What's the Difference Between Shared Hosting and Managed Hosting?

Hosting is the service that keeps your website available online. If that sounds unfamiliar, start with the difference between a domain, hosting and a website. Once you know what hosting is, the next question is usually which kind to choose. Two common options are shared hosting and managed hosting.

What shared hosting means

With shared hosting, your website lives on a server alongside many other websites, all sharing the same resources. It is like renting a room in a crowded house. The price is low, which is why it is popular.

The catch is that you share. If a neighbor's site gets a lot of traffic, yours can slow down. Security and updates are often left to you, and support can be general rather than personal.

What managed hosting means

Managed hosting is closer to a serviced apartment. The provider takes care of the technical upkeep for you, such as updates, security monitoring, backups, and tuning for speed. You focus on your business and they keep the engine running.

It usually costs more per month, but you spend less time dealing with problems and more time with a site that simply works.

How they compare

• Cost: Shared is cheaper. Managed costs more.
• Speed: Shared can vary depending on other sites on the server. Managed is typically more consistent.
• Security: Shared often leaves more to you. Managed usually includes monitoring and protection.
• Backups: Shared may offer basic or manual ones. Managed typically handles them for you. See do you need a website backup plan.
• Support: Shared is usually general. Managed is often more hands-on.

Why it matters for your customers

A slow or unavailable site costs you customers quietly. Speed and reliability are covered in how to tell if your website is fast enough and what website uptime is and why it matters. The type of hosting behind your site influences both.

Which should you choose?

If your site is a simple brochure that gets a few visitors and you are comfortable handling updates yourself, shared hosting may be enough. If your website brings in enquiries or sales, or you would rather not worry about technical upkeep, managed hosting is usually worth the extra cost.

Whatever you choose, make sure someone is responsible for keeping things updated, backed up and secure. The label matters less than knowing who is looking after it.