Explore Top Rated Web Hosting Companies Review

Every website you visit on the world wide web is hosted on a server. It is known as web hosting when you rent out or buy space on this server for hosting your website. A website consists of content such as HTLM, CSS, code, images, etc., and web hosting enables you to view them through your browser. Depending on the technology, the most common types of web hosting available are, shared, VPS, dedicated, and reseller. These hostings differ in the technology they use, the management services they provide, and other services on offer!

What Is a Web Server?

A server is a computer that helps connects users from all over the world to your website. Web hosting providers like Bluehost have servers and other required technology like connectivity to host websites. They provide multiple hosting pans that suit the differing needs, from small bloggers to huge organizations.

What is a Domain Name?

Domain names provide a human-readable address to a website's location over the internet. An IP address identifies every location on the internet, whether an IPv4 (like 103.11.122.0) or IPv6. Computers being digital machines, can handle these IP addresses well, but we humans can't remember these IP Addresses. Also, these IPs tend to change. Thus, for our convenience, we use domain names. Domain names are the string of texts like Google.com and Google.co.uk, etc. A DNS Server converts these string texts into IP addresses for the computers. By definition, a domain name is a text that converts to a particular IP Address, which is used to access the website from a browser.

Who Manages Domain Names?

Domain names are managed by domain registries who then allocate the registration of domain names to registrars like Namecheap, etc.

How Are URL And Domain Names Different?

A URL or Uniform Resource Locator also called the web address, includes the domain name and other information like transfer protocol and the path. For example, the URL https://hostingfoxy.com/category/best-hosting, HTTPS is the transfer protocol, hostingfoxy.com is the domain, and the rest is part of the path.

What Is The Structure Of The Domain Name?

A domain name can be divided into various parts with respect to the dots that separate it. For example, in Google.com, com is the top-level domain, and Google is Label 1. There can be two to three parts to a domain. For example, in Google.co.uk, uk is the top-level domain, and co is Label 1 and Google Label 2.

Bandwidth is the amount of data your server can transfer from your site to the user's computer in a given amount of time. It is usually measured in Gigabytes (GB). A simple analogy to understand bandwidth is a pipe's diameter. The wider the diameter, the more water can go through it. And the thinner the diameter, the lesser the water. Similarly, the more the bandwidth, the data, and vice versa.

What Is Meant By Unlimited Bandwidth?

There is no such thing as unlimited bandwidth. All it means is that the web hosting provider is sure that the websites on a shared hosting will never consume the entire bandwidth offered.

Disk space is the storage space a server allocates to a website and its associated files. Essentially, it is no different from your hard disk storage. But, it is just storage over the world wide web. Web hosts like GoDaddy and Bluehost provide various storage plans catering to the varying requirements of small to big businesses.

The money-back guarantee ensures the customer can get their full money refunded, even when they have been using the service (web hosting) for a while. Most web hosting services offer a 30-day to a 90-day money-back guarantee. The site owner gets a chance to gauge whether the web hosting services like security, support, and speed are up to mark or not. It may sound surprising, but an excellent money-back guarantee can increase your sales by as much as 300%! Some web hosting services that provide a 90-day guarantee which is thrice the usual 30-day, are:

1. InMotionHosting.com

2. WebHostingHub.com

How Does The Money Back Guarantee Work?

The terms are more or less the same across all service providers. You must notify your host's billing or customer care that you intend to cancel the services. But the catch is that your total refund may not be the same amount you initially spent. Additional charges like domains, security certificates, site building software (CMS), and SEO tools might be non-refundable. However, some service providers might give some flexibility if you cancel within the initial days of buying the plan.

Some of the best web hosting companies are:

1. Kamatera

2. RoyalCloud

3. GigaPros

4. DreamHost

5. TruoBox

6. Hostinger

7. A2Hosting

8. Host4Biz

9. Stromonic

10. QHoster

11. Fastcomet

12. Glowhost

13. InterServer

14. HostArmada

15. Verpex

Many web hosting providers offer free hosting services. Sometimes, you do not even have to pay for the domain. These free hostings are usually shared hosting. Thus, you have to share your server and resources with other clients. Another downside of this free hosting is that the hosting provider displays ads over your personal pages or blogs. They incur their costs through ads instead of taking them from you. But it is a good deal if you want to host a small website with limited media and modest traffic.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Free Hosting?

1. It uses shared hosting. Thus, you cannot have a media-rich or heavy-traffic website as the free hosting will not be able to support you.

2. They might have bigger downtimes.

3. They might also lack tech support, security, and tools at your disposal.

What Are The Advantages Of Free Hosting?

1. The first and most obvious point is that it is free!

2. Another advantage is its ease of management. Before going forth with paid hosting, beginners and small website owners can experiment with what works and what doesn't.

What is Shared Web Hosting?

Shared hosting is when you share your server with other websites as well. Mostly, you will be utterly unaware of with whom you share your server resources.

Each website limits how many resources it can use from the server. But this depends on the hosting package you have bought.

What Are The Advantages Of Shared Web Hosting?

1. It is the most economical web hosting. Usually, the price of shred hosting ranges between $2.99 - $9.99.

2. Most web hosting providers have various levels of hosting like shared, cloud, and dedicated server hosting. So, shared hosting is good to start with. You can always level up as your business grows.

3. Usually, it comes equipped with a cPanel, a beneficial tool for managing your site.

4. You do not need technical maintenance because this is always included in the hosting package.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Shared Web Hosting?

1. It might face slower load times than other web hosting services.

2. The server can get overburdened due to other websites sharing the server.

3. Your site performance can decrease with increasing traffic.

4. Other websites on the server can, in some cases, pose a risk to your website.

5. Lack of customization options to leverage the true potential of your website.

What is VPS Hosting?

VPS or Virtual Private Server hosting is a hosting service that uses the virtualization technique and provides dedicated resources on a server. It is a cheaper form of dedicated server hosting but more stable and secure than shared hosting. It is ideal for website owners who have outgrown the need for a shared hosting plan but are not ready for a dedicated server.

What Are The Advantages Of VPS Hosting?

1. Faster and more secure than a shared hosting

2. As server resources are dedicated, there is very little to no fluctuation in the availability of the resources.

3. Issues and traffic surges in other websites will not affect your site performance.

4. You will have root access to your server to leverage your site's full potential.

5. This hosting is easily leveled up with increasing demands.

What Are The Disadvantages Of VPS Hosting?

1. It costs more than shared hosting.

2. It requires a little more technical know-how to set up your VPS.

3. Server management is a demanding process.

4. Incorrect server configuration can lead to security issues.

What is Cloud Hosting?

Cloud hosting enables a website to use resources of multiple servers. Cloud hosting uses the virtualization technique to split a server into various virtual machines called cloud servers. These cloud servers are connected to form a cluster. Thus, it is also known as cluster server hosting.

What Are The Advantages Of Cloud Hosting?

1. It ensures high availability. Because when one of the cluster servers fails, another one from the group covers for them.

2. It also means better load balancing. When traffic increases, the infra spreads it between all the servers.

3. Scalability is super easy with cloud hosting. You can add more virtual servers to increase your bandwidth, storage, or processing power.

4. Lastly, it is less prone to disasters and physical malfunctions because it works over multiple servers.

What is Reseller Hosting?

Reseller hosting includes buying resources like servers and internet connection and then selling these to your end customers to earn a profit. You can have any number of clients- 10 or 50 or more. This entirely depends on the resources you have with you. A possible use case for reseller hosting is if you are a web development company. Adding hosting to your portfolio can make you a one-stop solution for all web-related needs.

What is Dedicated Server Hosting?

Dedicated server hosting means the client leases the entire server with its resources, unlike shared hosting, where the client shares the server and its resources with other clients. Also, it is different from VPS hosting, where the websites do not share resources but the machine. Dedicated server hosting is ideal for WordPress websites with massive traffic.

What Are The Benefits Of Dedicated Server Hosting?

1. The entire server belongs to you. So, you can control the server, its apps, operating systems, and every minute detail to make your website work like magic.

2. Dedicated hosting gives you the perks of flexibility to change the server configurations, adjust resources, and add new software to meet their requirements.

3. You can configure the server to maximize performance by allocating resources to the most demanding applications.

4. It offers top-notch security. Businesses have complete control and can customize the server to meet security and compliance needs.

What is Offshore Hosting?

Offshore web hosting is basically the practice of hosting your website on servers outside your country. Usually, this is done to host copyrighted content, hacking websites, DMCA content, adult content, and warez hosting. An excellent way to get more privacy for your content is to take up a VPS offshore hosting. Also, the best offshore hosts commit to your privacy, sport liberal use policies, and accept cryptocurrencies.

What Are The Advantages Of Offshore Hosting?

1. In most cases, you get global exposure, and more exposure means more growth.

2. You are independent of cyber laws

3. Double backup is available.

4. Anonymous currencies like bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are available.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Offshore Hosting?

1. You cannot exercise any rights over the domain name or server space. However, you have complete control over their usage.

2. Sometimes offshore hosts charge a lot, and anonymous web hosting with fiat payments might land you in trouble.

What is Linux Hosting?

Linux hosting is a web hosting that makes use of Linux-based servers. Linux is an open-source operating system. It is called open source as its source code can be edited, altered, and redistributed in non-commercial and commercial environments. Linux is an excellent OS for web hosting because it is available free of cost and offers flexibility, options, and customization for servers and users alike. Linux is more flexible and affordable than the Windows we are hosting. Also, Linux hosting is available in various types- shared, VPS, cloud, dedicated, etc.

What Are The Advantages Of Linux Hosting?

1. Linux hosting can accommodate other open-source technologies like Apache, MySQL, and PHP.

2. Linux hosting is a more affordable option.

3. Linux has a reputation for stability and security and is considered far more secure than Windows servers.

4. Linux is flexible as it is compatible with various databases.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Linux Hosting?

1. Linux hosting might not be compatible with some Windows-based scripting apps and tech.

2. Some programming languages like ASP are not made for Linux platforms.

3. Linux servers cannot be used to port websites made for a Windows background or environment.

What is Windows Hosting?

Like Linux hosting, Windows hosting is when a web hosting uses a Windows operating system. The most common web hosting is Linux hosting. Thus, whenever a web host doesn't specify the hosting type, it is usually Linux and not Windows hosting. But Windows hosting is better for specific use cases.

What Are The Advantages Of Windows Hosting?

1. The Windows OS is familiar. However, mostly you interact with the server using the Plesk control panel. But in case you do need to interact with the server directly, then having Windows OS is beneficial.

2. If your website uses Microsoft technologies like ASP.net, then windows web hosting is more beneficial to you. The same goes for MySQL, Microsoft Exchange, and Microsoft Sharepoint.

3. It arrives with the fantastic Plesk control panel.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Windows Hosting?

1. Websites hosted on Windows have been more prone to ransomware attacks than Linux hosting.

2. The difference is not much, but windows hosting costs more than Linux hosting.

3. Windows servers are behind Linux servers in terms of reliability. They cannot handle as many functions simultaneously and need more frequent rebooting. However, they are improving in this critical area too!

What is cPanel Hosting?

cPanel hosting is Linux hosting with a cPanel installed within it. cPanel account is usually used to control your web hosting elements. cPanel can help users manage various types of web hosting like shared, VPS, dedicated, and cloud. It is a very simple and straightforward solution that provides a power-packed solution for beginners.

What Are The Advantages Of cPanel?

1. The cPanel has a user-friendly user interface with manageable modules, graphics, and intuitive menus for easy navigation.

2. It is compatible with the most prevalent browsers like Safari, Google Chrome, and Firefox. Also, it is compatible with third-party applications like SEO tools and site builders.

3. You do not need technical know-how to perform complicated tasks like creating backups, managing SQL databases, creating FTP accounts, etc.

4. cPanel is also well integrated with Softaculous Apps Installer. Softaculous has more than 400 apps, including popular CMS, WordPress, etc.

5. The cPanel forums and blogs provide the required technical support if you get stuck anywhere.

What Are The Disadvantages Of cPanel?

1. cPanel's two-factor authentication is susceptible to brute force attacks. To avoid this, ensure that your version is continually upgraded.

2. cPanel has the most expensive license amongst its competitors. Therefore, opting for a cPanel hosting plan can be more affordable as the web hosting provider will share their license with you.

3. Sometimes, the cPanel mistakenly overwrites server settings and removes all data while performing a significant update. You can make full disaster recovery to solve the problem.

What is WordPress Hosting?

WordPress hosting, as the name defines it, is designed specifically for WordPress websites. It optimizes the performance of your WordPress website. There are no defined standards for what WordPress hosting should be like. Thus, the end product you received with every hosting provider would be different. However, you do not necessarily need WordPress hosting to run your WordPress website. You can run it on any hosting. But that doesn't mean you should. Lastly, there are two types of WordPress hosting- shared and managed WordPress hosting.

What Are The Advantages Of WordPress Hosting?

1. These hosts cater to WordPress-related security issues better and provide a dedicated team as well.

2. The installation process is unimaginably quick. Moreover, the loading time and uptime are also better.

3. No need to use plugins for security, caching, and performance. The hosting is handling it all in a better way already. And for the plugins you need, they are automatically updated and work in better cohesion with the WP hosting.

4. SSL certificate is easy to add too. Yes, with a couple of clicks, and that too free!

5. The website receives automatic updates and upgrades.

6. Better customer support as the staff is experts in the WordPress domain.

What Is The Difference Between Web Hosting And WordPress Hosting?

The primary difference between web hosting and WordPress hosting is that web hosting is a much more vast topic while WordPress hosting only refers to sites with WordPress installed on them. A web host might have many servers in web hosting, and all these servers might serve various platforms. But on the other hand, WordPress hosting is a small chunk of web hosting. This hosting can also use shared servers, but the difference is that all websites on this shared server will be WordPress websites. These servers will provide customized solutions, support, and services optimized for the WordPress environment.