When it comes to establishing an online presence, web hosting is a fundamental aspect that can (quite literally) make or break your website. Whether you’re making a website for your personal brand or launching an eCommerce website, making informed decisions about hosting expenses is crucial.
However, with so many options to consider, understanding web hosting costs and finding ways to maximize your budget can be a daunting task.
In this article, we delve into the world of web hosting costs, breaking down the various types of hosting and their associated expenses. Keep reading for practical tips on getting the most out of your hosting budget without sacrificing the performance of your site.
Factors that affect web hosting costs
For starters, here are the most important factors that affect your web hosting costs:
Hosting type: Different hosting types have varying costs. Shared hosting and VPS are typically the most affordable types of hosting, while dedicated hosting and cloud hosting tend to be more expensive.
Hosting plan: Different hosting providers have different pricing structures. Each plan has different features and resource allocations. That's why it's vital to evaluate resource usage and choose a plan that aligns with your budget and requirements. Check out our list of best website hosting options for small businesses.
Contract length: Some hosting providers offer discounts or lower monthly rates for longer contract commitments (such as a year contract). It's relatively easy to secure a better price if you're willing to commit to a longer-term contract.
Features and services: Many hosting providers often offer additional services, such as domain registration, managing SSL certificates for your domains, creating backups and providing access to site builders. These services typically come at an extra cost, so consider which ones are necessary for your project.
Geographic location: Hosting costs can vary based on the location of the data centers. Some providers may have different pricing structures for different regions, so it's worth considering the geographic location when comparing prices. Most of the time, you should choose the geographic location for your hosting that the majority of your visitors will have.
Managed vs. unmanaged hosting: Managed hosting is a type of hosting where the provider handles server management tasks like rolling out system updates. For example, Wix provides free and managed hosting for every Wix site. By contrast, unmanaged hosting typically offers more control for server administration—however, managed hosting is generally considered the best option for people or teams that don’t have the resources to handle the nitty-gritty details of website management (including maintenance and security).
Web hosting costs breakdown: 4 hosting types
With the above said, here are four types of web hosting that you’ll likely want to consider. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, as well as unique considerations when it comes to your costs.
01. Shared hosting
As the name suggests, this is a type of hosting where multiple websites are hosted on a single physical server. It's a low-cost web hosting option because all websites have access to the same hardware resources.
Hosting providers typically have multiple plans for customers who want to use shared hosting. Since shared hosting allocates resources per project, the amount of server resources allocated to your website (CPU, RAM, storage and bandwidth) can impact the cost. Plans with higher resource allocations generally come with higher price tags.
To maximize your budget with shared hosting, look for reputable providers that offer a money-back guarantee. A money-back guarantee or favorable terms for modifying contracts will be very helpful if you encounter any issues or want to adjust your hosting needs.
Best for: Shared hosting works well for small to medium-sized websites. It is suitable for personal blogs, small businesses, or websites with low-to-moderate traffic.
How much does web hosting cost: With costs that range from a few dollars to around $10 per month, it’s the most affordable type of hosting on our list.
Reputable shared hosting providers: HostGator, DreamHost, Bluehost
Pros of shared hosting:
Usability and accessibility - Shared hosting is typically very easy to set up and use, even for not tech-savvy users. They provide clear instructions on how to host a website as well as offer an intuitive user interface for the control panel.
Centralized infrastructure maintenance - The hosting provider takes care of server maintenance, updates and website security.
Cons of shared hosting:
Shared hardware resources - With shared hosting, the server resources—such as CPU and RAM—are divided among the hosted websites, which can lead to limitations in terms of performance and scalability. If one of the websites demands more CPU or RAM, it will negatively affect all other websites hosted on this machine.
Limited control over system configuration - You have limited abilities to customize server settings or install specific software.
02. VPS hosting
Virtual Private Server (“VPS”) hosting provides a virtualized server environment where multiple virtual private servers are created on a single physical machine. Each VPS operates independently with its dedicated resources, including CPU, RAM, storage and bandwidth. With VPS hosting, you have a dedicated portion of a server's resources, so you can expect better website performance compared to shared hosting.
To maximize your budget with VPS hosting, determine the required amount of CPU, RAM and storage based on your website's needs. It will help you avoid overpaying for resources you won't use.
Best for: VPS hosting is suitable for growing websites with medium traffic.
How much does web hosting cost: Costs for VPS hosting typically start at around $10 per month.
Reputable VPS hosting providers: DigitalOcean, Hostinger
Pros of VPS hosting:
Scalability - VPS provides better performance and scalability compared to shared hosting, since resources are not shared with other websites.
Greater control - VPS is a good option for websites that require specific software configurations. Most VPS hosting providers allow you to choose operating system type, as well as install specific software on your virtual machine.
Cons of VPS hosting:
Potential reliability problems - VPS is virtual hosting, meaning that if something happens with the physical machine that hosts all virtual private servers, it will affect all virtual servers it hosts.
Limited physical resources - While resources are dedicated, they are still limited compared to a dedicated server.
03. Dedicated hosting
Dedicated server hosting provides an entire physical server exclusively for a single website or organization. Note that not every project needs dedicated hosting. Many websites can run efficiently on shared or VPS hosting. That's why you need to assess your website's needs to ensure you genuinely require the resources provided by dedicated hosting.
Best for: This hosting option is ideal for large businesses, high-traffic websites, complex applications or websites that require maximum security.
How much does web hosting cost: The cost for this type of hosting usually starts around $80 per month.
Reputable dedicated hosting providers: Liquid Web, A2 hosting
Pros of dedicated hosting:
Performance - Dedicated servers offer maximum performance, as all resources are exclusive to your website.
Greater control - With a dedicated server, you have complete access to all the resources, and you can configure the server to meet your specific needs.
Cons of dedicated hosting:
Higher costs - Dedicated server hosting is the most expensive option on our list.
Technical expertise is required - Advanced technical knowledge is usually required for server management and maintenance.
Customer is responsible for server maintenance - You are responsible for server updates, security patches and overall server maintenance.
04. Cloud hosting
Cloud hosting utilizes a network of interconnected servers to distribute resources and provide hosting services. This type of hosting offers high scalability (resources can be easily scaled up or down based on demand) and reliability (if one server fails, another can seamlessly take over).
Learn more: cloud hosting vs. shared hosting
To maximize your budget with cloud hosting, choose providers that offer cost-effective pricing models—such as pay-as-you-go—or offer reserved instances based on your website's resource usage.
Performance optimization of your website is another thing you need to consider if you want to save money on cloud hosting. You can leverage features like auto-scaling, content delivery networks (CDNs) and caching mechanisms to minimize resource usage.
Best for: Cloud hosting is suitable for websites with fluctuating or unpredictable traffic patterns, as it can handle sudden spikes in traffic without performance issues.
How much does web hosting cost: Unlike all other hosting types that change a fixed amount of money per month, cloud hosting providers typically charge per hour. The rate can vary depending on the server configuration and the actual number of hours that the server was used.
Reputable cloud hosting providers: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure
Pros of cloud hosting:
Scalability - Cloud hosting allows easy scalability, enabling you to adjust resources based on demand.
Performance - Cloud hosting can handle sudden traffic spikes (when significantly more people visit your website) without performance issues.
Cons of cloud hosting:
Higher cost - Cloud hosting costs vary depending on resource usage, but generally, it's higher than VPS hosting.
Technical complexity - Setting up and managing cloud hosting can be more complex than other options. If you choose GCP or AWS, you must familiarize yourself with the standard procedures that Google or Amazon use when deploying and managing web solutions.
How to save money on web hosting
Understanding web hosting costs and effectively managing your budget is crucial for any individual or business venturing into the online realm. Here are ways that you can further curb your hosting costs.
01. Compare hosting plans and providers
Market analysis is one of the first things you must do when choosing a hosting provider. Once you understand what type of hosting you want, compare different hosting providers, their prices and features. Plus, read what customers say about them. Trustpilot is one of the best places to look for customer reviews and learn what people like or dislike about a specific provider.
02. Consider long-term contracts
Hosting providers often offer discounts or lower monthly rates for customers who are willing to commit to a longer contract. Long-term contracts also provide stability and allow you to plan ahead. You can rely on the hosting service without worrying about price changes for the duration of the contract.
But before committing to long-term contracts, you must carefully research the hosting provider. Long-term agreements may limit your ability to switch hosting providers if you are dissatisfied with the service or find a better option. So, make sure that you’re confident about your choice of provider before signing a contract.
03. Consider your website’s scalability needs
Don't think about your website as something set in stone. Like any other product, your website will evolve and change over time. And the number of visitors will also likely grow. Think about what your website will look like in a year. If you anticipate significant growth or changes in your website requirements, it may be more beneficial to opt for a hosting plan that allows you to easily upgrade or downgrade your resources.
04. Avoid unnecessary features and services
Many times, hosting providers try to upsell you on additional hosted services or options during the sign-up process. It's worth taking the time to research and understand what features are included in the hosting plans. Some common extra features are domain registration, email service for your domain, SSL certificates, backup services, website builders, and content management systems (CMS). If you don't need these features or can obtain them separately at a lower cost, it's best to opt for a plan without them.
05. Optimize your website performance
As we already mentioned, the amount of server resources allocated to your website can impact your costs. It's essential to use performance optimization mechanisms like auto-scaling and caching, and to identify areas in your website that can be optimized. By doing that, you will minimize the monthly cost of your hosting services. You can use tools like Wix’s Site Speed dashboard, PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to learn how fast your website loads and identify areas for improvement.
06. Consider the requirements for your web solution
Websites can be created in a lot of different ways. It's possible to code a website from scratch using only HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Alternatively, you can use a content management system (CMS) like WordPress or Drupal that offer many features out of the box or even use interactive website builders like Wix to create relatively complex web projects. Ultimately, the approach you follow when creating your website should be selected according to your business goals. The benefits of Wix's web hosting are evident—you don't need to worry about maintaining your hosting since Wix does all the hard work. Plus, you always have access to the latest version of the website builder, so you can make the most of its features.
07. Regularly review your hosting expenses
Regularly review your hosting plan as your website grows and evolves to ensure it still meets your needs. Avoid staying locked into a plan that no longer aligns with your requirements. If you find yourself paying for unnecessary features or if your resource needs have changed, consider upgrading, downgrading or switching to a different hosting provider that better suits your current needs.