Do you Understand Cloud Hosting

Do you Understand Cloud Hosting?

Before you make the hosting decision for your website, it’s important to understand all the different types of hosting. Cloud hosting is one of the newest types of hosting in the industry. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect with this type of hosting.

What is Cloud Hosting?

Cloud hosting provides a type of hosting delivered from more than just one server. It uses a network of servers working together in a cluster. Some call this type of hosting clustered hosting.

For a company to be able to consider their hosting, cloud hosting, they must use a fully redundant, multi-server set up. The resources are often virtualized and very scalable.

The less technical definition is to say cloud hoisting is a type of hosting using a number of servers connected, which creates the cloud. All the websites on the server can use the resources form the cloud in a shared environment. However, since this type of hosting uses more than just one server, there are more resources to be used.

Advantages of Cloud Hosting

Cloud Hosting comes with plenty of advantages compared to traditional hosting. Some of the advantages include:

• You only pay for the resources you need
• Very scalable – Easy for a hosting company to add or subtract resources
• Servers can easily be deployed instantly
• Better uptime for websites
• Traffic spikes are handled easier
• Easier to use different technologies together, such as .asp files and .php files
• No need to install your own software or hardware
• Very cost effective
• Nearly unlimited storage

These advantages make cloud hosting very attractive for many different types of websites.

Disadvantages of Cloud Hosting

Of course, with any type of hosting there are disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages of using cloud hosting include:

• Downtime is still a concern, especially if the servers struggle to stay connected
• Not a long track record because it’s one of the newest types of hosting
• No root access means less control over your hosting
• Security can be a concern

Most of the disadvantages are very similar to those of any other type of hosting. However, the newness of cloud hosting does make it harder to predict.

How does Cloud Hosting Compare to Shared Hosting

When you look at the differences between cloud hosting and shared hosting, the first thing you will notice is the amount of users per server. Typically, hundreds of shared hosting accounts can be put on one server, whereas thousands can be put on one cloud of servers.

This presents an issue for those looking for the best security and privacy. With thousands of others on the same server cluster, you may be prone to more attacks and less privacy. Shared hosting certainly doesn’t offer the best security and privacy, but many consider it better than cloud hosting offers.

However, many consider cloud hosting to be more reliable. With a shared hosting account, you are counting on one server to remain stable. Cloud hosting allows for more servers, which means if one goes out, the accounts can still remain up and running on the other servers.

Which Hosting is Right For You?

If you’re trying to decide between cloud, shared, VPS or dedicated server hosting, it can be a difficult decision. Those with a tight budget will most likely be looking at either shared or cloud hosting. However, if the budget isn’t an issue, you can consider any of these types of hosting.

Shared hosting is the cheapest, but doesn’t offer the same performance or security as VPS or dedicated hosting. Cloud hosting doesn’t offer the same security, either. Overall, shared and cloud hosting are the least customizable of the four options and provide less security compared to VPS or dedicated hosting.

If you want the absolute best website hosting, shared and cloud hosting are not the right choices for you. It comes down to VPS and dedicated hosting. Those with the budget to support a dedicated server will get the best performance, best security and the most customizable type of hosting from a dedicated server.

However, if you cannot afford a dedicated server, VPS hosting offers a similar option for a lower price. You gain many of the same benefits without spending nearly as much each month. Overall, both VPS and dedicated hosting offer better choices compared to cloud hosting.