When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn 
Shared hosting is a web service that allows multiple website publishers to use the same server and network resources. Shared hosting is a cost-effective and user-friendly option for hosting low-traffic websites on third-party servers. It may also be referred to as shared web hosting or shared website hosting.
Shared hosting can be acquired through a tiered subscription model. Typically, each tier guarantees how much central processing unit (CPU) time, Random Access Memory (RAM), storage capacity, and bandwidth the subscriber is entitled to use. Customization options will vary depending on the specific shared hosting plan.
Key Takeaways
- Shared hosting is a web service that can be acquired through a tiered subscription model.
- Shared hosting is a good option for website publishers who want someone else to manage web server infrastructure and backend services.
- It is budget-friendly because service subscribers share the cost of server acquisition, maintenance, and network resources.
- It’s important to research service providers because subscription options are likely to have different features and resource guarantees.
- If your website’s traffic grows, you may need to upgrade to a virtual private server (VPS) or a dedicated physical server.
In order to understand how shared hosting works, it can be useful to understand what a web server is and what it does.
A web server is software that listens to client requests, processes them, and sends back responses. When web server software runs on a single computer, the hardware may also be referred to as a server.
In the context of shared web hosting, the amount of server resources each subscriber can use at any given time depends on the subscription package.
Free tiers usually offer enough resources to host a small website, while higher, more expensive tiers provide additional resources suitable for larger websites or multiple small websites.
Shared hosting is a useful option for individuals and small businesses with low budgets, limited technical expertise, and minimal traffic expectations for the website they are building.
Shared hosting can also be useful for individuals who want to store data archives off-site or host small-scale web apps, like calculators, that require minimal network infrastructure support.
The shared hosting delivery model for websites has several distinctive characteristics:
- Back end costs are covered by multiple subscribers.
- Free subscription tiers are typically sponsored by advertisers.
- Paid subscription tiers have user-friendly dashboards that simplify website management tasks such as setting up email accounts, installing applications, and managing databases.
- Some subscription tiers have one-click install options for popular content management systems (CMSes). This makes it easier for publishers to create and manage website content.
Shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting all provide web hosting services with varying levels of control. VPS hosting provides a middle ground between shared hosting and dedicated hosting.
In shared hosting, each website operates within its own home directory, and security configurations prevent one site from directly accessing another site’s data. Because network resources are shared, however, sudden traffic spikes on one site can negatively impact performance for other sites hosted on the same server.
In virtual private server (VPS) hosting, each website has its own virtual server instance, which has its own operating system (OS) and dedicated resources. Virtual private servers allow publishers to have more control than shared hosting.
With dedicated hosting, each subscriber has exclusive access to a physical server and no resources are shared. This setup gives website owners total control over software choices and hardware resource allocation. It also has the most overhead in terms of server maintenance, security and performance management.
Shared hosting has both advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, it is a cost-effective solution for small business startups because it makes low-traffic websites easy to set up and easy to manage.
On the minus side, website performance and security considerations are largely dependent on the host provider. It’s important for small business owners to research shared hosting providers and choose a reputable host who prioritizes performance, security, and customer support.
The best shared hosting solutions provide reliable uptime and fast loading times, prioritize security measures to protect websites from malware and other cybersecurity threats, are able to resolve technical issues quickly, and can move subscribers from one tier to another without disrupting service.
When considering alternatives to shared hosting, there are several options that meet different needs.
The Bottom Line
It’s important to clarify shared hosting’s meaning in the context of tiered service levels so you pick a hosting option that really fits your needs. Each tier in a subscription model will provide different management features and resource levels.
The ideal web hosting solution for small businesses and individuals should be cost-effective and make website management as easy as possible.
