What Is Cloud Hosting: Everything You Need To Know

Key takeaways: 

• Cloud hosting is great for websites with fluctuating traffic and needs.
• Cloud hosting differs from traditional hosting since it uses multiple servers instead of a single server with fixed resources.
• Cloud hosting’s main benefits include scalability, reliability, security, performance, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility.

Remember when Coinbase’s bouncing QR code Super Bowl ad got so popular, it crashed their app? If their hosting plan could anticipate the sudden surge of traffic, they could have avoided that crash.  

But if you’re in their shoes and don’t have the budget yet for a fully dedicated hosting service, what are you going to do? 

Cloud hosting has become popular for anyone who needs more flexibility and reliability options since its performance and scalability are an upgrade from traditional web hosting. However, it doesn’t cost as much as other hosting types, such as VPS hosting or dedicated hosting. 

If you’re not convinced, we’ll dive into the details of cloud hosting, how it works, and why it could be a good fit for you. 

What is cloud hosting? 

Cloud hosting hosts your site on multiple virtual servers rather than a single physical one. The cloud distributes your resources across multiple machines, so your site stays up and running — even if one server fails. 

Unlike traditional hosting, which ties you to one physical server, cloud hosting allows for more flexibility. If you need more resources, they’re available on demand. That way, you’ll spend less than dedicated hosting services while enjoying more than your typical shared hosting. 

Types of cloud hosting 

When it comes to cloud hosting, there are a few options to consider. Each has its benefits, depending on your needs. 

Public cloud hosting 

This is the most familiar form of cloud hosting. In a public cloud, multiple users share the same infrastructure, but the cloud server keeps your data private and secure. It’s not so different from regular shared hosting, except your resources adjust accordingly to your needs. 

The main advantage here is that it’s cost-effective. However, because resources are shared, performance could dip during peak times. 

• Pros: Affordable, easy to scale.
• Cons: Less control; potential performance fluctuations.

Private cloud hosting 

A private cloud is a dedicated environment just for your business. You have full control over your resources, and security is tighter since you’re not sharing with anyone else. It’s a great option if you have sensitive data or specific performance needs. 

• Pros: More control and enhanced security.
• Cons: Higher cost, more maintenance.

Hybrid cloud hosting 

A hybrid cloud is a mix of both public and private clouds, so you can keep your sensitive data in a private cloud while using public cloud resources for most tasks. It’s a good choice if you need flexibility but still want added security. It’s also more affordable than a private cloud, in case your budget is an issue. 

• Pros: Flexible, secure.
• Cons: More complex to manage.

Managed vs. unmanaged cloud hosting 

Managed cloud hosting, just like in the name, means providers manage the technical stuff – maintenance, security updates, and more. On the other hand, for unmanaged cloud hosting, you’re in charge of the server yourself. 

Managed and unmanaged can either be public, private, or hybrid. The main difference is whether or not the cloud hosting providers manage your site. 

• Pros and cons of managed: Less work for you but at a higher cost.
• Pros and cons of unmanaged: Full control and lower cost but requires more time and technical knowledge.

How does cloud hosting work? 

Cloud hosting spreads your website’s resources across several servers. The host sets up load balancing to make sure the work is spread evenly so that no single server gets overloaded. Say you’re a website owner with servers all over the US, a server issue in one state won’t cause issues. There are plenty others ready to carry the slack. 

But one of the big benefits of cloud hosting is scalability. As your site grows or your traffic fluctuates, you can add more resources as needed. And since you only pay for what you use, it’s a much more cost-effective option compared to traditional hosting. 

Cloud hosting vs. shared hosting 

We’ve previously mentioned how shared hosting and cloud hosting are nearly similar. To clear up the confusion, let’s talk about shared hosting, which is one of the most common and affordable traditional hosting options. 

With shared hosting, your website shares a server with many others. While it’s cheap, sharing resources can lead to slower performance or downtime if another site on the server gets a spike in traffic.

• Performance. Since you’re sharing resources, your site might slow down if others on the server get a lot of traffic.
• Scalability. If your site grows, shared hosting doesn’t have the space or capabilities to support it with all the other websites using the resources.
• Reliability. If one website on the server experiences issues, it can affect others.

Cloud hosting is a step up because you’re not relying on just one server, and you can adjust your resources as needed. Although cloud hosting also has public cloud hosting that sounds like shared hosting, the main difference is that shared hosting resources are limited to the physical servers. Instead, cloud hosting takes its resources from a large network of virtual servers. 

Cloud hosting vs. VPS hosting 

A virtual private server (VPS) is another popular hosting option. A physical server is virtually divided into multiple servers with its own dedicated resources. It operates independently, even though it still shares the same physical server and offers better performance, control, and security than shared hosting. 

• Performance. VPS hosting offers better performance because it provides you with a dedicated portion of a physical server. But cloud hosting offers even more flexibility since you’re not tied to a single machine.
• Customization. VPS gives you more control over your server. But cloud hosting lets you scale your resources whenever you need them.
• Security. Both offer more security than shared hosting. But cloud hosting benefits from better redundancy and fault tolerance.

Cloud hosting and VPS hosting both offer dedicated resources, better security, and more control than shared hosting. They let you customize settings, scale resources, and improve performance. The main difference is that a VPS still runs on physical servers with virtualization software that digitally allocates dedicated servers, so you don’t share space with other users. In contrast, cloud hosting actually uses multiple physical servers connected by the cloud. 

Cloud hosting vs. dedicated hosting 

Dedicated hosting means you get a whole physical server to yourself. No more sharing resources and splitting space. It’s great for larger websites that need a lot of power. But it requires more management and is the most expensive among the hosting options. 

• Cost. Dedicated hosting is often more expensive than cloud hosting since cloud hosting only charges an expense when you need to scale up resources. Dedicated hosting requires an upfront cost regardless of your usage.
• Flexibility. Dedicated hosting’s resources depend on your service provider and their plans. Once you reach the limit, that’s it. Cloud hosting allows you to scale easily as needed. If you need less resources, cloud hosting would match it easily.
• Maintenance. With dedicated hosting, you’re responsible for maintenance, whereas cloud hosting often includes management as part of the package — especially with managed cloud hosting.

Both provide a reliable hosting environment with minimal downtime compared to shared hosting. But there are big differences between the two. Dedicated hosting uses one physical server, but cloud hosting spreads resources across multiple servers. 

Significant benefits of cloud hosting 

Comparing cloud hosting to other types of hosting might have explained some of its pros. But let’s set the record straight for simplicity. Here are some of the concrete benefits of cloud hosting: 

1. Scalability

Cloud hosting’s primary advantages is its scalability. As your website grows, so can your hosting resources. With traditional hosting, you often have to plan for traffic spikes or periods of growth. Resulting in paying for more than you need or hitting a performance bottleneck.

In the cloud, resources like storage, processing power, and bandwidth can be scaled up or down depending on your needs. If you suddenly experience a traffic surge, say, from a marketing campaign or seasonal spikes, cloud hosting lets you easily scale up your resources to handle the extra load. And when traffic slows down, you can scale back, so you’re only paying for what you actually use.

2. Reliability

Your hosting provider stores your website on multiple servers, so if one server experiences downtime or technical issues, you can seamlessly shift the load to another server without affecting your site’s performance. Essentially, you have plenty of backups to spare in case of emergencies.

3. Security

Besides the fact that multiple servers protect your site from crashing completely, many cloud hosting providers also heavily invest in security to protect your data from hackers and malware. Their security features include:

• Data encryption. The web host encrypts data both in transit (when it’s being sent over the internet) and at rest (when it’s stored on the server) for an extra layer of protection.
• Firewalls and DDoS protection. Cloud hosting often includes built-in firewalls and protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which attempt to overwhelm your website with fake traffic.
• Backup & disaster recovery. Cloud providers offer automatic backups and disaster recovery options. If you run into security trouble, you can restore your site quickly and avoid data loss.

4. Performance

Websites hosted on the cloud tend to load faster because the resources are distributed across multiple servers, and there’s less chance of overloading a single server. This helps improve your website’s page load times, which is important for both user experience and SEO.

Cloud hosting also often comes with content delivery networks (CDNs), which help distribute your website’s content across multiple locations around the world. Visitors can access your site faster, regardless of their location, because the web host delivers content from a server that’s geographically closer to them.

Faster websites result in a better experience for users. Better performance also positively impacts your SEO rankings with search engines like Google favoring quick-loading websites.

5. Cost-effectiveness

Cloud hosting uses a pay-as-you-go model. You only pay for the resources you actually use. Unlike conventional hosting where you pay a flat fee for a fixed set of resources even if you’re not using all of them.

Its pricing model is great if you don’t want to overpay for resources you don’t need. It also allows businesses to better manage their budgets, as resource usage directly affects costs. As a result, it’s easier to forecast and control hosting expenses.

6. Accessibility 

Since cloud hosting is entirely internet-based, you can access your website’s files and data from virtually anywhere; all you need is an internet connection. It’s a good fit if you need to make quick updates or collaborate with a team working remotely. 

Many cloud hosting services also have user-friendly control panels and management tools. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, you can still monitor your website’s performance, track analytics, and make adjustments to your hosting environment without being on-site or in front of a physical server. 

What to look for when choosing a cloud hosting provider 

How reliable your provider factors in how well your website will perform. Here’s a closer look at the most important aspects to consider: 

1. Performance and uptime guarantees

A website outage is a major red flag. It hurts both your business and your reputation. So, performance and uptime are important for any website or application. Make sure your hosting provider offers uptime guarantees — most reputable providers promise 99.9% uptime.

What to look for:

• Uptime service level agreements (SLA). Look for at least 99.9% guaranteed uptimes. A good provider will also offer credits or compensation if they don’t meet their uptime commitments. Otherwise, consider other options.
• Server performance. Check your provider’s server specs—faster servers mean faster load times.
• Load balancing. Find out how the provider distributes traffic across their network. Load balancing helps keep things running smoothly, even if there’s a traffic spike.

2. Security measures and compliance

Data security should be one of your top priorities when selecting a cloud host. Since cloud hosting relies on storing your data on remote servers, it gets harder to monitor vs. only securing a single physical server.

What to look for:

• Encryption. Ensure your cloud provider offers encryption for stored and in transit data, especially if you’re storing sensitive information like customer payment data.
• Firewalls and DDoS protection. Check that the provider has strong firewalls in place and provides protection against DDoS attacks.
• Backups and Disaster recovery. Make sure your cloud provider includes regular backups and disaster recovery options in case of a data breach or server failure. Automated backups avoid data loss.
• Compliance standards. Make sure your provider complies with necessary regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), or (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for healthcare-related websites.

Security in the cloud is generally strong, but it’s always worth doing due diligence to ensure the provider is following best practices and industry standards.

3. Scalability and flexibility

One of cloud hosting’s biggest pros is its ability to scale up or down to meet your needs. So, you better take full advantage of it by picking the hosting provider that gives you the best flexibility and scalability.

What to look for:

• Automatic scaling. Many cloud providers offer auto-scaling, which allows your server resources to automatically match real-time demand. This is a great feature if your traffic fluctuates.
• Flexible pricing. Cloud hosting typically uses a pay-as-you-go model, meaning you only pay for what you use.
• Easy upgrades. Cloud providers offer easy and fast upgrades if you need additional storage, bandwidth, or processing power as your business expands.

4. Pricing structure and hidden costs

Cloud hosting can be a very cost-effective solution. But you must understand the pricing model, so you’re not hit with unexpected costs down the line. Make sure that you know exactly what you’re paying for.

What to look for:

• Transparent pricing. Look for a cloud provider with clear and upfront pricing. There shouldn’t be any hidden fees, and you should be able to know what you’re paying for. These can be storage, bandwidth, support, or more.
• Billing frequency. Explore providers that offer different billing options. Consider your cash flow and whether a longer commitment might save you money.
• Additional fees: Be sure to check for any extra charges, such as fees for overages, API calls, additional storage, or backup services.

5. Customer support

If you run into issues with your website or cloud infrastructure, you need proper assistance from your provider. The last thing you want is to have a frustrating support team while you’re in the middle of a critical emergency.

What to look for:

• 24/7 support. Make sure the cloud hosting provider offers 24/7 customer support. Websites don’t sleep, and neither should support teams.
• Support channels. Check what kinds of support channels are available — email, live chat, phone, etc. You want a provider that has multiple ways to get in touch.
• Response times. Review the support provider’s response times. A quick response time can be the difference between a minor issue and a major problem.
• SLAs. Read SLA agreements carefully to ensure they meet your expectations. Some cloud hosting providers offer SLAs that outline the level of support and uptime you can expect.

Check out Network Solution’s cloud hosting 

Cloud hosting keeps your site running smoothly by distributing resources across multiple servers, so you’re not tied to just one. Network Solutions offers straightforward cloud hosting solutions with the essentials—scalability, security, and support—without overcomplicating things. Plus, with transparent pricing, you only pay for what you actually use.

Consider Network Solutions’ cloud hosting and find the right fit for your website. 

Frequently asked questions