Web hosting is a service that makes your website available on the internet so people anywhere can visit it. A web host allocates storage and resources on a web server for your site’s files, database, and application code. Once uploaded and configured, your site becomes publicly accessible through its domain name. Modern hosts typically include essentials like free SSL/TLS certificates, HTTP/3 support, NVMe SSD storage, IPv6 connectivity, an integrated CDN, daily backups, DDoS protection, and stated uptime SLAs—verify these features before choosing a plan.
How Does Web Hosting Work?
A web server is a physical computer connected to the internet and designed to run reliably with minimal interruption. The hosting provider monitors and maintains the infrastructure so your content is available whenever visitors request it. Your website’s files are stored on the server, your database powers dynamic content, and DNS records point your domain to the server so browsers can find your site.
Web hosting services let you rent space and resources on their servers so you can publish your website. Providers typically offer plans with different allocations for storage, databases, bandwidth, and configuration options, along with features such as free SSL/TLS, backups, CDN integration, and security hardening.
The plan you choose should match your site’s size and goals. For most blogs and new businesses, entry-level paid shared plans—often under $5–$10 per month—are more reliable than limited free hosting. Free plans may include ads, lack custom domains or SSL, and impose strict resource limits that can slow sites or restrict growth. If you plan to sell products or handle higher traffic, a paid plan with more resources and stronger performance guarantees is the better choice.
What Are the Types of Web Hosting?
Web hosting varies according to a client’s needs. Clients range from personal bloggers to growing companies and high-traffic e‑commerce sites. Below are common hosting types and when they fit.
Shared Hosting
In shared hosting, multiple clients share the same server’s resources. It’s a practical option for personal blogs, portfolios, and startups. The hosting provider manages the server hardware and core software, which reduces your maintenance burden. Performance can slow if other sites on the server experience traffic spikes, so shared hosting is best for low to moderate traffic and predictable workloads.
VPS Hosting
VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting gives you an isolated partition on a server with dedicated resource allocations. It’s a strong choice for growing businesses experiencing increased traffic or needing custom software. Because resources are reserved, other sites’ surges are less likely to affect your performance. You have administrative access to configure the environment and can scale resources as needed. VPS hosting generally costs more than shared hosting and may require more technical know‑how.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting distributes your application across multiple instances with load balancing and redundancy to improve availability and scalability. Files are often stored in shared or object storage, and databases use replicas or managed database services to ensure reliability. If one instance fails, traffic can be routed to healthy instances to minimize downtime. You typically pay for the resources you use and can scale up or down as demand changes.
WordPress Hosting
WordPress hosting can run on shared, VPS, cloud, or dedicated servers. Managed WordPress plans add services like automatic core and plugin updates, security hardening, backups, and performance caching regardless of the underlying server type. This delivers fast load times and less hands‑on maintenance while keeping WordPress features such as themes, page builders, and developer tools readily available.
For self‑hosted WordPress (WordPress.org), hosting support is provided by your web host, and WordPress.org offers community forums for software questions. WordPress.com is a hosted platform that includes its own plan-based support. Note that some specialized WordPress plans support only WordPress sites.
Is WordPress a Web Host?
WordPress is a content management system, not a web host. It lets you create a website that you then host with a provider or on a platform that includes hosting.
Dedicated Hosting
With dedicated hosting, you rent an entire server for your website and configure it as needed. You control the operating system, software, and performance tuning, and you can handle high, consistent traffic. Managed dedicated options are available if you want provider support without owning physical hardware. Dedicated hosting is typically more expensive and best suited for large sites or organizations with the expertise to manage a server environment.
Domain Name vs. Web Hosting
A domain name is what visitors type in a browser’s address bar to reach your website. Web hosting provides the server space and resources your site runs on. Many hosts let you register a new domain or connect an existing one to your hosting plan so your site can be reached securely via HTTPS with an SSL/TLS certificate.
