What Is Shared Hosting & How Does It Work

Shared hosting is a website hosting service that allows many websites to use the same server. Why would they do that, might you ask? The answer is simple: cost and resources. A server can host more than one website. Thus, by allocating resources to different users, the cost of maintaining the server decreases significantly. 

Before diving into more details about shared hosting, let’s break down how servers and hosting actually work. 

How Does Shared Hosting Work?

In simple terms, every time you type a website’s URL into your browser, it is searching to find the server on which this website is stored or “hosted.” Once the browser locates the server, it sends an HTTP request message to the server, requesting information and data to make the website visible. 

With shared hosting, the process is precisely the same. The only difference is that one server is responsible for storing/hosting the data for multiple websites at once.

Think of shared hosting as a cruise ship with different cabins. Cabins are websites, the ship itself is the server, and people are… the ones who want to reach the same destination – online success. 

While everyone uses the same server and the same mode of transportation, their journey is different. What you choose to do on a cruise ship is entirely different from what the person renting the same cabin next to you decides to do. You share the engine to get to your destination, but you do have the flexibility and freedom for a unique journey and experience. Shared hosting is the most affordable option among all web hosting solutions, which is why it’s preferred by so many people. 

Who Is Shared Hosting Most Suitable For? 

This hosting type is ideal for blogs, news websites, web development beginners, WordPress users, and e-Commerce stores beginning their online journey. Sharing a server means that your website is not yet at the stage where it needs to accommodate a lot of traffic, videos, or bandwidth. 

What Are the Benefits of Shared Hosting? 

Shared hosting is one of the most popular solutions provided by Hostinger, and there is a good reason for that – it packs a lot of advantages for people that want to start their online journey. Let’s see some of the benefits that make shared hosting a favorite. 

Budget-Friendly Solution

Budget matters whether you’re planning to book your cruise holidays, or preparing for your online journey. Nobody wants to invest a lot of money just building their website, blog, or e-shop. Shared hosting is a cheap web host solution that allows you to get the service you need at a fraction of the cost since other users contribute to maintaining the server. 

Think of it as booking a cruise ship ticket vs. booking a yacht. The yacht, in this case, would be a VPS host where you have the exclusivity, but at the same time, it would incur the total cost for use and maintenance. 

For a more detailed breakdown of shared hosting vs. VPS hosting, refer to one of our latest articles, “Shared Hosting vs. VPS Hosting: Which One Is for You?”

Easy to Manage & No Prior Experience Needed 

Hosting a website when you have no prior experience might sound like a very technical and challenging obstacle to get over. For this reason, shared hosting was put together to simplify both the setup and management of your website’s hosting. 

Once you acquire the plan, the following process is simple, even for a beginner. Hostinger will set up the shared server, install and upgrade the necessary software, monitor the servers to avoid downtime, and effectively take care of the back end. Thus, you don’t need any coding or web development experience. What you’ll get is a beautifully designed panel that is intuitive and easy to use – from setting up your email to managing your domain, every detail will be laid out for you in a simplified, digestible manner.

Do you ever get on a ship thinking about your lack of maritime or nautical experience? Nope. It is precisely the same with shared hosting. It is an ideal way to start your online journey. We would love to have you on board!