Shared hosting is a web hosting model in which many websites are grouped into a common pool of computing resources via a single server. Thus, the RAM and CPU storage capacities of the physical machine used for hosting are dispersed between the different users. Each website hosted on a shared server is loaded from its own domain, they are stored on a dedicated portion of disk space. Thus, different projects can be carried out by several users using the same computer hardware platform. Shared hosting is an inexpensive solution and particularly appreciated by beginners.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is primarily aimed at private website administrators as well as small and medium-sized businesses who want to offer an online offering to a calculable and relatively small number of visitors. The advantages of shared hosting are numerous for this target group. However, this model is more suitable for beginners and does not have the capabilities necessary to set up a complex and professional project such as an online store that generates a lot of traffic, for example. For this type of large-scale project, IONOS provides you with dedicated servers and Cloud servers .
Advantages : given that all users share the resources of a hosting platform, the price of this server generally more advantageous on the market, knowing that the costs are shared by all users of the platform. In addition, shared hosting does not generate costs for the administration of the physical machine, unlike personal servers. Expenses caused by updates, repairs and maintenance are the responsibility of the host. This way, users can devote themselves entirely to their web project. Additionally, many web hosting providers make easy-to-use configuration tools available to customers. IONOS shared hostingallows site administrators to manage their web space centrally using the application center. Installing popular open-source applications takes just a few clicks.
Disadvantages: shared hosting necessarily implies restricted use of computer equipment . As the different hosted websites share the resources of the same server, users of this type of hosting cannot benefit from the full capabilities of the server. If one of the websites on a hosting platform has very high traffic, its data usage could harm the activity of the other sites on the platform. In addition, access and administration possibilities are greatly reducedwith this model. Basic configurations on the physical machine, and which concern all users, can only be carried out by the web host. It is this point that significantly distinguishes shared hosting from dedicated or virtual servers, with which users generally have access to the root file.
Shared hosting: security for beginners too
In terms of security and stability, shared hosting benefits from professional administrationcarried out by the web host. While dedicated server users must personally take care of fundamental security measures, shared hosting solutions offer web beginners the opportunity to administer a site responsibly. IONOS shared hosting offers take particular care to ensure data security and high availability, thanks to geo-redundancy technology, automatic backups and a content delivery network (CDN). Thus, IONOS web hosting products provide effective protection against web-based attacks such as denial of service or DDoS attacks.
Comparison with other hosting solutions
An alternative to paid shared hosting is that of free hosting.(free accommodation). Many providers offer this solution which is primarily aimed at private users, as long as they are willing to give up certain essential functionalities in favor of free use. While shared hosting always includes its own domain name for the website, users of free hosting solutions usually only benefit from a subdomain under the provider’s web address. This is an exclusion criterion for commercial projects on the Web, for which a serious presence is an essential success criterion. Additionally, free hosts generate their profits from advertisements, which are sometimes displayed on users’ web pages.
Another alternative to shared hosting and other rental services is to host a server yourself. However, this solution is recommended for experienced users and businesses that are able to finance the costs of maintaining the IT infrastructure.