Shared hosting, VPS, or cloud: which one do you need?

Every website and app needs to run somewhere. That "somewhere" is hosting. There are three common types, and each one fits a different stage of a business.

Shared hosting

With shared hosting, your website lives on a server together with many other websites. You share the server's power and memory.

Good for: small websites, portfolios and simple business sites with modest traffic.

Pros:

• Very affordable
• Easy to start with
• The provider handles most of the maintenance

Cons:

• Slower when other sites on the same server are busy
• Limited control and flexibility
• Not suitable for most custom apps

VPS (Virtual Private Server)

A VPS gives you your own private space on a server, with guaranteed resources.

Good for: growing websites, online stores and custom applications.

Pros:

• Better and more stable performance
• Full control over the setup
• Still affordable for most businesses

Cons:

• Needs technical setup and regular maintenance
• You (or your tech partner) are responsible for security updates

Cloud hosting

Cloud hosting runs your project on a network of servers from providers like AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean or Vercel. You can add more power when you need it.

Good for: apps with changing or growing traffic, and businesses that need high reliability.

Pros:

• Scales up (and down) with your traffic
• High availability options
• Many managed services, like databases and backups

Cons:

• Pricing can be harder to predict
• It's easy to pay for more than you need without good setup

So, which one should you choose?

Here's a simple rule of thumb:

1. Just getting started? Shared hosting or a small VPS is usually enough.
2. Running a custom app or online store? A VPS or a managed cloud platform is a good fit.
3. Expecting big or unpredictable traffic? Cloud hosting gives you room to grow.

Don't pay for "enterprise" hosting on day one. Start with what fits your traffic today, and move up when your numbers tell you to.

What matters more than the hosting type

Whatever you choose, make sure you have:

• SSL (HTTPS) on every page
• Automatic backups you have actually tested
• Monitoring so someone knows when the site is down
• A plan for updates to keep everything secure

Not sure what fits your project? Our Deployment & Hosting service can set everything up for you — and keep it running smoothly.