Choosing a web hosting plan can be challenging, especially if your website needs to handle a lot of visitors, and a basic shared hosting plan is not enough. If you are not tech-savvy or do not have time to manage a virtual private server (VPS), you should consider cloud hosting. 

Cloud hosting is great for projects that need better performance with efficient use of resource and less downtime. It can help your online business grow smoothly. 

The cloud is continually evolving to meet the needs of modern businesses, and so are organizations moving ahead to take advantage of cloud hosting. 

In this guide, we will explain every aspect of cloud hosting and give you reasons why you should choose cloud hosting.   

Why Choose Cloud Hosting? 

With traditional hosting, you need technical skills to set up and manage the server, whereas cloud hosting providers usually handle server management for you. This allows you to focus on improving your website and expanding your brand. Although shared hosting is a budget-friendly option for small websites, cloud hosting is better for projects that need growth, stability, and more power. 

Here are some reasons to choose cloud hosting:-

 

1. Scalability & Flexibility

One big benefit of cloud hosting is how easily it can grow with your needs. This is great for small businesses or fast-growing companies like startups. You can quickly add or reduce resources like storage and bandwidth as needed. Traditional hosting does not offer this kind of flexibility. 

With cloud hosting, you are not tied to specific servers, unlike traditional hosting, where you might choose servers based on their physical location to get faster load times. Instead, cloud hosting lets you access your data from anywhere with just a device and an internet connection. 

2. Cost Efficiency

Cloud hosting is usually provided as a service, where the vendor handles all the hardware. You only pay for what you use, making it very cost-effective. 

Vendors offer different packages to meet various needs, so you can find a plan that suits your business. Prices vary, but there are options for many organizations. 

Because some cloud services are shared among multiple businesses, this can lower costs even more. This is especially helpful for smaller organizations that cannot afford to buy and maintain their own hardware. 

Using cloud hosting also means you save on IT costs. The vendor takes care of the hardware and servers, so you do not have to. There is no need for big up-front purchases, and you avoid paying for unused resources, which can happen with traditional hosting. 

ALSO READ- Cloud Hosting vs Dedicated Server: Which Is the Right One for You? 

3. Traffic & Uptime 

Cloud hosting uses many connected servers, so you experience less downtime. If one server fails, another can quickly take over. Traditional hosting, which depends on a single server, does not offer this advantage. 

When a traditional server goes down, it can lead to longer downtimes. With cloud hosting, there is less downtime for your organization’s applications and website, leading to higher productivity for your team. 

4. Downtime & Disaster Recovery

Cloud hosting has a big advantage when it comes to backups and data recovery. Because it uses multiple servers, your data is automatically backed up. If one server fails, you will not lose any information and can recover your data easily. 

In contrast, traditional hosting stores all your data on a single server. If that server fails, recovering your data can be much harder and more complicated. 

5. Enhanced DDoS Attack Protection

Cloud hosting offers superior protection against DDoS attacks. Since cloud hosting uses multiple servers, if your provider faces a DDoS attack, your website is less likely to be impacted. This redundancy ensures that your site remains accessible even during an attack. 

This heightened level of protection is particularly crucial for online stores and high-traffic websites. These sites benefit from continuous uptime, preventing lost sales and maintaining customer trust by avoiding downtime. 

Peace of Mind

With cloud hosting, you usually work with a vendor or server host who offers customer support and services. This allows your organization to focus on its operations while a trained team helps with any technical issues. 

This is especially helpful for smaller organizations that may not have their own IT team. Some vendors even offer 24/7 support to meet your needs any time of day. 

Additionally, vendors provide secure cloud solutions, reducing data security risks for your organization. Your vendor can explain how your data is protected through their policies and procedures. 

 

Collaboration

Many organizations now have remote or hybrid workplaces, meaning many employees are not in the office. With cloud hosting, employees can access applications and data from anywhere with a device and internet connection. 

This boosts productivity and gives employees the flexibility to work from any location. Cloud hosting supports mobile teams, allowing employees to access and work on the same documents, no matter where they are. 

ALSO READ- Cloud Hosting vs VPS Hosting: Know the Difference 

How Does Cloud Hosting Work? 

Cloud hosting uses virtualization to function. This means a virtual layer is created on a server to store content and data. These virtual layers can be copied to other servers in various parts of the world. This way, your data is spread across multiple servers, making it more reliable and scalable. 

Cloud Hosting vs. Web Hosting

Traditional web hosting uses a single server to store all the website’s files and content. When someone visits the website, their web browser downloads these files. Web hosting typically has four main types: shared, dedicated, managed, and virtual private server (VPS) hosting.  

  • In shared hosting, multiple websites share a single server, making it the most economical option, but it limits the scalability of each website due to shared resources. 
  • Dedicated hosting solves this problem by leasing one or more servers exclusively to one website, although the client must manage the server.  
  • Managed hosting is like dedicated hosting, but the provider handles all server maintenance, security, updates, and backups, making it ideal for those without in-house server management skills.  
  • VPS hosting divides a server into several virtual servers, each acting as an independent server, offering more control but still limited by the single server’s resources. 

Cloud hosting stands out for its scalability, reliability, and performance advantages over traditional web hosting options like shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting. It offers highly scalable resources that can be adjusted in real time to meet fluctuating demands, ensuring optimal performance during traffic spikes. With built-in redundancy across multiple servers (duplicating critical components of the infrastructure across multiple servers or data centers), cloud hosting provides high reliability and minimizes downtime risks. While typically more cost-effective than dedicated hosting, cloud hosting’s pricing structure allows businesses to pay only for the resources they use, making it a flexible and efficient choice for businesses of all sizes needing reliable, scalable web hosting solutions. 

Comparison  Cloud Hosting  Traditional Web Hosting (Shared, VPS, Dedicated) 
Scalability  Highly scalable, allowing instant adjustments to resources based on demand.  Limited scalability overall. Shared hosting has the least, VPS is moderate, and dedicated hosting requires physical upgrades. 
Performance  It offers better performance due to multiple servers working together.  Varies by type: 

  • Shared hosting has inconsistent performance. 
  • VPS offers superior performance. 
  • Dedicated hosting provides the highest performance but depends on server specifications. 
Reliability  High reliability with built-in redundancy. If one server fails, others take over.  Less reliable overall. Shared hosting is the least reliable, VPS is more reliable, and dedicated hosting is exceptionally reliable but lacks automatic failover. 
Cost  It can be more cost-effective as you only pay for the resources you use.  Variations by type: Shared hosting is the most affordable, VPS is moderately expensive, and dedicated hosting is the costliest. 
Ideal For  Businesses with fluctuating workloads need flexibility and high availability.  Websites with specific needs: Shared hosting for small sites with low traffic, VPS for those needing more control and performance, and dedicated hosting for large, high-traffic sites. 

 

Cons of Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting, like every technology, has its imperfections. One significant drawback is its dependence on a stable internet connection.  

Unlike traditional computing, which uses a direct wired connection to access data on servers or storage devices, cloud computing requires an internet connection. A poor connection can prevent you from accessing essential information or applications. 

Even leading cloud service providers can face downtime due to natural disasters or unexpected technical issues that can affect connectivity. During these times, you might be unable to access cloud services until the issue is resolved. 

 

In a nutshell 

Cloud hosting lets you easily add or remove resources like RAM, storage, and security services as needed. It is reliable, flexible, and cost-effective. Plus, it offers strong data backup and disaster recovery, which is better than what you get with shared or dedicated hosting on a single server. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions – Cloud Hosting

1. What Are the Best Cloud Hosting Providers?

Every provider, BigRock, offers assorted services and features, such as flexible pricing, scalable infrastructure, and reliable performance, to suit businesses of all sizes. It is important to compare these before making a choice. 

2. How Do I Choose a Cloud Hosting Provider?  

When picking a cloud hosting provider, consider factors like performance, scalability, reliability, security, and customer support. Consider what your business specifically needs and compare what different providers offer. Check customer reviews to see how satisfied other users are with their service. 

3. What Are the Steps to Move to Cloud Hosting? 

To move to cloud hosting: 

  • Choose a cloud hosting provider and plan that fits your needs. For example, BigRock has different plans to suit your needs.  
  • Review your current setup.  
  • Transfer your data to the cloud.  
  • Set up your applications and adjust your settings in the new cloud environment.