When you are starting your search for a new host, chances are good that you will hear certain terms repeated, such as managed hosts and unmanaged hosts. If this is confusing to you, then you aren’t alone. Many small businesses and individuals who are trying to determine the best host for their site want to know the differences between these options and which one might be the best choice for them. In this post, we’ll look at the differences, so you can get a better idea of what each one offers.
What’s the Basic Difference?
When it comes to the basics, it is actually quite easy to understand the difference between unmanaged and managed hosting.
With unmanaged hosting, you will rent a server from a hosting provider, and that’s all. You will be responsible for taking care of the management of the server. In a small business, this task will typically fall to the person who has the most technical experience. In a slightly larger company, you might even have an IT department that can help.
Managed hosting is quite the opposite. This means that the company through which you get the server is actually in charge of taking care of it. They can take care of the IT needs for you, and they can do it around the clock. The host’s team will ensure that your site is running perfectly. This is especially nice for those companies who have little to no experience when it comes to IT. This is actually the category that most small businesses will fall into.
Now, let’s go a little deeper to understand more about the pros and cons of these different types of hosting options.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Managed Hosting
You will find that there are actually far more benefits with managed hosting than there are drawbacks. For starters, there is security, which is extremely important in today’s world. The providers are able to take care of this for you. They will monitor your system and handle security issues that might arise appropriately. They can provide filters for spam and viruses, perform security audits, ensure you are updated, and more.
Easy backups are another reason that many people are choosing this form of hosting. Everyone knows that losing data can cause irreparable harm to a company. Having backups and redundant data will mean that you never actually have to worry about your information.
The hosts can monitor your system around the clock, just to make sure nothing is happening. You know how important uptime is for your site, so it should give you peace of mind to know that someone will be there and watching out for it. You don’t have to worry that your site will go down and your customers won’t be able to buy anything. In the event that something happens to your site, you can be sure that the hosting team will fix it right away.
You will also find that managed hosting is a cost-effective option. At first, this might be a bit hard to believe. After all, the one real con of managed hosting is the fact that it costs more than unmanaged hosting. However, you have to look beyond the initial costs and to the money that you can save in the end. For example, when you have the managed hosting team working for you, it means you will not have to spend money to bring more IT personnel on board.
In addition, it can save time for you and those who would normally be trying to manage the server. You only have so many hours in the day, and you can’t spend all of your time and energy worrying about your server. Having the professionals take care of the job is a much better option, and you’ll quickly see how much time and frustration you will save.
As you can see, managed hosting plans really are the best option for companies today. It simply makes things easier. However, they aren’t the only option, and it’s only fair to look at what unmanaged hosting is capable of offering as well.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Unmanaged Hosting
One of the first things to note with unmanaged hosting is that you will have complete and unfettered control. This is exactly what some companies want and need, particularly larger companies. So long as you have the IT staff capable of handling the server, it could be a good idea.
Another one of the big benefits to using unmanaged hosting is the fact that it is quite a bit cheaper than managed hosting. Since you are only paying for the server, and not for any additional services, the prices are naturally lower. While this is nice, if you are unsure of how to implement the server and get it running, this could be more of a nightmare than a blessing.
Those who have little to no experience may have issues when it comes to their control panel, working in the OS, and keeping the server safe from hackers and other intruders. There are a large number of potential issues that can crop up with running a server on your own. Unless you are a specialist, or you have a great IT team working for you already, it could be a bit more trouble than it’s worth. Managed hosting is simpler, and you can allow the experts to take care of everything for you.
What’s Right for You?
Of course, even though managed hosting is the simpler choice, it doesn’t mean it is right for everyone. You need to determine what solution is the best for you. There is no “best” answer that will describe everyone. Instead, you have to think about what it is that you really need.
If the server went down, would you be able to bring it back up on your own? How much money do you have available to spend for your hosting needs? Is the difference in price really worth all of the added frustration? How much could downtime damage you?
Think about your company, your site, and what you need and can afford. Honestly, the best answer for most companies is to choose managed hosting. It’s simpler and it gives you peace of mind almost immediately. Once you are able to make a decision on the type of service you want for hosting, it’s time to sort through the different options.
This is an area where you do not want to rush. Don’t simply fall for a nice website and a promise. You really need to look into the different options and features the company can offer, and you need to do a little background research on them. Learn as much about them as possible, and check reviews and testimonials. This will let you know if their managed hosting service really is everything that they claim it is. Take your time, and you will be able to find the best hosting solution for your site.