vps dedicated server

There are so many different types of hosting that it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your WordPress site, but this just means there are enough options so you can choose the perfect fit.

Personally, I think your own Linux server is usually the best bet for WordPress.

But when you either don’t have the necessary expertise to set that up or just want a far, far easier life, it’s time to choose a hosting plan. Your main options are shared, virtual private server (VPS), dedicated and cloud hosting as well as using a content delivery network (CDN).

And while WordPress technically works with any of these options, some are better than others especially when you have a specific project in mind.

Picking the right one is all about knowing the difference between each of these, their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to performance as well as just how much “WordPress” these hosting types can handle. So, let’s dive right into all of this now and find out which option is right for you.


When a hosting company sets up a server and adds an account to it, one for each of their customers, while also packing as many customer accounts on the server as possible, it’s called shared hosting. Each customer manages all their sites on their account.

This also means each customer has to share the space and resources of the server together and each person only has access to a tiny part of the server. The part you would have access to is also limited.

It’s like sharing a house with all your college buddies where you all have to share the same amenities and space. It’s affordable which is great while you’re studying and only have a part-time job to support you, but at some point, you may outgrow it and need your own place.

Pros

Shared hosting can still be a great option for certain WordPress sites. Some of its greatest strong points are:

• It’s the most affordable choice, often as little as $5 per month
• The security and maintenance of the server are managed for you
• Most of the tools you need are already installed for you
• It’s quick to get started and easier to use than the other options

If you ever run into troubles on a shared hosting plan, you can contact your hosting company’s support team and they can handle just about any issue you have so you don’t need to worry about being technically proficient in being a site or system admin.

Cons

While it’s a lot easier to get started with shared hosting, there are also a lot of downsides:

Security is not guaranteed – Since you don’t know your server neighbors, they may not be taking the same security measures as you and if they get hacked, it could lead to compromising the entire server and everything on it including your site. If you don’t have a dedicated IP address, your site could be blacklisted because of a different site on the server since you would be sharing an IP address.

You have limited access to settings – With shared hosting, you often don’t have root access, some files are hidden from view and you may not be able to access advanced settings. For example, if you run out of PHP memory or you want to stress test your site to be prepared for traffic spikes, you won’t be able to resolve this on your own.

Your site shares important resources – Since you’re sharing the server with many people, this means you’re sharing resources such as bandwidth. If many sites on the server suddenly get tons of traffic, it creates a bottleneck and since there’s not enough bandwidth to go around, your site may become unavailable to your visitors intermittently.

It’s not unlimited – Many hosting companies have “unlimited” shared hosting plans which sounds like they don’t put a cap on the resources you can use, but if you check their terms of service, this is definitely not the case. When the hosting company decides you’re using too many resources on the server, they could shut down your site.
When It’s the Best Fit

While the cons to shared hosting may be enough to make many WordPress users steer clear, there may be a time when it would work best for your site. If you find you only need to install a couple plugins and a couple pages for your site while also not expecting loads of traffic for a long time, this may be the best fit for you.

For example, if you’re creating a site to share a few details about an upcoming wedding such as the date, time, and location or you want to share blog updates with your family and friends, then shared hosting can work for you.