The truth is that a cloud-based hosting service is not the same thing as a cloud hosting service that is hosted in the cloud. In the past, cloud hosting was an option but a small one. Now that we have the ability to host and provide services in the cloud, it can be a very powerful thing. Cloud-based hosting is a really exciting thing because now we can take a lot of the burden of managing server performance and resource usage completely off of your shoulders.
Cloud hosting is a very new thing. To be sure, there are lots of other ways to host your websites, but the cloud makes it easier than ever to host things there. As an example, I have the ability to host my website on AWS with a very low fee. You know, the one thing that Amazon doesn’t sell is hosting. But it is still possible to host your website there and the service works the way you think it does.
Most cloud hosting offerings are free (at least in the US). Of course, the biggest bang for your buck in the US is hosted on Rackspace’s Cloud Sites. However, if you’re looking for free hosting, you’re in the wrong place.
cloud hosting is a big deal because it allows you to host multiple domains, virtual servers, etc. on the same server, instead of having to purchase individual hosting accounts, as you do with dedicated servers. But cloud hosting also allows you to host your website in a manner that is not possible with a dedicated server. For example, if you want to host a website with a database on your own server, you can do it but it will only be accessible from your own server.
Not only is cloud hosting more versatile than dedicated servers, but unlike a dedicated server, you can even host your website using a different server than your own. For example, if you only want to host your website on a server called “webmaster.” you can do that, but you can create a separate virtual server called “webmaster” that will only be accessible from the “webmaster” server.
Cloud-based hosting is most commonly used for hosting static sites, e.g. web pages, e-mail, or static applications such as blogs or ecommerce sites. However, it’s also possible to host websites and static applications using a cloud-based hosting solution such as Cloudways, Netvibes, or GoDaddy.
One of the most common reasons people use cloud-based hosting is the convenience and flexible nature of it. Many cloud hosting providers offer so-called “shared” hosting services, where your website is accessible to anyone who clicks their domain name. But that’s not really the same thing as hosting your website yourself. This is because any user of cloud-based hosting is essentially accessing your website directly from someone else’s computer.
For us at Cloudway, the main difference between the shared and self-hosted (or just direct) solutions is that our own server is “dedicated” to our website. And as a result of that dedicatedness, we can actually control what happens on our site. This means we can implement features such as custom user authentication, or even install and configure firewall settings that would affect other websites.
In the case of shared hosting, you can only access your website from your own computer. In the case of self-hosted or direct hosting, you can also access your website from anywhere at all. For example, if your website is hosted in your own computer, then that means you can use it from your own home or your office.
Cloud-based hosting allows you to set up your website to be accessed from all parts of the world. Like self-hosted hosting, it allows you to use your own computer and the internet as an extension of your home.
