Web hosting services provide two types of servers for individuals or companies to put their websites online. These servers are shared and dedicated. The primary difference between the two lies in how much control a user would like to have in how their website operates. However, there is also a difference in how much a web hosting service will charge for each. Below are the differences between shared and dedicated servers in more detail.
Shared Servers
A shared server has multiple users sharing space on a single server. They are typically used by individuals or businesses that don’t need a lot of web space and have basic websites. Also, users on shared servers aren’t anticipating large volumes of web traffic. Thus, the average users on a shared servers are small businesses and basic bloggers. Additional shared server details:
- Web host service manages all server needs, from security to updates to maintenance
- Limited bandwidth and web space available to users
- Compatible with most platforms, such as Linux and Windows
Dedicated Servers
Dedicated servers are single servers reserved by web hosting services for a single user. This allows that user to manage multiple websites on one server without having to share space with others. Dedicated servers are used by large corporations with websites that experience heavy traffic loads or house private information, such as e-commerce sites where people purchase products with credit cards. Additional dedicated server details:
- The user must manage all server needs, including correcting problems and providing security
- Large volume of server space for multiple sites