Hosting
Cloud Hosting vs Traditional Hosting: What's the Difference?
A plain-language comparison of cloud and conventional hosting to help small businesses choose the right option.
By Onrupt Editorial Team · · 1 min read
The quick definition
Traditional (shared) hosting runs your website on a single physical server shared with other websites, with a fixed allocation of resources. Cloud hosting runs it on virtual resources drawn from many servers, which can be scaled up or down as needed.
When traditional hosting is a good fit
- Brochure or service websites with steady traffic
- WordPress sites and blogs
- Tight budgets and simple management needs
When cloud hosting is a better fit
- Web applications and SaaS products
- Sites with unpredictable or growing traffic
- Teams that want automated deployments
Cost and complexity
Shared hosting is usually cheaper and simpler. Cloud hosting can be cost-effective at scale but needs more thoughtful setup. Many businesses start with shared hosting and move to the cloud when they outgrow it.