When you are looking to build a website, the first step is to look for web hosting services that are reliable. There are many types of web hosting plans, some of them being- VPS, Dedicated hosting, and shared server hosting.
For individuals who are new to the web hosting world, there are two most cost-effective and suitable hosting options, especially for smaller websites,- shared web hosting and free web hosting. This is because one of the best benefits of shared web hosting is its affordability.
On the other hand, many web hosting providers offer free web hosting services. You might think getting free hosting services is the best option. However, there are many disadvantages of free web hosting that make it not an ideal hosting option.
Continue reading to learn about these disadvantages and why you should choose shared web hosting over free hosting.
Shared Hosting VS Free Hosting: Why To Choose Shared Hosting Over Free Hosting
Below are some parameters which highlight the disadvantages of free hosting and the benefits of shared hosting, making shared hosting a better option than free hosting.
Bandwidth
The rate at which data is transferred from the server to the website is referred to as bandwidth Bandwidth has an impact on the website’s speed, a greater bandwidth results in higher website speed.
Free Hosting:
Free hosting offers limited bandwidth, as free hosting companies want you to purchase a plan with greater bandwidth. Sometimes, the reason for limited bandwidth is the high number of websites on a free hosting server.
Shared Hosting:
With shared server hosting, you know exactly how much bandwidth you are getting with your hosting plan. This means that you can add videos, animations, images, and more without having to worry about bandwidth issues.
Features and Tools
Most hosting companies offer free hosting because they want you to opt for their hosting platform. However, once you opt for a free hosting solution, you will quickly realise that it is quite impossible to build and maintain a website for free, even with a free hosting plan.
Free Hosting:
A free hosting plan does not include any features or tools required to host a website. These tools and resources include- bandwidth, control panel, disk space, and more. Therefore to use these tools and resources you will have to pay for them. Additionally, these resources and tools are not affordable or cheap.
Shared Hosting:
On the other hand, in a shared server the web hosting company offers all the required resources and tools to build and maintain a website. A shared server hosting plan includes customer support, a control panel, script auto-installers, website builders tools, free SSL, and more.
Website Downtime
Free Hosting:
Hosting companies that offer free hosting do not prioritise website maintenance, as they are offering hosting services for free. This results in frequent website crashes, which increases website downtime. Visitors will not be able to access your website at most times, resulting in reduced reliability and loss of sales. Additionally, it will also result in your website not showing on search engine results.
Shared Hosting:
On the other hand shared server hosting offers guaranteed website uptime. This ensures accountability from the hosting provider regarding the website uptime.
To Wrap It Up
Other factors that make shared server hosting a better option than free hosting include limited or no customer support. If you look closely, you will realise while a free hosting solution sounds like an excellent deal, shared server hosting is a much better and more effective hosting option.
