WordPress Hosting vs Web Hosting: Which Is Best Suited For You?
When deciding between web hosting and WordPress hosting, it’s important to know that the two terms are not entirely separate and can sometimes overlap. Web hosting is an umbrella term that refers to all types of hosting services. That includes shared hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting.
On the other hand, WordPress hosting is a sub-category of web hosting that provides servers and resources specifically optimized for WordPress websites. Note that you don’t have to host WordPress websites on a WordPress hosting plan. Regular hosting types are also suitable for WordPress sites, so it comes down to preference.
In this article, we explain the key differences between web hosting vs WordPress hosting and explore the pros and cons of each hosting type. We also compare our most popular shared web hosting and WordPress hosting plans to help you decide which hosting option is right for you.
What Is Web Hosting?
Web hosting is a service that enables websites to be published online. When site owners purchase a plan from a hosting provider, they essentially rent a portion of the company’s server space to store their site’s files.
There are various web hosting options to suit different needs, regardless of your level of expertise, what content management system (CMS) or site builder you choose, or how large the website is. To have a clearer understanding of the different hosting categories, take a look at the breakdown below.
Shared hosting. A website shares one web server and its resources with other sites. It’s a low-cost option for small sites that receive low traffic volumes. Shared hosting is an excellent choice for beginners or small business website owners who prefer not to deal with the technical side of server maintenance. With this option, the hosting provider takes care of server monitoring, updates, and backups.
VPS hosting. A website receives dedicated resources from a virtual partition of a physical server. It’s an excellent option for medium to large sites that need more resources and better performance compared to shared hosting.
Cloud hosting. A site runs on multiple virtual or cloud servers instead of just one physical server. It’s an excellent choice for busy sites with high traffic volumes since cloud hosting offers higher uptime.
Dedicated hosting. An entire server and its resources are dedicated to one website. It’s a high-cost, high-performance option for very large or popular sites with dedicated technical staff.
The Advantages of Web Hosting
Most web hosting providers offer plans that support different site builders and CMSs, not just WordPress. Along with built-in developer tools to help ease integration, users often have the freedom to select their platform of choice.
The specific advantages of general web hosting typically depend on the type of web hosting plan you choose since the level of resources, tools, and flexibility on offer vary greatly.
In terms of technical advantages, purchasing general web hosting typically means the hosting company provides the physical equipment and conducts hardware maintenance. With their expertise, this means an overall smooth running site and higher security precautions.
There are also numerous general benefits to consider. Firstly, many hosting companies offer different plans to suit any budget.
In most cases, hosting providers offer site owners round-the-clock customer support and access to a hosting knowledge database. At Hostinger, we also provide a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans, easy integration with Zyro’s website builder, and a user-friendly control panel.
Additionally, many web hosting companies provide extra features in their web hosting plans. For instance, they may include a free domain name, SSL certificate, and a professional email address.
