Shared hosting is the most common type of web hosting available and usually the cheapest. Shared hosting gets its name from having all websites – yours and otherwise – on a given server share the same resources, like storage space and bandwidth. Despite the resources being shared, other customers on the same server do not have access to your account or sites. Check out the most popular and cheapest hosts offering shared hosting plans below.
Basic Plan by Bluehost
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: 5
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Hatchling Plan by HostGator
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Ecosite Starter Plan by GreenGeeks
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Lite Plan by A2 Hosting
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: 1
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Basic Plan by Just Host
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: 5
Operating System: Linux
Websites: 10
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Original Plan by FatCow
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Starter Plan by One.com
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Launch Plan by InMotion Hosting
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: 6
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Basic Plan by iPage
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Pro Plan by IPOWER
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: 2500
Operating System: Linux
Websites: 1
Bandwidth: 250 GB
Websites: 25
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Simple Plan by PowWeb
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Power Plan by WebHostingPad
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Starter Plan by DreamHost
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Contact provider
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Personal Plan by AccuWeb Hosting
Bandwidth: 500 GB
Email Accounts: 150
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: 750 GB
Basic Plan by Hostwinds
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: 4
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: 1
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Standard Plan by InterServer
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: 25
Bandwidth: Unlimited
StartUp Plan by SiteGround
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
C10 Plan by TurnKey Internet
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Basic Plan by Yahoo! Small Business
Bandwidth: 100 GB
Email Accounts: 250
Operating System: Linux
Websites: 1
Bandwidth: 500 GB
Websites: 1
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Business Plan by 1&1 IONOS
Bandwidth: Contact provider
Email Accounts: 25
Operating System: Linux
Websites: 5
Bandwidth: Contact provider
Websites: 50
Bandwidth: Contact provider
Economy Plan by GoDaddy
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Contact provider
Operating System: Linux
Starter Plan by HostPapa
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: 100
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Personal Plan by Media Temple
Bandwidth: 1 TB
Email Accounts: Contact provider
Operating System: Linux
Basic Plan by BounceWeb
Bandwidth: 600 GB
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Standard Plan by Easyspace
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: 25
Operating System: Either
Websites: Contact provider
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Basic Plan by eUKHost
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Contact provider
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Basic Plan by FastDomain
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: 5
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Basic Plan by HostMonster
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: 5
Operating System: Linux
Websites: 10
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Starter Plan by Lunarpages
Bandwidth: 50 GB
Email Accounts: 5
Operating System: Linux
Plus Plan by Netfirms
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Contact provider
Operating System: Linux
Personal Plan by WireNine
Bandwidth: 50 GB
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: 100 GB
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: 200 GB
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: 500 GB
Medium Plan by Contabo
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: 1000
Operating System: Linux
One Plan by KnownHost
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Starter Pro Plan by Heart Internet
Bandwidth: 50 GB
Email Accounts: 1000
Operating System: Linux
Beginner Plan by Hosting.co.uk
Bandwidth: 100 GB
Email Accounts: 10
Operating System: Linux
Websites: 5
Bandwidth: 500 GB
Websites: 10
Bandwidth: 1 TB
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Small Plan by MacHighway
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: 20
Operating System: Linux
Pathfinder Plan by Rebel.com
Bandwidth: 5 GB
Email Accounts: 10
Operating System: Linux
Websites: Contact provider
Bandwidth: 15 GB
Websites: Unlimited
Bandwidth: 25 GB
Websites: 5
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Starter Plan by Webhosting UK
Bandwidth: Unlimited
Email Accounts: Unlimited
Operating System: Linux
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All web hosting types function in similar fashion since the basics of storage space, bandwidth, and domains applies to all servers and hosting accounts. The biggest difference between shared plans and others, like dedicated or VPS hosting, is primarily how servers are configured and supplied.
Shared hosting is the only type of web hosting where the resources allocated to your site are dynamic and not dedicated; a feature that has both advantages and disadvantages. While there are shared hosting plans with resource caps, the universal server resources, like bandwidth, connect speeds, and processing power, are used amongst all accounts and sites on that server.
Shared hosting can exist on a cloud server; in this case, all accounts share the resources of the server network instead of a single machine. While shared hosting has a reputation for being unreliable at times, on a cloud server, performance and reliability typically see significant boost.
Most sites will tell you the obvious advantage of shared hosting is its price: while other types of hosting commonly cost well over $10 a month (and in many cases much, much more), shared plans frequently come in under that threshold. Finding a shared hosting plan for just $5 a month shouldn’t come as a surprise!
The advantages for shared hosting don’t stop there though. Shared hosting is exclusively managed hosting, meaning that your web hosting provider will take care of updates, security, and configuration for anything at the server level. In some cases, web hosts will also help with basic tasks involved in setting up your site. Shared hosting server also overwhelmingly run on Linux – the most widely-used server OS by a significant margin. If you find yourself in need of better hosting – or an entirely new host – the migration process should go relatively easy.
With great power comes a great temptation to abuse it! Shared hosting is likely the most susceptible type of hosting to how a web host manages their servers. Shared hosting is frequently the cheapest type because providers can continue to add accounts and hard drives to machines in order to add room for customers without increasing the speed or processing power of the machine. This results in worse performance for all sites on the server.
Many hosts with shared plans are completely responsible with their management and respect for their customers. Unfortunately, there’s no metric, hardware, or silver bullet for identifying how a host will manage accounts. In this case, it’s best to contact the web host and speak to their customer service or read reviews from trusted sources.
Not all plans are created equally, and shared hosting is no exception. Here are things you should consider when looking at shared plans for your site:
- Many shared hosting plans offer unlimited bandwidth, storage, and domains. While this is sometimes a double-edged sword, for small businesses or individuals just looking to have an online presence, this can offer great value for your dollar.
- Consider both the promotional and regular prices. The promotional price generally lasts the first pay cycle which could range from a month all the way to a year. The regular price will give you a better idea of what the long-term cost of your will be.
- Read reviews from trusted sources before you purchase a plan. Shared hosting is incredibly susceptible to host a web host manages their servers. Looking at their reviews and contacting their customer support can give you a good idea of how they treat their customers.
- There usually is no commitment to stick with the same host. I have yet to find a host that charges a penalty for leaving them before your current hosting plan expires. In fact, many hosting providers offer 30-day money back guarantees when you sign up with them. That said, if you opt in for annual pay cycles, your money will not be prorated and refunded should you decide to leave part way through.
- Most shared hosting is on Linux OS, making the move to other hosts and hosting types easy in most cases.
