Website Builder vs Web Hosting: The Difference in Features, Design, and Scalability
In order to create a website, web hosting and website builders are typically utilized. Although both are crucial, only one is required; the other is only an extra step in the website-building process.
Without knowing any code, users can develop and publish web pages using an all-in-one platform called a website builder. On the other hand, web hosting is a service that keeps users’ website files on a server so that they may be accessed online.
So that you all do not get confused between a website builder and web hosting, we’ll examine the features, price, customizability, and scalability of web hosting and website builders. We will also walk you through how to decide between the two services. So, if you want to know more, please keep reading this article.
Website Builder: What is it?
With the usage of website builders, people may construct web pages without knowing how to write code. To make it simple for customers to create websites, they usually provide drag-and-drop capability and a variety of configurable HTML5 templates.
Additionally, a web hosting service that enables customers to view their web pages online is already included in the top site builders. Users can therefore avoid purchasing hosting individually.
Because of their simplicity of use and short learning curve, website builders are perfect for novices. There are other systems with varying capabilities and costs, such as Squarespace, Wix etc.
Web Hosting: What is it?
The service that allows your website to be accessed online is called web hosting.
Although it is possible to publish a website without a web server, most users do not advise this. This is because it requires expensive and time-consuming setup of a local computer to function as a hosting server.
A web hosting firm may assist you in publishing websites in the most easy and popular way possible.
Customers that purchase this service from a web hosting company rent server space to house the data for their website. After that, it is the host server’s responsibility to handle requests from online users and get the information needed to show the website.
A web hosting provider alone cannot be used to develop a website, in contrast to builder platforms. You have two options: utilise a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, or create the website by hand and submit the contents to the host server.
Numerous web hosting firms provide various kinds of hosting services. You may select from a variety of web hosting options such as:
Shared hosting:
The server resources used by several users for their websites are shared. The most economical choice, this kind of hosting is perfect for small to medium-sized websites.
Cloud hosting:
Instead of using a single physical server, a website is hosted on many cloud servers. Web apps or websites with a lot of traffic might benefit from cloud hosting.
Virtual Private Servers (VPS):
A physical server provides a portion of its devoted resources to users. This kind of hosting is an effective option for website owners that need flexibility and control over their server configuration.
WordPress hosting:
WordPress hosting is a type of web hosting that is tailored to be especially compatible with the content management system. LiteSpeed Cache is among the pre-installed plugins that are frequently included.
Difference between website builder & web hosting based on Features, Scalability and Design and Customizability:
| Parameters | Website builder | Web hosting |
| Security | Managed by the provider | Depends on the plan you buy for hosting |
| Design & Customizability | Limited to the provided templates and tools | More flexible using code and third-party extensions |
| Scalability | Possible and dependent on the provider | Possible and can be scaled as per the demands of the user |
| Control of the website | Partial | Total |
Features of Web Hosting vs. Website Builder
A web hosting service is included in website builders; therefore, they could have comparable functionality. For instance, some website builders provide professional email, free, limitless SSL certificates, a bespoke domain, and round-the-clock customer service.
To aid with the process of creating a website, a site builder also offers extra features and functionalities. For instance, some website builders have connections with Hotjar and Google Analytics, two third-party programmes.
Meanwhile, the built-in functionality of various builders’ change based on the platform supplier. Search engine optimisation (SEO) tools, eCommerce features, and AI-powered tools like the AI Heatmap can also be a part of the website builder.
However, you have greater freedom to add new features with a web host since they allow you to utilise a content management system (CMS) like WordPress or custom-code your website. Installing a plugin is the easiest way to use a content management system (CMS); for websites that are custom-coded, the functionality must be developed manually.
Investing in a web hosting service is a better option than using an all-in-one builder platform for websites that require complicated or customised features because of its versatility. In the meanwhile, a blog, personal portfolio, company website, or tiny online store would all benefit greatly from using a website builder.
Website Builders vs. Web Hosting: Customizability and Design
Website templates with navigation links, headers, buttons, and other features pre-installed are offered by site builders. These templates are simply editable with a drag-and-drop visual editor to suit your tastes.
Despite being easier to use, site builders offer fewer template options than content management systems (CMSs) and do not allow you to create bespoke elements. On the other hand, website builder features an AI Website Builder option and hundreds of templates for various site categories. The programme will create an entirely unique website from start if you only submit a brief description of the website.
A web hosting company, meantime, gives you the flexibility to create your website using a variety of techniques. When utilising a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress, you have access to more than 10,000 themes in its official library or may search third-party template markets for more alternatives.
As an alternative, you might employ a web developer to start from scratch and create a custom-coded website. For enterprise-level projects, the website’s endless design customization is possible due to your complete control over its code.
All things considered, a web hosting provider provides more possibilities for personalization and design than a website builder. Even so, site builders provide enough design tools for anybody seeking to create a basic website.
Control and Scalability in Comparing Web Hosting and Website Builders
Users of a web hosting service can access and export the files of their websites to optimise them. For instance, you might compress the files on your website to make it load faster. Additionally, you can quickly move to a hosting package that offers superior performance or even switch providers.
It is essential that you have the ability to change your plan since you may want limitless bandwidth as the amount of traffic on your website rises. In addition, as you add more content to your website, you will want a server that has a greater capacity for storage.
On the other hand, the majority of builder platforms do not permit users to export their website files, which makes it difficult for customers to effortlessly transition to another platform.
On the other hand, some website builders provide hosting that can be upgraded as well as an export capability. For instance, customers of the Website Builder are given the ability to move their sites to WordPress at any moment or switch to higher-performance plans.
To summarise, a web hosting service provides owners of websites with increased control and scalability in comparison to building platforms. On the other hand, some website builders offer hosting and migration services that can be upgraded, giving you the ability to expand your website in the long term.
How to Determine Which Option Is Best When Choosing Between a Website Builder and Web Hosting
We will discuss the types of people who would benefit most from using a website builder as opposed to web hosting so that you can make an informed decision.
Website builder
For novices who wish to construct a personal blog, portfolio, online store, or commercial website in a short amount of time, using a website builder is the best option. It is quite simple to use, and it incorporates all of the different services that are necessary to build a website.
Users are restricted from freely installing a variety of third-party extensions while using this option, therefore it is not appropriate for websites that require extensive bespoke functionality. The number of available connectors is restricted, despite the fact that certain platforms come with them already installed.
Because some website builders do not permit customers to export their website data, switching web hosting is another challenging task. In this scenario, you should select a platform that comes equipped with a hosting and migration functionality that can be upgraded.
Website builders are beneficial for owners of small businesses, despite the fact that they have some limits. These platforms often have eCommerce, traffic analytics, and search engine optimisation capabilities that are built in, all of which may assist in the expansion of your company.
Web hosting
If you want to experiment with different approaches to building websites from the ground up, purchasing a web hosting plan is an ideal choice. It is also an excellent choice if the look and functionality of your website require a great lot of personalization.
Users have complete control over their websites and are free to effortlessly transfer to a different hosting provider or kind of service. Because of its adaptability, web hosting is ideally suited for use by major corporations that wish to scale the capacity of their websites to handle increased visitor numbers.
If you choose this path, you will need to either utilise a content management system (CMS) such as WordPress or write your own website code. If you require a straightforward and speedy solution, purchasing a hosting service alone is not the best option because setting up the platform might take some time.
In addition to that, in order to make your website completely functioning, you might need to invest in some more plugins. It is possible that using a normal web hosting provider to develop a website can end up costing you more money than using a website builder if you want to utilise premium options.
The final word
Users are able to develop and publish web pages without having to know how to code by using a website builder, which is an all-in-one platform. In the meanwhile, a web hosting provider will upload all of your website’s files to a server, which will then make them available online.
Small companies and beginners might benefit from using a website builder since it is more intuitive and requires less time to master. Utilising a web hosting provider, on the other hand, is preferable when it comes to the process of developing a website with complex features and bespoke code.
BigRock is a reliable domain, web security and web hosting provider that offers 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support, high scalability and performance. In case you have any doubts, queries or feedback for this article, please share them in the comments section below.
