MJ LABSIn this article
Web hosting is a service that provides space on a server that is always connected to the internet, so your website can be opened by anyone at any time. A website is made of files: pages, scripts, images and a database. Hosting is where those files are stored and served to visitors.
Hosting, domain, server: what is the difference?
- Domain: the address, for example
example.com. - Hosting: the place where the site's files are stored and where visitors get them from.
- Server: the computer that does the work. A hosting plan gives you a part or all of one.
The domain points to the hosting, like a street address points to a house.
Main types of hosting
- Shared hosting: many sites share one server. The cheapest and simplest option, enough for a small company website or a blog. The downside: other sites on the server can slow yours down.
- VPS (virtual server): you get a protected slice of a server with guaranteed resources and more control. Suitable for growing sites and web shops, but someone must manage it.
- Dedicated server: a whole physical server for you. Maximum power and control, highest price, needs an administrator.
- Cloud hosting: resources come from a large pool and can grow when you need them, and you often pay for what you use. Good for sites with variable traffic.
- Managed hosting (for example for WordPress): the provider also looks after updates, security and backups. A comfortable choice if you have no technical person.
Quick comparison
| Your situation | A good fit |
|---|---|
| Small company site, few visitors | Shared or managed hosting |
| Web shop with growing orders | VPS or cloud hosting |
| Large site, special requirements | Dedicated server or cloud |
| No technical skills | Managed hosting |
Free hosting: when and why not
Free hosting can be fine for a test or a school project. For a business it brings advertising on your pages, a weak connection, no support and a real risk that the site disappears. A real company should not run on it.
Checklist for choosing
- Reliability: uptime of at least 99.9% and a clear status page.
- Speed: modern disks (SSD or NVMe) and a data centre close to your visitors. For Sweden or the EU, choose a European location.
- Security: free SSL certificate, firewall, malware protection and automatic backups you can restore yourself.
- Support: answers in your language and in reasonable time. Test it before you buy.
- Room to grow: an easy upgrade path without moving the whole site.
- Clear price: look at the renewal price, not only the first-year discount, and check the extras.
- GDPR: a provider that offers a data processing agreement and servers in the EU.
- Control: email accounts, databases, PHP versions and access over SFTP or SSH if you need them.
How to put a site online
- Buy a hosting plan and a domain (often at the same provider, but you can use different ones).
- Point the domain to the hosting by setting its name servers or DNS records.
- Install your website system (such as WordPress) with the one-click installer, or upload the files by SFTP.
- Turn on the SSL certificate so the site opens over HTTPS.
- Set up automatic backups and test one restore.
- Check speed and open the site from phone and computer.
The best hosting is the one you do not have to think about. Choose reliability and good support before the lowest price.
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