In modern conditions, a website is necessary for any business. Novice entrepreneurs or people who have created a startup very often ask the question: “Which is better to choose – paid or free hosting?”

So that you do not need to study a lot of scientific resources, in this article we will briefly and clearly talk about the differences in web hosting. 

What is hosting?

Hosting is essentially a cloud that stores all the data that you upload to your own website. This is the server where all the data is stored and opened when a person goes to your site. The more popularity and attendance it has, the greater the load on hosting will be.

For example, eCommerce sites lose $2.5 billion annually due to slow or incorrect performance of their sites. Try to choose a comfortable hosting option for yourself that will bring new customers and not lose them. 

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Why do you need hosting?

You need hosting in order to store and download these files when someone wants to see them. It is used by many businesses just for these tasks.

It has many different purposes, among which it is worth highlighting the following:

• Websites

In this case, the hosting stores all site data and the ability to manage sites. Usually, these sites are managed by a person who is the site administrator.

• Applications.

Applications need hosting, which stores all its source data and allows it to work 24/7.

• Email.

All settings that you make in email and all emails are stored via server hosting.

• Security certificates.

Usually, for the secure operation of the site, the website administrator installs a security certificate. For its correct operation, it needs memory. Hosting helps us with this.

As you can see, hosting is used quite similarly in different places, while being a key factor for performance.

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What is the difference between paid and free hosting?

In order to accurately understand which of the options is right for you, you should pay attention to such points. The idea is to not waste money and still be able to immediately get what you need. 

No. 1. Reliability.

Reliability is the first and most important factor that separates paid and free hosting. For example, the round-the-clock and accurate operation of the site is very important. But free hosting cannot guarantee this. It is due to a lack of a serious server infrastructure. But paid providers have it and can ensure uninterrupted operation or fix everything in time thanks to programmers.

No. 2. Rating.

Search engine rankings are undoubtedly very important for a business. If your site ranks well, it will be shown to more people. This is a huge plus any business.

Be aware that free hosting companies may use various advertisements on your site or spam mailings to promote their services. Because of these actions, search engines can lower your ranking, which will negatively affect the performance of your site. In paid hosting, you will not have this problem. 

No. 3. Speed and memory.

Top hosting providers provide a wide range of options for entrepreneurs: different memory, speed, different chips, etc. You can choose the package you want and use it without any problems for a small fee.

In free hosting, they usually give a minimum, which is not bad. But over time, depending on the number of files you upload to the site and visits to the site, the situation may worsen.

No. 4. Support responsiveness.

Support service is very important, because in case of errors or deterioration of your site, they can help. Unfortunately, the free version of hosting does not always have this feature or does not respond in a timely manner. The paid version wins in this case, because they always have the opportunity to contact support.

If you are planning a long-term work with the site – most likely, you will need it to solve various problems. 

No. 5. Safe use of the site.

Website hacking is a common thing in modern realities. Today – safety should be your first priority. You don’t want someone to steal your data or ruin the site itself, right?

Free hosting companies do not have as good protection as paid ones. Often they are not responsible for your data and are not ready to help if problems arise.

Paid intermediaries may offer to install security certificates to help avoid such situations in the future and protect yourself.

Conclusion.

The choice between paid and free hosting is always difficult for a business. Before making a decision, understand what tasks you must perform in order to make the right choice. Each of the options is good, but for specific purposes.

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of the options, and no doubt you will be able to quickly solve this problem.