Transitioning from Shared to Reseller Hosting
The question of which hosting plan to choose is commonly asked in website hosting. Whether it's for a personal portfolio, a band's promotional web page, a blog, or even a website dedicated to your neighbor's dog, choosing the right platform for your needs is vital. After getting asked numerous variations of this question, I've repeatedly found myself giving a rather unorthodox answer: Consider a reseller hosting account.
The name 'reseller hosting' often confuses people, as it immediately suggests a plan for running a hosting reselling business. However, with greater control and security, it can be an excellent choice for hosting multiple websites, much like shared hosting but with added benefits.
Why Opt for Reseller Hosting?
What makes reseller hosting preferable over shared hosting for your WordPress websites? Here are some of the key reasons:
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Enhanced Security
When isolating each website in a separate hosting account, you mitigate security risks. Contrastingly, an exploited script or plugin in a shared hosting account can potentially compromise all websites under the account. With separate cPanel accounts for each website, the rest remain unaffected if one website is compromised, making damage control and recovery much smoother.
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Greater Flexibility
Individual hosting accounts promise more freedom regarding server settings. A good example here is the PHP version control for each site. You can select the PHP version and turn PHP modules on/off for every account, which isn't possible with shared hosting. Reseller hosting allows you to tailor the PHP environment for each WordPress site, catering to the unique requirements some scripts might have.
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Better Resource Management
CloudLinux allows web hosts to define CPU, I/O, entry processes, and other limits for each cPanel account. This ensures that none of your websites are resource-starved because another site consumes excessive resources. Additionally, if one website gets suspended for overuse of resources, other sites remain unaffected.
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Simplified Management of Files, Folders, and Backups
Having a separate account for each website makes managing your website files and backups easier. All addon domain directories in shared hosting are placed in the same folder as the main website, which can quickly lead to clutter. Reseller hosting simplifies this organization, keeping your files and backups neatly sorted.
Shared Hosting or Reseller Hosting The Final Call
In summary, while shared hosting can be a cost-effective solution for single-site projects, reseller hosting emerges as a more advantageous option for hosting multiple websites simultaneously. Besides offering robust resource allocation and improved customization, it provides better security and easier overall management. Therefore, a reseller hosting plan is highly recommended when you plan your following website or consider shifting.
