WordPress Managed Hosting Vs Self Hosted WordPress

Posted by RWDH on 23 11 2015.

Advantages

What  are the advantages of WordPress Managed Hosting Vs Self Hosted WordPress? If you want to start a website and are wondering which is the best, then this article is for you. These two terms -managed hosting and self hosting might seem complicated but for simplicity we can compare them with taking a bus to town or riding your own car. In managed hosting, the hardware is owned and controlled by the provider and you can use the service by leasing for a fee. The maintenance, day-to day management and updates are handed by the provider leaving you enough time to concentrate on developing content for your website or blog. Self hosting on the other hand is the complete opposite since you have the ownership and the control of the hardware. Basically, self hosting is like owning a car while managed hosting is similar to riding a bus. So what are the advantages of managed hosting and how is it perfect for your website or blog as opposed to self hosting?

Ease of use

Server maintenance is a complicated and expensive task requiring skilled personnel and IT Professional. Unless you have these resources within your disposal, self hosting might not be a good alternative. With managed hosting, the provider takes care of all these issues for you using their highly skilled staff. There is someone monitoring the servers every single minute every day to ensure your website is up and running all the time thus guaranteed up-time. This might not be possible in self hosting as there is a resource constraints.

Avoids costly mistakes

Security concern is one of the biggest issues that you have to consider in deciding between managed hosting and self hosting. Server security can include; scanning viruses, filtering spam, running security audits, configuration of the software firewall, and conducting updates on the OS. These activities require highly skilled personnel and if not well conducted or failure to conduct them can result in big losses to the company. In self hosting, you are responsible for all these but in managed hosting the server owner conduct all these checks and updates on your behalf, hence freeing your resources to concentrate on the core functions of your business.

Flexibility

Every company seeks to grow and as you grow, there is need to increase your server space and database. Expanding space or data base requires skilled personnel. Although WordPress is loved for its simplicity, the nature of skill required in this case go beyond the basics, hence you might have to incur additional costs in hiring new staff. In managed hosting you don’t need to worry about this as all you have to do is discuss the growth needs of your company with your server provider and have an expert work on it and you don’t have to spend a penny.

Backup

Have you ever imagined what would happen if you lost your data? The results can be detrimental to your business ranging from loss of customers, loss of money and missed opportunities. In self hosting, this can be a regular occurrence since you are responsible for backup. In managed hosting however, you have a peace of mind since the provider has systems, procedures and processes in place to backup your data. In the event of a disaster, you can rest assured knowing that your provider has everything in control.

Final Words

Managed hosting is the best option if you are looking to save money and time. The advantages of managed hosting frees you to concentrate on the core functions of your business. Rather than worrying about updates, backup, security and administration you can worry about market entry, increased sales and profitability.