Is Shared Hosting Good For Blogging? (Don’t Mess Up)

Last Updated on July 21, 2023 by Jordan Alexo

So you want to start blogging but wonder, “Is shared hosting good for bloggers?” Well, you’re in the right place. This guide is going to break down everything you need to know about shared hosting.

You’re about to discover why shared hosting is a popular choice for beginners, the pros and cons, and how it stacks up against other hosting options.

I’m also going to help you choose the right shared hosting provider and when it might be time to upgrade. So, let’s roll!

Key Takeaways

• Shared Hosting is Budget-Friendly: Perfect for beginners, shared hosting is the most cost-effective way to get your blog online. It’s like renting an apartment in a building full of websites!
  
  
• Know the Pros and Cons: Shared hosting is easy to use and maintenance-free, but remember, you’re sharing resources. If your blog neighbor gets a traffic spike, it could slow you down.

• Compare Your Options: Shared hosting isn’t your only choice. There’s also dedicated VPS, cloud, and managed hosting. Each has its perks and price tags, so choose what fits your blog’s needs and budget.

• Choosing a Provider Matters: Look for a shared hosting provider that offers enough storage, bandwidth, uptime, top-notch customer support, and security. Your blog deserves a good home!

• Upgrade When Ready: As your blog grows, you might outgrow shared hosting. If your traffic is skyrocketing, your site is loading slowly, or you need more control, it might be time to move to a bigger place.

Why Shared Hosting is a Popular Choice For Beginners?3

And that’s a steal compared to dedicated hosting, which can set you back anywhere from $100 to over $200 monthly. This is a server only meant for your website.

But it isn’t just about being cheaper; shared hosting is also user-friendly. The fact is most shared hosting providers offer a control panel that’s as easy to navigate.

So, even if you’re a total newbie, you can manage your website like a pro.

The Pros and Cons of Shared Hosting for Bloggers

So we’ve established that shared hosting is like living in an apartment building, as being affordable and easy to manage. But just like living in an apartment, you have pros and cons. Let’s check them out:

The Upside of Shared Hosting

1. Affordability: Shared hosting is the most cost-effective way of getting started. You don’t need to spend much money to get your site online.
2. Ease of Use: Most shared hosting providers offer a user-friendly control panel. In other words, you can easily manage your site without being an expert. Plus, many providers offer one-click installations for platforms like WordPress.
3. Maintenance-Free: The hosting provider manages server maintenance and updates. For this reason, you can focus on what you do best – creating killer content for your blog.

The Downside of Shared Hosting

1. Limited Resources: You’re sharing server resources with other websites. If one of those websites gets a sudden traffic spike, it could affect your performance.
2. Security Risks: Shared hosting isn’t the most secure hosting option. If one website on your server gets hacked, it could also affect your site.
3. Lack of Customization: You don’t have root access to the server. Hence, you can’t customize server settings depending on your preferences.

That’s why most new bloggers start with sharing hosting and eventually upgrade to dedicated or VPS hosting. Initially, you want to keep your costs low until your blog makes enough money to justify a higher investment in hosting.

Shared Hosting vs. Other Hosting Options

Okay, now you have an idea about shared hosting. But what other options do you have out there?

1 – Dedicated Hosting

Let’s say this is like living in a mansion. Yeah, today, it’s all about real estate and hosting (hehe…)!

Anyway, you’ve got the whole place to yourself. You don’t need to share your space with annoying neighbors who leave their dogs barking all day.

Instead, you’re not sharing resources with anyone. Sounds great, right? But it comes with a pricey tag. Also, you’re responsible for all the maintenance. If you’re someone starting, this might be too much.

In fact, there’s no justification for a new blogger ever to consider dedicated hosting. I mean, your blog doesn’t have anyone visiting, nor its pumping cash into your bank account.

2 – Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting

This is like living in a condo. You still share a building with others but have your dedicated portion of the server’s resources.

It’s a step up from shared hosting, offering more power and flexibility. But it’s also more expensive and requires a bit more technical know-how.

3 – Cloud Hosting

Imagine living in a housing cooperative. Your resources are spread across multiple servers, so if one server goes down, another picks up the slack.

This makes cloud hosting incredibly reliable and scalable. But, it can get pricey as your site grows, and the pricing model can be unpredictable.

4 – Managed Hosting

Now imagine having a butler for your website. The hosting provider handles all the technical stuff like security, backups, updates, and speed optimization.

It’s a great option if you don’t want to deal with the technical side of things. But it’s also one of the most expensive options.

Which Hosting Should You Choose?

Well, if you’re just starting out, shared hosting is a solid choice. Because it’s affordable, easy to use, and perfect for small to medium-sized blogs.

As your blog grows, you might consider upgrading to VPS or cloud hosting. However, the best option depends on your needs and, more importantly, your budget.

What To Look For When Choosing The Right Shared Hosting Provider?

Okay, so you know decided to go with shared hosting. But wait, there are hundreds of companies – so how do you choose the best one? Well, you want one that is reputable for being reliable, and gives you excellent customer support.

Believe me, in the beginning; you’ll need all the help you can get. I’ve messed up my blog a few times, and if it weren’t for customer support, they’d have stayed offline longer.

Anyway, here’s what to look for:

1 – Storage Space

This is like the square footage of your apartment. Make sure you have enough space for your website files. See, most shared hosting providers offer plenty of storage for a small to medium-sized blog.

2 – Bandwidth

For instance, this is the width of your apartment’s doorway. The wider it is, the more visitors (data) can come in and out simultaneously. So, look for a provider with enough bandwidth to handle your expected traffic.

I guess initially, you might have zero. But if you want to migrate to a bigger provider, then consider this factor.

3 – Uptime

This is like the reliability of your apartment’s utilities. You want them to be available 24/7. Just imagine waking up and never knowing if you have water to shower or electricity to power your stuff. Not good, right?

Thus, look for a provider with a high uptime guarantee (99.9% is a good benchmark).

4 – Customer Support

You could see this as your landlord. If something goes wrong, you want to know they’ll be there to fix it. For this reason, pick a provider with 24/7 customer support and good customer reviews.

5 – Security

This is like the locks on your apartment’s doors. You want to keep your website safe from hackers. You want a web host with security features like SSL certificates and regular backups.

6 – User-Friendly Control Panel

Let’s say this is the layout of your apartment. You want it to be easy to navigate. Rather than stumble around trying to figure your way. So, choose a company with a user-friendly control panel, especially if you’re a beginner.

What Are The Best Shared Hosting Providers For Bloggers?

You got many options out there; where do you start? Well, you can always read my post about “9 Best Blogging Web Host Providers.” I go in-depth about the top choices.

Anyway, here’s a quick breakdown of the three popular companies for bloggers:

1 – Bluehost

If you’re looking for a reliable and affordable shared hosting provider, Bluehost is a solid choice. With plans starting at $2.95 monthly, you get a free domain name, CDN, and SSL certificate.

Furthermore, they offer 24/7 customer support and a user-friendly control panel. I started my blogging journey with Bluehost. Nowadays, I prefer WPX Hosting because it has faster loading times and better overall performance.

2 – SiteGround

Siteground has amazing customer service, and it’s another great option for shared hosting. Their basic plan starts at $2.99 monthly and includes 10 GB of website space, daily backups, free CDN, email, and SSL.

Also, they offer daily backup and more advanced features with their higher plans.

3 – DreamHost

With plans starting at $2.95 monthly, DreamHost offers unlimited traffic, free SSL, and WordPress pre-installed to make your life easier.

And free migration is also included if you want to switch from another hosting provider.

When To Upgrade from Shared Hosting?

You’re all set, right? Well, maybe for now. But as your blog grows, you might start to feel cramped in your shared hosting plan. So, when is it time to upgrade?

1 – Your Traffic is Skyrocketing

As a blogger, we all want to have this good problem. It means your blog is taking off.

However, with shared hosting, you’re sharing resources with other websites.

If your traffic is consistently high, you might need more resources than a shared hosting plan can provide.

2 – Your Site is Loading Slowly

If your site takes forever to load, you’ll love visitors. Usually, this means more than 3 seconds to load, and people start saying “bye-bye.”

In this case, it’s time to move your stuff to a bigger place like VPS or cloud hosting.

3 – You Need More Control

With shared hosting, you don’t have root access to the server. For this reason, you can’t customize server settings. If you want more control over your hosting, consider upgrading to VPS or dedicated hosting.

4 – Security Concerns

If your website handles sensitive information, you might consider a hosting option with stronger security features.

While many shared hosting providers offer security features like SSL certificates and regular backups, dedicated hosting or VPS can provide a higher level of security.

Last Thoughts – Is Shared Hosting the Right Choice for Your Blog?

So we spoke about what sharing host is, why it’s popular with beginners, and the pros and cons. And compared it to other hosting options, discussed how to choose a provider, and talked about when it might be time to upgrade.

But let’s talk about the million-dollar question: Is shared hosting the right choice for your blog?

Well, if you’re just starting, shared hosting is a solid choice. It’s inexpensive, user-friendly, and perfect for small to medium-sized blogs.

It might not be perfect, but it’s a great place to start.

Anyway, as your blog grows, you might consider upgrading to something more advanced like VPS or cloud hosting.

So take your time, do your research, and choose wisely. If you need further help to choose the right pick for your blog, then leave a comment below.