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Managed vs. Unmanaged Hosting

Posted on March 31, 2023 | By Verity Hosting Business Post

Managed vs unmanaged hosting

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Managed vs. Unmanaged Hosting

Are you looking for more reliable web hosting with better support and management?

Hosting is an essential part of any website and even more so for businesses. Businesses today rely heavily on having a stable and reliable website which goes hand in hand with having stable and reliable hosting.

Managed hosting is an excellent alternative to standard hosting or what is referred to as unmanaged hosting.

  • Your business and brand can be negatively affected if your hosting is not reliable.

So managed hosting allows the customer to push some or all responsibility for hosting management back to the web hosting provider.

In contrast, unmanaged hosting provides a place to host your website, leaving the owner responsible for everything else.

In this article, we will review the pros and cons of managed and unmanaged hosting so you can decide which is best for you.

What is Managed Hosting?

Managed hosting is where the hosting provider helps manage, monitor, and maintain some or all of the hosting. Some managed hosting plans may even help manage your website.

Management usually includes security, performance, monitoring, backups, and possibly more.This service costs a little more but can be well worth the extra expense with all the included benefits.

Benefits include:

  • Regular security monitoring and updates
  • Better customer service and support
  • WordPress Security Updates
  • Performance monitoring and tuning

As you will see, Managed Hosting has some significant customer advantages.

First, the provider's team is on call 24/7, ensuring that the web hosting account and website software are up to date with the latest security patches.

Second, most managed hosting providers today try to ensure the website is as fast as possible and actively monitor each website for any speed issues.

This means if there is a slowdown, they would detect it and immediately start working on fixing the problem.

Hosting providers spend more time ensuring their managed hosting plans are well maintained.

Hosting companies tend to spend more money on equipment and infrastructure as more is at stake with these types of accounts.

This means your website is less likely to be compromised by malicious software or attacks. It also means that your website will see much less downtime and be faster and more responsive to your users.

Managed hosting also comes with much better support. The hosting provider knows that people buying this service are expecting a quick response to any question or issue that may come up.

As such, the providers will have higher-tier support staff handling their phones. The support staff will also be open to helping with a wider range of support requests than with an unmanaged hosting plan.

Managed Hosting allows website owners to focus on their core business functions and leave the technical stuff to their Hosting provider.

As you can see, one of the most significant advantages of managed Hosting is that the responsibility is pushed back to the hosting provider and their team.

This is especially important for those without the technical expertise to manage their hosting services, as hosting service management can be quite time-consuming and complex.

On average, Managed Hosting also provides better security, as the hosting provider's experts are responsible for the website. Managed Hosting providers can implement stricter security protocols and monitoring to protect their clients' websites from cyber threats.

This is especially important for businesses that handle sensitive information. Managed Hosting higher-end technical support helps to ensure quick and efficient resolution of any technical issues that may arise.

The biggest advantage of Managed Hosting is that it provides peace of mind for website owners and small businesses who don't have the expertise or time to manage these issues themselves.

What is Unmanaged Hosting?

Most hosting accounts people purchase today are unmanaged unless it specifically says it's a managed hosting account.

That is to say that your standard web hosting accounts from the big web hosting providers are unmanaged.

With unmanaged hosting, the hosting provider expects the account owner to set up, configure, monitor, and maintain their own services. They also expect the owner to do security updates, regular maintenance, and debug their account and website.

With more businesses using CMS software like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, managing their hosting account and website can become difficult over time without some outside help.

  • CMS or content management systems allows users to manage digital content using a control panel.

Some IT professionals prefer unmanaged hosting as it allows them to have complete control over the hosting and the website. Giving the IT professional the ability to manage the account as they like.

Unmanaged Hosting tends to be less expensive than managed Hosting. With Unmanaged Hosting, the Hosting company only provides server space and does not have to take care of any other aspect of the hosting account or website.

The hosting provider can offer big discounts to unmanaged hosting customers. This is due to the significate reduction in support costs as the hosting company pushes everything back to the customer.

Managed vs. Unmanaged Hosting: Which is Right for You?

When choosing between managed and unmanaged hosting, technical expertise is the most essential factor to consider.

Managed Hosting tends to be more expensive than unmanaged Hosting, but it offers a lot more benefits, including server management, security, and better technical support.

Managed Hosting is an excellent option for those who don't have the technical expertise or time to manage their own hosting or website.

Unmanaged Hosting is less expensive than managed Hosting, but it requires technical knowledge and skills to manage properly.

With Unmanaged Hosting, website owners are responsible for server maintenance, updates, security, and technical support, which can be time-consuming and complex.

For experienced customers and IT professionals who want complete control of their hosting environment, managed hosting may be the way to go.

For an average user on a tight budget, using a basic plan from a managed hosting provider may still be a better option. This gives you a lot better support and quality for your project or small business.

In the end, choosing the right hosting solution is a crucial decision that can impact the success and performance of a website.

Conclusion

Managed Hosting is an excellent option for people looking to return the responsibility to the hosting provider. With plans that cover some or all of the hosting and website management, it's hard to beat the price.

For experienced customers and IT professionals who want complete control of their hosting environment, unmanaged Hosting is another option.

For an average user on a tight budget, using a basic plan from a managed hosting provider is still a better way to go. This gives you a lot better support and quality for your project or small business.

In the end, choosing the right hosting solution is an important decision that can impact the success and performance of a website. So spending a little more time on finding the perfect hosting provider will pay off in the end.

Image Credits

All photos used have been curated by Verity staff

Verity Editorial Staff

The editorial staff at VerityHosting is a team of hosting experts with over 25 years of experience managing, monitoring, and maintaining hosting services for small businesses.

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