Managed vs. unmanaged hosting: Which is right for your business?
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When selecting web hosting services, the decision between managed and unmanaged hosting services is one of the first that you have to make. Here are some elements to consider before picking one over the other:
Your preferred level of control
What level of control would you like in your web hosting operations? One of the first things you will learn with any website hosting FAQ is that with managed web hosting, you relinquish control over to the hosting provider completely. As a result, the hosting company will be in charge of:
- Maintenance tasks
- Updates
- Backups
- Security
These services help businesses – particularly small organizations – to avoid costly downtime during business hours. They are also the reason that managed hosting plans are so popular among companies of all sizes.
Most organizations don’t have the staff, time, or resources to stay on top of all the tasks involved in web hosting. Nevertheless, relinquishing complete control over your web hosting isn’t something that all companies feel comfortable with. This is especially true when it comes to client trust in an organization and confidentiality involving customer information.
After all, many companies work hard to ensure that their customers trust them with sensitive and non-sensitive information alike. This can be tricky to do if you are handing over certain components of your system to a third party. Choosing a reliable web-hosting provider should help you overcome issues of security and trustworthiness.
Requirements for flexibility
One of the main downsides of managed hosting is that you have no choice but to use software that the hosting provider utilizes. What’s more, many of these providers aren’t compatible with less familiar software.
If your business can function with the software offered by the hosting provider, this is a great option. However, if your organization requires flexibility, then managed hosting becomes a necessity. You will find it particularly useful if you need to tweak and change elements of your site behind the scenes.
As an added bonus, unmanaged hosting gives you the opportunity to run software that has been specifically customized for your business. Therefore, you can ensure that the online services you provide to clients have been carefully tailored to their needs.
Cost of setup
Naturally, you have to consider the cost involved in such a project. Often, unmanaged hosting plans are touted as being cheaper. This, of course, is because managed plans include numerous services for which labor and resource costs are added.
When you consider the big picture, however, this isn’t necessarily the case. After all, with unmanaged hosting plans, you need to spend money on additional equipment and software. This can all add up. In comparison, a mid-tier managed hosting plan may be considered more affordable.
To determine which is more affordable, you need to consider what the extra elements of unmanaged hosting will cost you. Then, compare this price point to that of an appropriate managed hosting plan.
On the surface, your decision can seem rather simple. Nevertheless, it is not about choosing the option that appears to be easiest or cheapest. Rather, you need to choose a plan that makes the most sense for your business. It’s only then that you will be satisfied with your decision.
