Web Hosting
Web hosting plans, from shared to dedicated, matched to your site
Which type of web hosting plan do I need?
Most websites should start on shared hosting, the cheapest tier, where many sites share one server. Move to semi-dedicated or a VPS when traffic grows or you need more isolation and control, and to a dedicated server only when one site needs an entire machine. Pick the smallest plan that comfortably fits your traffic, then upgrade as you grow.
The four tiers, and what each is for
Shared hosting puts many websites on one server that splits its resources between them. It is the cheapest option and the right home for most blogs, small business sites, portfolios, and brochure sites, because the cost is low and the host handles the server for you. Its limit is the noisy-neighbor effect: a busy site sharing your server can affect your performance, and resource caps are tighter.
Semi-dedicated hosting gives your account a larger, guaranteed slice of a server shared among far fewer accounts, which smooths out the noisy-neighbor problem. A VPS (virtual private server) goes further, carving a physical server into isolated virtual machines, each with its own reserved CPU and memory and root-level control. A dedicated server hands you an entire physical machine. Each step up adds performance, isolation, and control, and costs more.
Match the plan to your traffic and skills
Start small. A new site rarely needs more than shared hosting, and paying for a VPS before you have the traffic to use it is wasted money. Watch the signals: if your pages slow down under load, you keep hitting resource limits, or your host emails you about CPU usage, that is the cue to move up a tier. Most reputable hosts make upgrading a shared plan to semi-dedicated or a VPS a quick change.
Also weigh how much you want to manage. Shared and semi-dedicated plans are managed for you. A VPS or dedicated server can be managed (the host maintains it) or unmanaged (you maintain the operating system and software yourself). Unmanaged is cheaper but assumes you are comfortable as your own system administrator. If you are not, choose a managed plan even at a higher price.
What to check
What to look for
- Start on shared hosting. It fits most new sites and costs the least; upgrade only when you outgrow it.
- Watch for resource limits. Slow pages under load or CPU warnings are the signal to move to semi-dedicated or a VPS.
- Choose managed if unsure. Managed plans handle the server for you; unmanaged assumes you can administer it yourself.
- Check the renewal price. Intro rates often jump at renewal; budget for the regular price, not just the first term.
- Confirm room to grow. Pick a host whose higher tiers you can upgrade into without migrating to a new provider.
Act on this
Tools to act on this guide
Each slot below is reserved for a host, registrar, or tool we would use ourselves. We are adding them as we vet them; nothing here is a paid placement.
Side-by-side of shared, semi-dedicated, VPS, and dedicated.
Primary module for the most common starting plan.
For readers who need isolation and control.
Questions