If you look at the world of web hosting, you will find that this world has an array of options and you can make a choice as per your requirements. The best thing about it is that there is an option for each one’s needs. So, there is the option of paid and free web hosting, Linux/Unix, or Windows based web hosting, dedicated or shared web hosting and VPS. As can be deduced easily, all these types have their own advantages and disadvantages. Considering this, it becomes essential that you have a fair understanding of your own needs, because that will help you making the perfect choice. 

We are going to have a look at Shared web hosting. Well, shared hosting can be understood as the kind of web hosting in which you share the space provided to you with other customer’s websites. As such, all the websites sharing the server will use the same software and the same operating system. It is true that shared web hosting has a striking resemblance with free web hosting. The only difference is that with shared web hosting, you get much more options.  

Shared web hosting can be further sub divided into two types- free shared web hosting and paid shared web hosting. Free shared web hosting as the name suggests does not cost you anything and it can be ideal for anyone with new ideas who does not want to spend money on web hosting. Free shared web hosting provides almost every feature that any amateur would need for his website. But with a free shared web hosting you should not expect to have the perfect condition to host your site. You will not be offered large bandwidth and disk space nor can you be assured to have MySQL, PHP support. Most of the free shared web hosting does not provide traffic statistics or is not efficient.  

Contrary to that a paid shared web hosting does offer you almost all the features that you will need for the successful management of your website. So, you will get the facility of multiple emails and MySQL and PHP support. A paid shared web hosting is the perfect choice for small business or for professional sites which do not need the whole space on the server. The main advantage of using paid shared web hosting is that you get to host your site on a powerful and well administered site and that with low monthly cost. If you are thinking of hosting your website for the first time, it’s a good idea to host it on a paid shared web hosting server. It will provide you reliable and hassle-free services and it will also not require any technical expertise on your part. 

There are a few problems with shared web hosting also. The main problem with shared web hosting is low level of security. The second problem is limited facilities. All the websites use the same memory and CPU and hard-drive. You are also compelled to use the same software as is provided by the shared web hosting provider and as such you cannot install the software of your choice.