Shared hosting, managed hosting, builders: the differences
The main types of web hosting differ less in technology than in who does the upkeep. With shared hosting you rent cheap space and look after the website software yourself. With managed hosting, usually for WordPress, the host does much of that upkeep for a higher price. With a website builder, the design tool and the hosting are one product and you never touch a server, but you can rarely take the site with you. For most local businesses, the right choice is whichever leaves the least work on your plate without trapping you.
Shared hosting
What it is. Your website shares one powerful computer with many other websites. The host keeps the computer running; everything you put on it, usually WordPress or a set of plain web pages, is yours to manage. You get a control panel (often cPanel) with tools for files, databases and email.
Who it suits. Owners, or their designer, who are comfortable installing and updating software, or sites that change very rarely.
What you do yourself.
- Installing and updating WordPress, its theme and its plugins
- Setting up and checking backups, unless the plan includes them
- Fixing things when an update breaks the site
- Cleaning up if the site is hacked
What goes wrong. Updates are missed for months, an old plugin gets exploited, and the site starts redirecting visitors to spam pages. Or a neighbour on the same computer hogs it and your site slows down. Neither happens every day, but both are common enough to plan for.
Leaving. Usually straightforward. Your files and database can be copied to another host.
Cost feel. The cheapest headline prices in the market, with a big jump at renewal. More on that in how much hosting should cost.
Managed hosting
What it is. Hosting tuned for one kind of software, almost always WordPress. The host handles software updates, daily backups, security scanning and speed settings. Some hosts also restore your site for you if it breaks.
Who it suits. Businesses that need WordPress, perhaps for a large blog, a membership area or a specialised plugin, and would rather pay than babysit it.
What you do yourself.
- Editing your content
- Choosing and paying for plugins and themes
- Checking the site after big updates, since the host updates the software but cannot always know how your particular plugins behave together
What goes wrong. Less than with shared hosting. The usual pain is cost creep: the plan, plus premium plugins, plus a separate fee for a staging copy or extra sites.
Leaving. Straightforward, as with any WordPress site.
Cost feel. Several times the price of shared hosting, often billed monthly. Worth it if you truly need WordPress; heavy for a five-page site that changes twice a year. WordPress for small businesses helps you decide whether you need it.
Website builders
What it is. Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy's builder, Weebly and others. You design pages in your browser, and the company stores and serves them. There is no separate hosting to buy, set up or update.
Who it suits. Owners who want to make changes themselves and are happy working inside one company's tools.
What you do yourself.
- All the design and writing, unless you hire someone
- Keeping the site looking right on phones, which builders handle with mixed success
- Paying for the right plan: business features like forms, bookings or removing the builder's ads often sit on higher tiers
What goes wrong. Little breaks technically. The common problems are the monthly bill growing as you add features, and sites built years ago on an old template that no longer looks or works well on phones.
Leaving. The weak point. Most builders do not let you export the site to run elsewhere. Moving means rebuilding the pages somewhere new and pointing your domain at them.
Cost feel. A steady monthly or yearly fee that keeps going for as long as the site is online.
Two others you will hear about
Static hosting. For sites made of finished pages rather than software that builds each page on request. Very fast, very little to maintain, and inexpensive to run. It suits most brochure-style business sites; it does not suit sites that need logins or a large store. Static websites for small businesses explains the trade-offs.
VPS and dedicated servers. A private computer, or a private slice of one, that you or your technical person set up and run. Much more control, much more responsibility. A local business website almost never needs this.
Side by side: who does what
- Software updates: shared, you; managed, the host; builder, the company; static, little to update.
- Backups: shared, sometimes you; managed, the host; builder, the company (but you often cannot download them); static, simple copies of the pages.
- Security: shared, mostly you; managed, mostly the host; builder, the company; static, very little to attack.
- Making changes: shared and managed, WordPress editor; builder, the builder's editor; static, depends on the setup, from editing files to an edit panel.
- Taking your site elsewhere: shared and managed, yes; builder, usually no; static, yes.
Choosing for your kind of business
- A trade or service business with a handful of pages (plumber, landscaper, accountant): you want something fast on phones that you rarely have to think about. A builder you are comfortable in, a static site, or a done-for-you service all work. Shared WordPress is the most upkeep for the least gain.
- A business that posts often, with a real blog or many events: WordPress on managed hosting, or a builder with a good blog tool.
- A business that sells many products online: a store platform, which is its own category beyond these.
- A business with special requirements, such as a members' area or custom software: managed hosting or a VPS, with a technical person on call.
Questions to settle before choosing
- Who will make changes to the site, and how often?
- Who updates the software and checks the backups?
- What does it cost after the first term, all plans and add-ons included?
- If I want to leave in three years, what can I take with me?
What to do this week
- Find out which of these types your current site uses.
- Write down who does the upkeep today, and whether it is actually being done.
- Note the renewal price and date.
If your current hosting gives you more upkeep than value, you can see your site rebuilt first and compare it with what you have now.