The Ins and Outs of Managed Hosting

Are you overwhelmed by the array of hosting solutions available for your website? From dedicated to cloud hosting, which can also be managed or unmanaged, it can be confusing. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. 

In this article, we’ll explore managed hosting in detail, explain how it differs from unmanaged hosting, and discuss the benefits it can provide for your business or project.

What Is Managed Hosting?

Whether you’re writing a blog, managing an e-commerce site, or developing web applications, you likely want to focus on your core activities without being sidetracked by technical challenges.

Managed hosting offers a solution by taking care of all technical aspects, such as server setup, maintenance, security, and backups. This ensures your site’s performance and security are expertly taken care of, allowing you to focus on what you do best without worrying about server management.

Differences between Managed and Unmanaged Hosting

Unmanaged, or “self-managed,” hosting offers basic access to server resources like CPU, RAM, and storage. However, you’re responsible for tasks such as installing software, configuring settings, applying security patches, and troubleshooting issues, which is not ideal if you are not tech-savvy.

On the other hand, with managed hosting, a third-party provider takes on these responsibilities for you – from server setup to ongoing management and support, including software updates, security patches, performance optimization, backup and recovery. Essentially, it provides peace of mind and frees up time and resources that you can allocate to other important aspects of your business or project.

To help you better understand the key differences between managed and unmanaged hosting, we’ve prepared a comparison table:

Types of Managed Hosting

When we discuss different types of managed hosting solutions, we’re referring to the provider’s level of involvement in the backend management of your website.

1. Fully Managed Hosting

Fully managed hosting is an all-inclusive solution that covers server configuration, security, software updates, and 24/7 support. Essentially, it provides you with all the features mentioned above, allowing you to focus on what matters most to you – developing your business or project.

Fully managed hosting is suitable for companies with heavy workloads or high web traffic, such as those in finance, healthcare, and media. 

2. Partially or Semi-Managed Hosting 

Semi-managed hosting is a middle-ground option where the hosting provider handles some server management tasks, while the user retains control over others. It’s important to review each provider’s offerings, as the specific services included can vary.

Semi-managed hosting is suitable for small- to medium-sized enterprises with some technical expertise. 

3. Specialized Managed Hosting Solutions

In managed hosting services, there can also be specialized solutions built on top of a chosen server setup to cater to specific applications or use cases. 

In this setup, the hosting provider handles the infrastructure and operational aspects required to optimize performance, security, and scalability for specific applications – examples being managed WordPress hosting and WooCommerce hosting for e-commerce.

It’s important to clarify this because while many hosting providers offer managed WordPress and/or WooCommerce hosting, these platforms can also be found as unmanaged or semi-managed hosting solutions, depending on the provider. 

• Managed WordPress hosting

In general, when using WordPress, no matter whether it’s managed or unmanaged, you benefit from its abundance of resources, including templates, plugins, tools, and its supportive community. What managed WordPress hosting does is enhance these advantages by handling different technical tasks such as core updates, server-level caching, and automated daily backups. Additionally, your hosting provider may develop exclusive in-house tools to improve your WordPress site’s performance. 

At SiteGround, we offer ultrafast, full-featured managed WordPress hosting with plans that support websites up to 40 GB. You can register a domain at no extra cost and enjoy features like SSL encryption, daily backups, static and dynamic caching, along with many more advanced features designed for seamless WordPress management.

• Managed WooCommerce hosting

We also offer a robust and user-friendly managed WooCommerce hosting, where you can enjoy the same features as with our managed WordPress hosting while focusing on what matters most – increasing sales without the hassle of keeping your plugin up to date.

Benefits of Managed Hosting

Understanding the benefits of managed hosting can be a game-changer, especially if you are new to building websites.

1. Saving Money

While a  managed hosting solution may appear more expensive upfront compared to unmanaged hosting, it often proves to be more cost-effective in the long run due to its all-inclusive nature. Here’s why:

• No hidden costs – with unmanaged hosting, managing hardware, updates, and security on your own requires additional resources that aren’t always budget-friendly. Moreover, without expert oversight, this can lead to mistakes, increasing unexpected expenses.
• Reduced need for additional expertise – managed hosting services include technical support, security updates, and performance optimization, reducing the need to hire IT staff or outsource server management, thus saving on significant labor costs.
• Time savings – with managed hosting, you’re not responsible for any technical aspect of your hosting, freeing up time to focus on what will really drive you profit: growing your business or planning your website.
• Scalability – managed hosting providers often offer scalable solutions that adapt to your needs without requiring costly hardware upgrades or additional IT resources.   

2. Enhancing Security 

Data breaches and security vulnerabilities can severely impact businesses, resulting in financial losses, reputational harm, and legal issues. Managed hosting providers offer robust security measures to keep your network infrastructure protected at all times.

Here’s a list with core security protections you should expect from your managed hosting provider:

• Firewalls that aim to block unauthorized access by monitoring and regulating data traffic.
• Brute-force prevention that implements CAPTCHAs, or uses two-factor authentication.
• Denial-of-service attack (DDoS) protection ensures that legitimate users can still access your services during a cyber attack.
• Data encryption is used to protect sensitive information.
• Patch management ensures that all components are up-to-date and secure via regularly software updates 
• Security audits assess the effectiveness of your security measures, enabling you to take timely action.

Keep in mind that the level of support varies between providers. At SiteGround we’re constantly updating our security arsenal with out-of-the-box technology and additional features to keep your website safe and sound.

3. Maintaining Optimal Server Performance

Keeping servers running optimally demands ongoing attention and technical know-how. Managed hosting assumes this responsibility, providing continuous monitoring and maintenance to ensure your systems perform efficiently around the clock.

Here are some typical server maintenance tasks that your managed hosting provider handles for you:

• Hardware and software updates. The latest software versions, such as the default PHP 8.2 and the latest MySQL 8 that are used on all SiteGround servers.
• Server backups. SiteGround provides automatic daily backups for all hosting plans, storing each for up to 30 days in a separate data center location different from the one hosting the live account, for added security. Additional features are available through our Premium Backup service.
• Proactive issue resolution. SiteGround’s 24/7 monitoring checks servers every 0.5 seconds, detecting, fixing, and preventing issues automatically.
• Load balancing. SiteGround’s in-house CDN 2.0, included for free in all plans, features cross-region load balancing and automatic multi-region failover, enabling it to quickly adapt to changes in user demand, traffic, network conditions, and backend health.

4. Simplifying Website Creation

In today’s fast-paced digital world, having a fully functional, easy-to-navigate website is essential. Traditional web development requires writing code in languages like HTML or PHP, which can be daunting for those without technical expertise. This is where a content management system (CMS) comes into play – it allows you to create, edit and manage content through a user-friendly text or visual editor.

While you can develop CMS platforms locally, a hosting provider is essential for making your site publicly accessible on the internet. To simplify the setup, many managed hosting providers offer CMS auto-installers for quick and easy installation of popular platforms like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal. If you’ve already built your website and want to switch hosting providers, some managed hosting services also offer migration options. 

5. Providing Expert Support

As a website owner, encountering a worst-case scenario without knowing what to do can be incredibly stressful and damaging to your reputation. Issues like data breaches, extended downtime, or being locked out of your systems can lead to losing customer trust and, ultimately, revenue.

This is where managed hosting providers are invaluable, offering dedicated, around-the-clock support through various channels such as live chat, support tickets, and phone. In contrast, unmanaged hosting typically provides minimal support, focusing primarily on hardware or network-related issues, with little to no help for application-level concerns.

Drawbacks of Managed Hosting

While managed hosting takes care of all the backend management, providing ease and security, it also comes with some limitations. 

• Limited control and customization

Unlike unmanaged hosting, where you can customize freely and have access to the server, managed hosting limits users to the functionalities, apps, and tools provided by the host, which may not suit those seeking extensive customization. However, keep in mind that such extensive customization is necessary only for highly technical users with very specific needs, such as developing custom server configurations or running niche applications. 

For most users, managed hosting not only simplifies the process but also ensures optimal performance, security, and support without the hassle of managing everything yourself. 

• Dependency on the hosting provider

With managed hosting, users typically do not have control over when scheduled server maintenance and system updates occur, as these are handled by the hosting provider. However, providers typically schedule them during off-peak hours to minimize any potential disruption, and they will warn you in advance.

Additionally, if an issue arises with the hosting environment, the managed provider’s dedicated support team works promptly to resolve it, usually offering 24/7 monitoring and rapid response to ensure minimal impact on your website’s availability and performance.

Make Your Business Thrive with The Perfect Hosting Provider

Choosing the right managed hosting provider can be a game-changer for your business. With the right partner, you can enhance performance and security, and have round-the-clock support, allowing you to focus on what truly matters – growing your business. 

SiteGround is a notable hosting provider, managing over 3,000,000 domains globally, with 98% satisfied customers, and is renowned for its 5-star support services. So, why not give us a try?