Everyone knows that websites are hosted on the internet, but do you ever wonder how that works? Well, a web hosting service stores your website’s files on a server, which has a domain associated with it. From there, whenever someone types in your domain, the internet will connect them to your hosting server, which displays your website’s files on their computer. Seems simple enough, right?
There are multiple types of web hosting services available, which can provide you with a variety of service plans. Even with all of these web hosting services out there, you can still find companies hosting their websites internally, on their own servers. If you have the resources, why not!
So how do you decide if you should go with a web hosting service or do it internally? I’ll be breaking down the pros and cons for you to help guide you in your decision making.
Internal Web Hosting
Internal web hosting is when a company will set up their own web servers and run everything in-house.
Pros
- No host or third-party management fees
- Direct control
- Keeps important data on-site
- No need to rely on internet connect to access data
Cons
- Management responsibilities
- Cost of purchasing equipment and staffing can be expensive
- Ongoing maintenance
- Requires space in office
- More susceptible to failure due to forces of nature, power outages, etc…
External Web Hosting
External web hosting is when companies outsource their website hosting to a third-party web hosting provider.
Pros
- Hosting plans can be cheap
- No need for additional equipment or IT team
- Easy to start
- Flexibility and scalability
- Upgrade plan easily
- Less susceptible to outages
Cons
- Lack of direct oversight
- Recurring costs
- If internet goes down on your side or your providers side, you won’t have access to information
Choosing whether you should go with internal or external hosting completely depends on your company’s needs and wants. If you have the time and money, and you will be hosting sensitive data, you should look at hosting internally. Otherwise, external hosting will usually be the best option.
