprocessor, memory, and hard disk is divided among all users as we said. For further help, tips, and advice on small business web hosting, be sure to visit their page to know more.
Dedicated server
On the other hand, dedicated hosting is a server exclusively for you. In this case, the bandwidth is unlimited and the hard disk capacity is much larger and will be limited depending on the capacity of the hard disk you have installed. The cost is higher since it is not divided among several, this would be one of the disadvantages compared to the shared one. Regarding technical knowledge, it depends on whether the dedicated server provider manages it or not, you will have to have the technical knowledge or otherwise hire a dedicated server managed.
The security issue in dedicated hosting is easier to control the possible security holes and you implement the security guidelines you need, you supervise and control them with less difficulty than in the shared one. Needless to say that you forget about blacklists unless you are the one doing SPAM which you should not do. The server performance and response are much faster and this in e-commerce is of vital importance along with security.
