One of the first decisions you’ll need to make when choosing hosting for your new website is whether to choose a managed server hosting or DIY server infrastructure. If you’re not sure what the implications of these two choices are, it’s likely you’re going to want some kind of managed server hosting; this is for non-technical teams, where the ins and outs of both setting up a server and daily management are probably not worth the amount of work and stress they would require.

Managed server hosting vs DIY server hosting

Managed server hosting is quite self-explanatory; it means outsourcing the management, hardware and software of your server to a team of hosting professionals, like catalyst2. This is the most common choice for small and medium-sized businesses, where DIY server hosting is usually just not feasible. Not only does managed server hosting keep things simple, but it’s also cost-effective for smaller businesses who don’t have the capacity to manage a server themselves without employing new staff and facing costly setup fees.

On the other hand, DIY server hosting means taking charge of all of these aspects in-house. This requires capital investment for IT equipment, technical staff, and security, as well as ongoing maintenance costs associated with keeping your servers up and running and secure 24/7. For big business, this is a no-brainer, but for most SMEs, it’s too much.

A further option for the right team is self-managed hosting, which is a type of managed hosting where customers are effectively renting access to a server and its operating system, but all management is still kept in-house. This can be a solid option for businesses with strong technical and operations teams who are looking to retain maximum control over their own servers without enduring the setup fees of DIY hosting.

Which server type to choose?

If you do choose managed hosting, you’ll then have to choose which kind of server to opt for, which could be a shared, virtual private, or dedicated server. There are pros and cons to all of these server types though, generally, shared servers, where you’ll share your server space with others, are the cheapest but also the least flexible. Virtual private servers are a middle-cost option offering space to scale up and down, while dedicated servers are the most expensive option, offering high levels of control and scalability but requiring expert developmental teams to manage.

Why choose managed hosting

Choosing managed server hosting isn’t just about where the infrastructure of your server ‘lives’. Managed server hosting solutions bundle in extra bonuses, including customer support, automatic backups and updates, performance monitoring, security protection, and more. Choosing managed server hosting is, by far, the most sensible option for smaller businesses who can simply pay a set transparent monthly fee and have all of their hosting needs met by the same team.

If your team don’t know their way around a server and you’re looking for a cost-effective hosting solution that requires minimal work, the only option for your business is managed server hosting.

Get advice from the experts

Choosing which type of hosting you’re going to use is just one small aspect of setting up your website. At catalyst2, we are experts in hosting solutions for individuals and businesses looking for server management, consultancy, and migration services that are fast, reliable, and professional. Whether you want advice on how to set up and host your brand new website or to find out more about our managed server hosting solutions, just contact us at catalyst2 and we’ll be happy to have a chat about your plans.