The web hosting industry today has become highly commercialized. Many hosting providers are creating and selling specific plans based on demand. At the same time, this may be good in many ways. But it might get a little confusing to beginners. Knowing the terminology can mean the difference in choosing the right solution. Even if you are new or about to revamp a website, you can learn the basics here. This article will try to explain the differences as simply as possible. In this article, we’ll explain what is WordPress hosting and web hosting and help you to find which is the right one for you.
What is Web Hosting?
The web hosting industry is massive. It was valued at approximately $32 billion in 2019 and is still growing. That figure itself should tell you that web hosting is pretty general. In its most simple form, web hosting is space that you can use to store the files that make up your website.
But, like all products, it can be subdivided into more specific categories. Web hosting is broken down into three main types. Shared hosting, VPS/Cloud Hosting, and dedicated server hosting. Each of these caters to different customer segments.
Shared hosting is usually the least powerful and cheapest. VPS/Cloud hosting plan prices vary depending on the configuration. Dedicated servers also vary a lot depending on what you need. Keep reading to see the web hosting and WordPress host features and what is right for you.
Types of Web and Hosting
Shared Hosting is when the resources of a single web host are shared among hundreds of customers. Customers get their little slice of the server. Processor time, memory, and other resources will be divided.
VPS/Cloud Hosting makes use of virtualization technology. This helps combine the resources of many servers. This type of hosting offers users dedicated amounts of resources. It also places fewer customers on each server.
Dedicated Servers are those used by the most demanding of websites. Each server belongs to one customer. They are also comparably the most expensive type of hosting available.
As you’ll notice, the key differences between the types of hosting available have to do with two things. How many resources does each customer get, and how are resources managed and shared?
Each of these types of hosting can host many types of websites. You can use them to host anything, even a simple HTML-based webpage. Of course, more complex application-driven sites are possible as well.
Some customers might not understand this. They end up looking for hosting for a particular type of application. Because of that, web hosting service providers ended up marketing specific plans. Some examples of these include WordPress Hosting, Joomla Hosting, Drupal Hosting, and more.
Understanding WordPress Hosting: What Is The Right Web Hosting?
WordPress is a very popular and flexible Content Management System (CMS). Although designed for content-heavy websites, it has evolved. Today, WordPress is suitable for many types of websites.
The modern-day version of WordPress is flexible. Thanks to Gutenberg, you can even use it as a page builder in its own right. It is looking to challenge traditional website builders and, so far, is doing a great job.
Since WordPress is an application, it is not related to web hosting. Thanks to its popularity, web hosting service providers have developed special WordPress Hosting Plans to be marketed to users.
In its most rudimentary form, these plans offer users an easy way to install WordPress. Some plans even come with WordPress pre-installed for them. More advanced WordPress plans can feature other benefits as well. For example, some servers are optimized to handle WordPress websites.
Managed vs Unmanaged WordPress Hosting
You will come across two types of WordPress hosting plans – Unmanaged or Managed. Unmanaged hosting is usually much cheaper. It is usually the same price as any standard web hosting plan.
Managed WordPress hosting usually offers more features. It comes at premium prices over standard web hosting. Some of the more typical features of Managed web hosting include;
Faster Speeds
Finely tuned servers and less user congestion are hallmarks of managed WordPress hosting. This naturally translated to speedier WordPress sites. There are even web hosts that have developed special optimizations for WordPress servers.
Better Security
Managed WordPress hosting is often based on VPS/Cloud hosting plans. Because of this, users get a higher degree of security. Many plans also feature the inclusion of malware scans and intrusion detection.
Automated Updates
One of the critical features of Managed WordPress is responsibility. The host takes on the responsibility of the technical maintenance of the installation. This means it keeps your WordPress up-to-date and running smoothly for you.
Downsides of WordPress Hosting
WordPress has some disadvantages as with anything else that is application-specific. For example, the application is very database intensive. This means it consumes more resources than a simple HTML-based website.
At varying times, there have also been some security concerns about WordPress. Yet, this has more to do with the WordPress ecosystem. There are thousands of available WordPress plugins from different developers available. While suitable for users, it does raise the security risk profile.
If you opt for Managed WordPress hosting, consider the increased cost. This might cause a difference in your bottom line.
WordPress or Web Hosting: Which is Right for You?
Almost all types of websites can use standard web hosting. Yet, much depends on the web host. Not all web hosts will allow you to use their web hosting to install any application you like.
If you’re thinking of having a simple, static website, opting for any web hosting plan should not be a problem. But, if you expect to keep adding to your site, consider WordPress.
WordPress is a good bet, though, since it is trendy. The best way to set up your WordPress site will be to opt for a WordPress-specific plan. Even with unmanaged WordPress hosting, there are many benefits.
At the very least, you won’t have to install WordPress alone.
Final Thoughts
As you can tell by now, WordPress and web hosting are not the same thing, but neither are they mutually exclusive. Here is the crucial thing to understand. It is a matter of difference in terminology rather than anything else.
You are good to go as long as you understand the fundamentals covered in this article. You should have no trouble distinguishing between the various hosting plan types as these are offered by most web hosting service providers today.