Which web hosting plan should I choose?
If there was a single web hosting offer that met everyone’s needs, life would be so simple, wouldn’t it?
Imagine a world where one size really does fit all. It’s a nice dream, but in reality, everyone’s needs are different. You should find the web hosting solution that fits just right. One question frequently crops up in relation to the services we offer:
Which web hosting plan should I choose?
We’ll try to answer that question in this article.
At PlanetHoster, we have decided to offer customization options for all our solutions. For the traditionalists among you, we have still kept three basic plans. If you’re indecisive, these options will make it easier for you to choose a hosting option to suit your needs.
When you start a new web project or if you already have a website with moderate traffic, it’s best to select a cost-effective solution. We created the World Platform web hosting solution for this reason. This plan is fully scalable and has been highly successful since it was launched:
https://blog.planethoster.com/en/the-future-ofhosting-world-platform/
To help you choose, we have preselected three configurations:
- World basic plan
- World Plus plan
- World Mega plan
World hosting plan
If your website or web app has significant traffic or contains vital data, we recommend the HybridCloud dedicated server solution. As with the World web hosting platform, we have preselected three optimum configurations for you:
- Starter
- Recommended
- Powerful
Dedicated Server solution HybridCloud
Here is a short video recap of the HybridCloud dedicated server solutions:
What technical features need to be considered when you’re shopping around for a web hosting solution?
- CPU load
- RAM
- write speed; Input/Output (I/O)
- Bandwidth
- The number of mailboxes
- The content you plan on hosting (WordPress, PrestaShop, web app, )
- The security level of the hosting environment
- Value for money
- The need for managed IT services
[The subject has been simplified to make it more accessible to a wider audience. If you have further questions, our consultants are available at: https://www.planethoster.com/en/Contact]
1- CPU load
The CPU is the brain of the server infrastructure that hosts your website. Every query received is processed by the CPU in a fraction of a second.
If you need to execute web apps requiring data processing, you’ll need several CPU cores. For example, if you launch a Cron Job, the more powerful the CPU is, the quicker it will be processed.
The higher the CPU number is, the more efficient your hosting will be. Naturally, you have to make sure you use high-quality CPUs. At PlanetHoster, we only use high-quality hardware.
2- RAM
Random access memory allows us to store the vital temporary information required for smooth running of the web app. This process is called caching.
Data are stored in the RAM to give users faster access. If you have an HTML website, you will not use much RAM. A basic formula with 4 GB of RAM is adequate for this type of website.
If you have a heavier CMS, e.g.: Drupal or Magento, you will need high-quality RAM. We recommend a minimum of 8 GB of RAM for this type of CMS.
How to calculate the RAM you need?
Having a lot of memory is very useful if there are peaks in web traffic. If you use a PHP app, it is possible to get a good estimate of the amount of memory needed using the memory limit value (number of simultaneous visitors X memory_limit value).
50 simultaneous visitor queries X 128 MB = 6.4 GB of RAM
If we assume that the average visitor requires around 20 queries, we’re talking about a potential of 3600 visits a day or more than 100,000 visitors per month. Other factors also come into play, including the optimization of the PHP or CMS app, the additional modules/plug-ins and whether you decide to run several websites on the same web host.
It is advisable to always have more RAM than needed to accommodate crawling (search engine scanning). Indexing dozens/hundreds of pages instantaneously require a huge amount of RAM. You should also take this into consideration when calculating your requirements.
If you are unsure, it is always possible to opt for the basic World hosting formula. You can add more RAM as you need it in the PlanetHoster Client Area. Our solutions are fully scalable to meet all requirements.
What’s the difference between shared RAM and dedicated RAM?
PlanetHoster’s World and Multi-World platforms have a RAM pool that is available to all clients. For example, if a client purchases an 8 GB RAM web hosting service, our infrastructure allows the client to utilize a maximum of 8 GB from the available resource pool.
The dedicated HybridCloud servers use dedicated RAM. If a client orders 8 GB of dedicated RAM, this amount of RAM is allocated to the client on a permanent basis.
The comparison also applies to the other resources, including CPU, I/O and bandwidth.
Dedicated RAM is more expensive than shared RAM.
3- Disk write speed; Input/Output (I/O)
The write speed is particularly important at the database level. In fact, the apps, CMS, etc. have to write data every second. The more visitors we get, the higher the write speed must be.
Normally, the default writes speed is adequate for 60% of websites. Depending on your needs, you can increase the write speed in the PlanetHoster Client Area.
For those clients wishing to have unlimited or maximum write speed, please see our dedicated HybridCloud offer.
To achieve maximum performance, all PlanetHoster web hosting solutions run with SSD disks connected to several independent RAID 10 configurations.
At the start of 2010, we were one of the first web hosting companies on the market to offer SSD technology.
4- Bandwidth
PlanetHoster offers unlimited bandwidth.
Recently, we even doubled our network capacity to offer you improved performance. For more information, see:
High-capacity Internet network – PlanetHoster
The World platform offers excellent bandwidth throughput capacity. However, if you are looking for between 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps capacity, we recommend our dedicated HybridCloud solution.
5- Mailboxes
All PlanetHoster web hosting solutions have unlimited mailboxes.
The premium solution offers access to verified SMTPs with all telecoms operators. Web access is also offered for corporate networks that block regular access ports.
If you plan on having ultra high-volume corporate usage, it is more economical to choose a dedicated HybridCloud server so that our team can customize your configuration.
6- The content you plan on hosting (WordPress, PrestaShop, Scripts, Web app, etc.)
If you wish to launch your own HTML website, WordPress blog or a new PrestaShop/Magento online store, it is possible to select a low-cost option (World web hosting) to start off with for the first months. You can build your traffic gradually. Our experienced team will then migrate you to a dedicated HybridCloud solution free of charge to accommodate a larger audience/clientele, at your convenience.
Note that migration is free of charge if you switch to a higher-level solution.
For customized high-volume web apps, we recommend opting directly for the HybridCloud dedicated server. Complex infrastructures require time to configure and implement. It is therefore advisable to choose the best solution right from the start.
7- The security level of the hosting environment
The level of security is particularly important if you have sensitive data, as they need special certificates. For example, PCI security scanning requires customization of the configuration of the web server, the SQL server, the firewall, etc. A dedicated environment is thus best suited to this type of requirement.
8- Value for money
We recommend that our clients not only look at the price but also at value for money.
Some low rates are designed to trap you. Companies offering low rates will lock you into a contract, with future charges, automatic/compulsory renewals, lengthy contract durations, etc.
PlanetHoster offers the best price on the market for high-quality hosting and service.
9- The need for managed IT services
Why do we need to manage IT services when our infrastructure is operating well?
In the world of IT, there are hundreds of vulnerabilities in many infrastructures. IT security specialists detect vulnerabilities every single day. For example, they recently discovered the KRACK vulnerability in the WPA2 wi-fi security protocol, which affects several thousand (home and corporate) routers worldwide. One question to ask is whether you have the time and the know-how needed to monitor your infrastructure on a daily basis.
In these situations, PlanetHoster’s teams are highly proactive. No matter what kind of weakness you come up against, we are always ready to deploy additional security measures in PlanetHoster’s ecosystem to offer better protection to our clients. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced user, you are vulnerable to the threats we detect every day.
Our managed IT solutions give you peace of mind every single day and you can always rely on our qualified technicians to help you in critical situations.
Conclusion
Always bear in mind that an optimized website is an excellent investment. Hosting costs will be reduced. Page loading times will be faster than comparable sites. Visitors will be appreciative and will keep coming back. Web indexing will also be improved. There are only positives!
On behalf of our team, welcome to PlanetHoster!