Hosting Basics

What hosting is, the main types, and how to choose.

• What Is Web Hosting?
  Web hosting is a service that stores your website files on an always-on server so anyone can open them in a browser. Learn the types, how it works and what it costs.
• What Is PHP Hosting?
  PHP hosting is a plan with the PHP interpreter and extensions installed so PHP sites like WordPress run correctly. Learn versions and setup.
• What Is Node.js Hosting?
  Node.js hosting runs a persistent Node process instead of executing scripts per request. Learn how it differs from PHP hosting and what you need.
• What Is Python Hosting?
  Python hosting runs Django, Flask or FastAPI apps through a WSGI or ASGI server behind a web server. Learn the requirements and setup basics.
• What Is Ruby on Rails Hosting?
  Ruby on Rails hosting runs a Rails app server like Puma behind a reverse proxy, with Ruby, Bundler and a database installed. Learn what it needs.
• What Is Java Hosting?
  Java hosting runs compiled Java applications on a Java Virtual Machine, often through Tomcat or an embedded server. Learn the requirements.
• What Is ASP.NET Hosting?
  ASP.NET hosting runs Microsoft's web framework, usually on Windows Server with IIS and the .NET runtime. Learn requirements and PHP comparison.
• What Is Static Site Hosting?
  Static site hosting serves pre-built HTML, CSS and JS files with no server-side processing. Learn how it works, its limits and when it fits.
• What Is Jamstack Hosting?
  Jamstack hosting serves pre-built markup from a CDN and adds dynamic features through APIs and JavaScript instead of a traditional backend.
• What Is Serverless Hosting?
  Serverless hosting runs your code in short-lived functions managed by the provider, billed by usage, with no server for you to maintain.
• What Is Edge Hosting?
  Edge hosting runs your code or content on servers near each visitor's location instead of one central region, cutting latency.
• Cloud Storage vs. Web Hosting
  Cloud storage keeps files for later retrieval while web hosting runs a live website that answers visitor requests. Learn how they differ and work together.
• What Is Object Storage?
  Object storage saves files as objects with metadata inside flat buckets instead of folders. Learn how it works and when it fits a website's needs.
• What Is S3-Compatible Storage?
  S3-compatible storage speaks the same API as Amazon S3, so S3 tools and code work with other providers too. Learn how it works and why it matters.
• What Is Colocation Hosting?
  Colocation hosting means you own the server hardware and rent rack space, power and network from a data center. Learn how it works and what it costs.
• What Is Hybrid Hosting?
  Hybrid hosting combines a private server, like a VPS or dedicated server, with public cloud resources. Learn common patterns and when it fits.
• What Is Multi-Cloud Hosting?
  Multi-cloud hosting spreads a site or app across more than one public cloud provider. Learn why companies do it, and the trade-offs involved.
• What Is Private Cloud Hosting?
  Private cloud hosting gives one organization exclusive use of cloud-style infrastructure. Learn how it differs from public cloud, VPS and dedicated servers.
• How to Choose Hosting for a Small Business
  A small business website needs reliable uptime, support and room to grow more than raw power. Here is what to check before choosing a plan.
• How to Choose Hosting for a Blog
  A blog rarely needs powerful hosting. Learn what actually matters: caching, storage for images, backups and an easy upgrade path as readership grows.
• How to Choose Hosting for an Online Store
  An online store needs more than a regular website: SSL, uptime during sales, checkout reliability and room for traffic spikes. Here is what to check.
• What Is Shared Hosting?
  Shared hosting puts many websites on one server sharing its CPU, RAM and IP. Learn how it works, its limits, and when to upgrade.
• What Is Cloud Hosting?
  Cloud hosting spreads a site across a pool of servers so resources scale on demand and one machine failing doesn't take the site down.
• What Is Reseller Hosting?
  Reseller hosting lets you buy server capacity in bulk and resell it as your own branded hosting plans. Learn how it works and what it costs.
• Domain Name vs. Web Hosting
  A domain name is your site's address; web hosting is the storage and server that runs it. Learn why you usually need both, from different or the same company.
• How to Choose a Web Hosting Provider
  A practical checklist for choosing a web hosting provider: uptime, support, renewal pricing, resource limits, backups and migration help.
• Free Hosting vs. Paid Hosting
  Free hosting trades cost for limits on storage, ads, support and your own domain. Compare it with paid hosting to see what actually fits.
• What Is an Uptime Guarantee?
  An uptime guarantee is a hosting provider's promise about how often your site stays online, backed by a service credit if it falls short.
• What Does "Unlimited" Hosting Mean?
  "Unlimited" hosting plans still run on physical servers with finite resources. Learn what the term really covers and where fair-use limits kick in.
• How to Migrate a Website to a New Host
  A website migration moves your files, database, email and DNS to a new host. Follow these steps to switch providers without taking your site offline.
• cPanel Hosting vs. VPS
  cPanel hosting is a managed shared plan built around a control panel, while a VPS is a resource tier that can run cPanel too. Compare both.
• Hosting Renewal Prices Explained
  Hosting plans often renew at a much higher price than the first-term offer. Learn why, how big the jump typically is, and how to avoid surprises.
• How Web Hosting Works, Step by Step
  A step-by-step walkthrough of what happens between typing a URL and a page loading, and where web hosting fits in each step.
• What Is a Hosting Provider?
  A hosting provider is the company that owns or manages the servers your website runs on. Learn its role and the main types of providers.
• What Is a Hosting Account?
  A hosting account is your personal login and allotment of resources on a host's server. Learn what it includes and how to manage it.
• What Is a Hosting Plan?
  A hosting plan is the specific package of resources, features and price a host sells. Learn what differs between plan tiers and how to pick one.
• What Is Bandwidth in Web Hosting?
  Bandwidth in hosting means how much data your site can send visitors over a period of time. Learn how to estimate what you need.
• What Is Disk Space in Hosting?
  Disk space in hosting is your account's total storage allowance for files, databases and email. Learn what counts toward it and how to free up room.
• What Is an Inode Limit?
  An inode limit caps the total files and folders in a hosting account, regardless of their size. Learn what counts and how to check your usage.
• What Is a CPU Limit in Shared Hosting?
  A CPU limit in shared hosting caps how much processor time one account can use at once. Learn how it's enforced and how to avoid hitting it.
• What Is an Entry Processes Limit?
  An entry processes limit caps how many requests your hosting account can run at the same instant. Learn why it exists and how to avoid hitting it.
• What Is RAM in Web Hosting?
  RAM in web hosting is the memory available to run your site's active processes. Learn how it differs from disk space and typical plan amounts.
• What Is Unmetered Hosting?
  Unmetered hosting means bandwidth isn't billed per gigabyte below a fair-use threshold, not that traffic has no ceiling at all.
• How to Monitor Website Uptime
  Learn how uptime monitoring tools check your site, what a check actually tests, and how to set up alerts before visitors notice an outage.
• What Is Website Downtime?
  Website downtime is any period a site is unreachable or broken for visitors. Learn planned vs unplanned downtime, common causes and how to reduce it.
• What Is a Data Center?
  A data center is a purpose-built facility that houses servers, network equipment, power and cooling for websites and apps. Here's what's inside one.
• What Is Data Center Redundancy?
  Data center redundancy means duplicating power, cooling and network paths so one failure doesn't take the facility down. N, N+1 and 2N explained.
• What Is Green Hosting?
  Green hosting runs servers on renewable energy or offsets their carbon output. Learn how it works, what to check, and if it costs more.
• What Is White-Label Hosting?
  White-label hosting lets you resell hosting infrastructure under your own brand name. Learn how it works, what you control, and who it suits.
• What Is Linux Hosting?
  Linux hosting runs your website on a Linux-based server. Learn what software it includes, its cost, and when you would choose it instead.
• What Is Windows Hosting?
  Windows hosting runs your site on a Windows Server with IIS. Learn when ASP.NET or SQL Server actually requires it, and typical costs.
• Linux vs. Windows Hosting
  Compare Linux and Windows hosting on cost, software support, control panels and compatibility to pick the right one for your site.