People often ask me: Is traditional web hosting dying? When I first made websites years ago, everyone was using a traditional hosting plan. Now it seems we hear about cloud hosting and serverless hosting so much that you wonder if hosting the traditional, "old-fashioned" way is no longer an option.
• Easy – You get access to a control panel and simply upload your site and you are done.
• Predictable billing – Your billing amount always stays the same. No surprises at the end of the month.
Cloud pricing can be a bit complicated, and even sub-technical people find traditional hosting easier.
Consider the differences in CD vs. streaming (Spotify) and how technology encourages us to utilize new advancements over something traditional. CD prices aside, everyone uses a music streaming service or app; however, some consumers will still prefer to purchase CDs. When hosting, traditional hosting services are easy and inexpensive, therefore traditional WEB hosting will not fade away.
What Do I Mean by Traditional Hosting?
Traditional hosting has been the backbone of hosted web sites for a very, very long time. They are very basic, inexpensive offerings, and they are easy to understand. But the question is—are they still the best option for us today?Reasons for the Perception of "Dying" Traditional Hosting
It is commonly thought that traditional hosting is on its way out, for the following reasons.- First, any scalability issue means if you get an unexpected spike in traffic, your server may slow down or crash.
- Secondly, you have to worry about maintenance work which includes regular updating of software, backups, and sometimes dealing with security issues, along with the time it takes.
- Thirdly, cloud services simply have more capabilities. If you use someone like AWS, Google Cloud or Azure, you only pay for what you consume, and you can scale at any time. This makes cloud hosting look like the clear winner, but there is another side to the story.
Reasons Why Traditional Hosting Is Still Relevant
• Cost Effective – A great option if you don’t want to break the bank.• Easy – You get access to a control panel and simply upload your site and you are done.
• Predictable billing – Your billing amount always stays the same. No surprises at the end of the month.
Cloud pricing can be a bit complicated, and even sub-technical people find traditional hosting easier.
My perspective regarding the future is as follows
Is traditional hosting fading away? Absolutely not. It is not fading away, but it will change. Cloud is magnificent for larger spheres and applications, while traditional hosting still works and will be used for smaller projects or in WEB hosting.Consider the differences in CD vs. streaming (Spotify) and how technology encourages us to utilize new advancements over something traditional. CD prices aside, everyone uses a music streaming service or app; however, some consumers will still prefer to purchase CDs. When hosting, traditional hosting services are easy and inexpensive, therefore traditional WEB hosting will not fade away.
