Shared web hosting is affordable and easy to set up, but comes with performance, security, and resource limitations. It’s best suited for small, low-traffic websites like blogs or portfolios. For growing businesses or advanced needs, consider VPS or dedicated hosting solutions.

Shared web hosting is one of the most popular and affordable options for hosting a website. This is especially true for newly emerging businesses such as startups and blogs having low traffic. Shared web hosting offers cost savings and simplicity in the set up process. It also comes with several drawbacks. The three main issues with shared hosting are as follows :

  1. performance limitations
  2. security risks
  3. resource constraints

Understanding these problems can help you decide whether shared hosting is the right choice for your website.

Performance Issues

  1. Slow Loading Speeds : Multiple websites share the same server resources such as CPU, RAM, and bandwidth in shared web hosting. This can cause your site’s performance to be impacted. If a website on the same server experiences a sudden increase in traffic, your website may slow down significantly. This can also happen if the neighboring website consumes extra resources to run its components.
  2. Unpredictable Uptime : Shared hosting providers often try to host multiple websites on a single server. This often leads to overloaded servers. This is generally done by web hosting providers to maximize profits. This leads to increased downtime. If one website on the server crashes or gets hacked, it can affect all other sites hosted on the same server. This can cause your website to malfunction as well.
  3. Limited Server Resources : Most shared hosting plans impose strict limits on CPU usage, memory, and database queries. If your website/business starts growing and consuming more resources, the hosting provider may put manual limits on your site’s performance. This causes the website to slow down. Sometimes, the service provider may even suspend your account for exceeding allocated memory limits and database query limits.
Also Read: What is Shared Hosting? Your Ultimate Guide To Everything You Need To Know

Security Concerns

  1. Cross-Site Contamination vulnerability is higher: Since multiple websites share the same server, a security breach on one site can potentially affect others. If a hacker exploits a vulnerability in a neighbouring website, they might gain access to the entire server, putting your data at risk.
  2. Limited Security Customisation: Shared hosting users have minimal control over server-level security settings. Hosting providers implement basic security measures like firewalls and malware scanning. Custom security software or advanced protections cannot be installed because the hosting company controls the server, offering no autonomy.
  3. Higher Risk of DDoS Attacks : Hackers generally target multiple websites on a single server. They do this by using Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. If another website on your server is hacked or affected, your website might also face downtime due to DDoS overload.
  4. Outdated Software and PHP Versions : Some shared hosting providers are slow to update server software. This leaves the websites vulnerable to security threats. If the web server uses old PHP version without necessary security protocols, hackers can break in easily and compromise your website.
  5. Lack of Privacy : On a shared web server, there is no clear segregation in files and databases. An error in other website’s codebase carries the risk of exposing your data.
Also Read: VPS vs. Shared Hosting: Which One Is Right For You?

Limitations

  1. Limited Scalability : Shared hosting is designed for small websites with low traffic. If your website starts growing rapidly, you’ll quickly hit resource limits. This can force you to upgrade to a Virtual Private Server (VPS), cloud hosting or even dedicated hosting. This process of upgrading is very complicated and time consuming.
  2. Restricted Software and Applications : Many shared hosting providers impose restrictions on the types of software you can install. Certain scripts or applications may be blocked to prevent server overload. This can limit functionality for developers who need custom setups in their particular use cases.
  3. Poor shared Database Performance : Shared hosting databases such as ‘MySQL’ often suffer from slow query speeds due to high server loads. If your website or business relies on database-driven applications such as SaaS platforms, e-Commerce platforms, you may experience significant lag and delays.
  4. No Root Access : Unlike a Virtual Private Server (VPS) or dedicated hosting, shared hosting does not provide access to root kit. This means you cannot modify server configurations, install custom modules, or optimize performance at a deeper level.

When Should You Use Shared Hosting?

Despite the above-mentioned limitations and security concerns, shared hosting is still a viable option for :

  1. Small personal blogs which have low traffic
  2. Portfolio websites
  3. Startups with low traffic
  4. Static business websites

However, if your website requires

  1. High performance
  2. Strong security
  3. Rapid scalability
  4. Customization

you may want to consider upgrading to a Virtual Private Server (VPS), cloud hosting, or even dedicated servers based hosting.

Conclusion

Shared web hosting is an economical option for basic websites, startups and low traffic blogs. But it also has certain drawbacks such as security, limitations and performance issue.

Looking for an economical web hosting solution? Check out BigRock Web and Cloud Hosting services.