Web Hosting Rates

There are many different Web hosting providers to choose from on the Internet today. Web hosting is a lucrative business, and the large number of companies in the market has meant competitive prices for consumers. Higher prices generally include higher levels of customer service and Web site performance. As with all things, you get what you pay for.

Shared Web Hosting Rates

There are three main types of Web hosting available, each providing a different level of service. One of the most popular types of Web hosting is shared Web hosting. Shared Web hosting is popular in part because of its low price. It is the cheapest form of Web hosting, and prices range from $7 to $20.

Lower-cost shared Web hosting generally does not come with full service support, and should only be used for personal websites by those who do not require assistance in setting up or managing their account. If you are not an expert and would like the ability to receive support with your hosting account, expect to pay between $15 and $20.

With shared Web hosting, a number of sites all share the same server and resources. Typically, each site will have a limitation on the amount of disk space and bandwidth it is allotted. Hosts that charge more typically have more features to offer and/or more disk space and bandwidth. They may also provide site builders as an included feature.

Dedicated Web Hosting Rates

Another type of Web hosting is dedicated hosting. This is the most expensive type of Web hosting available. With dedicated hosting your business occupies a whole server. This dramatically improves the amount of bandwidth and disk space at your disposal.

The rates for dedicated hosting plans vary considerably with some starting at around $69 and going up to several hundred dollars. The cost is dependent in part on the size of the server, amount of customer service provided and any additional features. Having a dedicated server is most beneficial to large businesses that have large websites and high amounts of traffic.

Virtual Private Web Hosting Rates

In between shared Web hosting and dedicated Web hosting is virtual private Web hosting. With virtual private Web hosting, your site still shares space on a machine with other sites, but their operating systems and server software are usually isolated. This prevents some of the problems faced by shared Web hosting. Like the other forms of Web hosting, rates for virtual private Web hosting are variable, but you can find a good plan for around $30 a month.