The average person builds a website to share thoughts online, sell a few items, or promote interesting hobbies and lifestyles. If you fall into this boat, a shared server is an ideal investment. However, that doesnt cut it for businesses and other large organizations that require serious server power, hosting flexibility, and impeccable reliability. For that winning combination, you need to invest in a dedicated server
## What's the Difference Between Shared Web Hosting and a Dedicated Server?
Shared hosting is just like it sounds: Your website shares server resources with other sites. Building your website on a shared server means that your pages may be affected by a neighboring site that devours too many CPU and RAM resources. For example, if that site receives a huge spike in traffic, your pages might load slowlyor not at all
Unlike a shared server that powers multiple websites, a dedicated server hosts just one site. Website stability and reliability are the twin benefits of investing in a dedicated server. Your site leverages a server's full CPU, RAM, and storage resources, as it doesn't share them with other sites. You shouldn't underestimate the importance of these benefits in terms of site speed and reliability
Investing in a dedicated server also gives system administrators greater control over the apps and scripts that they can install on the server, too. Shared hosting is far more limited in that regard, because anything you do could potentially affect the other sites that share the server. When you've got the server all to yourself, your scripts and apps won't impinge on anyone else's bandwidth or RAM
## Do I Need Dedicated Web Hosting?
Dedicated web hosting is an attractive option for companies that require a rock-solid website foundation. Sure, it's more expensive than shared web hosting, but you get greater reliability and more flexibility in exchange for the additional money that you pay. We've reviewed many dedicated hosting services and include our 10 favorites in this guide. The charts above and below give you a quick overview of the features you can find with each service, including pricing, hardware specs, data caps, and other pertinent information to help you find the best dedicated host for your needs
## HostGator Web Hosting
Best for Customer Support
Why We Picked it
The feature-stacked HostGator is a top web hosting choice, offering rich cloud, WordPress, VPS, and dedicated server packages. HostGators dedicated servers in particular, featuring Linux and Windows options, make it an outstanding service for those who need powerful web servers
Who Its For
This is an excellent hosting choice for businesses expanding into the more robust dedicated server ecosystem, thanks especially to its numerous support options. With HostGator, you get 24/7 telephone support, live web chat support, and a beefy online portal packed with reference articles and tutorials
PROS
- Numerous, feature-rich hosting plans
- Excellent shared hosting offerings
- Good for novice webmasters
- Useful site-building software and e-commerce tools
- Helpful, 24/7 customer service
- Outstanding uptime
CONS
- Not all plans have a Windows Server option
## AccuWeb Hosting
Best for Linux- or Windows-Based Servers
Why We Picked It
You want power and flexibility with your dedicated servers, and AccuWeb delivers both via its numerous hosting tiers. AccuWeb's dedicated hosting packages offer great value for the money, and they include impressive storage options and robust monthly data transfers. The icing on the cake? Operating system freedom
Who Its For
AccuWeb is an excellent choice if you're undecided if you want to go the Linux or Windows Server routes; the web host lets you rent a dedicated server with either OS. That's not standard in the web hosting field, making AccuWeb an especially unique and flexible hosting option
PROS
- Stellar uptime in testing
- Excellent dedicated hosting plans
- Offers a choice of Linux or Windows servers
- Helpful customer service
CONS
- Lacks unlimited email with Windows accounts
- No month-to-month shared hosting plans
## A2 Web Hosting
Best for Excellent Uptime
Why We Picked It
A2 has a well-rounded web hosting catalog, making it a fantastic choice when hunting for quality servers. It excels at WordPress hosting, but its dedicated servers are nothing to sneeze at, either. A2 offers both managed and unmanaged dedicated options with competitive rates, though it lacks a Windows Server option
Who Its For
All the web hosting services we recommend have excellent uptime, but A2 is quite forthcoming with its reliability and security. A2 promises 99.9% uptime, and delivers this thanks to a 24/7/365 support staff, quality data centers, up-to-date security patches, and 10GB redundant network to pick up the slack in the event of a failure. If you want reliability, A2 is the host for you
PROS
- Robust hosting packages, particularly WordPress
- Excellent customer service
- Terrific uptime
- Good money-back refund plan
CONS
- No Windows server options
- Relatively expensive
## DreamHost Web Hosting
Best for Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers
Why We Picked It
Dedicated hosting is powerful, but isnt exclusively for large businesses and enterprise-level endeavors; novice webmasters can also leverage the powerful servers to build a website. DreamHost offers excellent dedicated hosting solutions for clients of all types, and these plans boast unlimited monthly data transfers to boot. Selecting a server is straightforward: DreamHost provides pricing comparisons for all of its dedicated plans, with easy to understand values that make browsing convenient for all prospective buyers
Who Its For
DreamHost's unlimited monthly data transfer for all dedicated server plans simplifies the host-hunting process. It means you can focus on other important services and features the host offers, to better find the plan that suits your needs, which is a huge benefit. Consider, however, that the service lacks any Windows-based dedicated serversyour only option with DreamHost is Linux
PROS
- Strong security features
- Extensive domain-management tools
- Excellent cloud hosting offerings
- Unlimited data transfers per month
- Generous shared hosting money-back guarantee
- Useful WordPress staging feature
CONS
- No email with Shared Starter plan
- Lacks Windows-based servers
- No telephone support
## Hostwinds Web Hosting
Best for Easily Customizable Packages
Why We Picked It
If customization is a priority, Hostwinds has your back. Not only does this web host provide excellent VPS and reseller plans (it's the Editors' Choice winner for the categories), but its dedicated hosting is flexible and surprisingly robust, too. Hostwinds' dedicated servers are incredibly scalable, so you can pack a server with all the resources you need
Who Its For
Hostwinds makes the server-selecting process a cinch by letting you configure the type of server, number of drives, amount of RAM, monthly data transfer limits, and operating system. You can stick with the prefab servers or deep dive into the specs by selecting them from convenient drop-down menus. Dedicated hosting can be difficult to parse, and Hostwind's simple system makes it a good choice for anyone who really wants to dig into customizing the back end of their site
PROS
- Terrific uptime in testing
- Excellent reseller and VPS hosting plans
- Good customer service
- Minecraft server hosting
CONS
- Not every plan has a Windows server option
- Short money-back guarantee window
## InMotion Web Hosting
Best for Free IP Addresses
Why We Picked It
The versatile InMotion hosting has a rich feature set that is sure to satisfy the needs of both personal and business users alike. InMotion offers reasonable prices and well-rounded options for shared, VPS, dedicated, reseller, and WordPress plans. To sweeten the pot, its dedicated plans come with several IP addresses
Who It's For
The competition in the web hosting space is fierce, so companies offer appealing perks to attract potential clients and stand out from the pack. InMotion features beefy dedicated server options, which also come with between five and 15 dedicated IP addresses, depending on the plan. This makes InMotion excellent for companies looking for a way to securely connect their employees to company resources
PROS
- Excellent uptime
- Many hosting types
- All plans offer unlimited email
- Unlimited data transfers with all Shared and WordPress plans
- Lengthy, money-back guarantee
- Easy-to-use website-building software
CONS
- Lacks Windows servers
- Not all plans have month-to-month payment options
## Liquid Web Hosting
Best for Enterprise-Level Dedicated Hosting
Why We Picked It
Large businesses require robust web hosting services to maintain their online presence, and Liquid Web is one such service that is up for the task. Liquid Web doesnt feature traditional shared hosting options, focusing instead on the pricier (but more powerful) options, such as VPS and dedicated hosting. You pay more, but when it comes to dedicated hosting, you get superb, managed, enterprise-class service, the likes of which power major companies like Home Depot, Nat Geo, and Porsche
Who Its For
As a premier hosting service, Liquid Web delivers on power, flexibility, and features. Its servers support Linux and Windows OS, and the packages are overall excellent. Liquid Web also offers specialized solutions to suit any company's special situations. These premium services come at a premium price point, however, making this provider most suitable for enterprise-level businesses with serious hosting needs
PROS
- Robust dedicated, VPS, cloud, and reseller packages
- Prorated VPS plans
- Powerful, high-end server specs
- Terrific customer service
- Excellent uptime in testing
CONS
- Lacks shared hosting plans
- Expensive, with few refund options
## Ionos by 1&1 Web Hosting
Best for Speedy Load Times
Why We Picked It
Though Ionos leads the pack when it comes to cloud-based hosting, its dedicated plans are particularly good, too. These dedicated servers offer large-scale hosting capabilities, AMD and Intel processor options, and even Windows OS servers alongside the industry-standard Linux. All Ionos dedicated hosting plans include Sitelock malware protection and the RailGun content delivery network (CDN) for faster loading
Who Its For
What elevates Ionos as a dedicated server host is its snappy CDN, alongside a multitude of perks that benefit you and your business. Malware protection and unlimited monthly data transfers certainly doesn't hurt, after all. But the Cloudflare Railgun tech used to power Ionos' CDN to optimize loading and deliver content at impressive speeds. This makes it excellent for image and multimedia-dense websites
PROS
- Dependable uptime in testing
- Excellent cloud hosting packages
- Linux- or Windows-based servers
- Easy-to-use website creation tools
CONS
- Lacks reseller hosting plans
- Relatively sparse email options
## GoDaddy Web Hosting
Best for Full Root Access
Why We Picked It
One of the worlds most popular domain name sellers provides fantastic web hosting packages as well. GoDaddy is a solid provider with well-rounded options, including great dedicated server plans. You get several configurations to choose from, which come in both managed and unmanaged packages
Who Its For
If you want complete server control, you want root access. Not all web hosting services provide this by default, but it is especially useful if you want to install and configure server-wide applications, or edit any file on the server as you see fit. GoDaddy gives you the option to enable root access, making it ideal for webmasters who want to carefully manage their servers
PROS
- Top-notch uptime
- Linux- and Windows-based servers
- Email tightly integrated into Microsoft apps
- Helpful, 24/7 customer support
- Useful website-builder software
CONS
- Lacks cloud hosting
- Doesn't offer much default email
## TMDHosting Web Hosting
Best for Fully Managed Hosting
Why We Picked It
Although it only offers Linux-based service, TMDHosting has great, fully managed dedicated hosting options. This includes solid uptime, feature-packed plans, and highly monitored services paired with excellent customer support. TMDHostings dedicated hosting options are all fully managed. This means15-minute support response time, free installations and updates, and a team of highly skilled specialists on hand whenever you need
Who Its For
Fully managed dedicated servers are pricey affairs, but they come with the added security of having a team available 24/7/365 to give you any support you need. This makes TMDHosting a solid option if you want to leave the management and maintenance of your server to someone else while you focus on more important thingslike actually running your business
PROS
- Numerous, feature-packed hosting plans
- Excellent customer service
CONS
- Some plans lack Windows-based hosting
- Limited phone support hours
## Is Dedicated Hosting Expensive?
Dedicated servers sound pretty great, right? They are. That said, you should be aware of their relatively high prices. Setting up shop on a dedicated server will likely cost you more than $100 per month; shared servers, on the other hand, are far less expensive. The cheapest web hosting services will lease you space on the web for well under $10 per month. In addition, you'll need to handle firewalls and maintenance yourself unless you opt for a managed server, which costs even more
Dedicated web hosting isn't cheap, so you should only consider it if you need that level of server power. If you plan to create a personal blog or a business website that does little more than list your location and hours of operation, shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting, or VPS hosting are sufficientand more wallet-friendlyoptions
You can save a nice chunk of money if you sign up for a year or more of dedicated hosting at a time. For example, you can rent a GoDaddy dedicated server for $169.99 per month, but if youto a 24-month contract, the price drops to $129.99 per month. Chances are, if you're serious enough about your site that you think it needs a dedicated host, you're probably planning for it to be up for at least a year. Please note that dedicated servers featuring Linux as their operating systems are often about $20 cheaper than their Windows-based counterparts
## The Dedicated Hosting Features You Need
A cursory glance at the many web hosting services we've listed here reveals many similar-looking offerings, but the discerning eye will identify some subtle differences. You'll want a dedicated server with significant amounts of disk spacepreferably 1TB or morefor storing files. You can typically choose either a traditional hard drive or a solid-state drive as your website's storage medium. There's a trade-off, however. Solid-state drives are often faster and more reliable than HDDs, but they cost more money and have smaller storage capacities. Traditional hard drives, on the other hand, have large capacities and lower prices but aren't quite as resilient as their SSD counterparts. Unless you truly need blazingly fast storage, a traditional hard drive will get the job done
Ample RAM (5GB or more), e-commerce options for selling products, 24/7 customer service, and unlimited monthly data transfers are highly sought-after features, too. Many web hosts cap their dedicated monthly data transfer offerings at 16GB, which is probably fine for most users. Some web hosts offer unlimited monthly data transfers, but they are few and far between, and you need to read the terms of service very carefully to understand just what "unlimited" means to the host in question. In addition, companies that offer dedicated web hosting typically offer daily backups, security options, and malware detection and removalall important factors in your website's day-to-day operation
Additionally, you'll want a web hosting service that offers Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) if you plan to sell products. Here's why: An SSL connection encrypts the data that travels between your site and users' web browsers, thus safeguarding the transmission of purchasing information. You've probably seen a green padlock in your web browser's address bar while logging into your online bank account or making online purchases. It's a symbol of trust. Some companies include a free SSL certificate when you sign up for a hosting plan, while others charge close to $100. You can save some money by shopping around for the services that offer the cheapest SSL plans
You'll also want to consider how long you'll need dedicated web hosting. If it's a short-term projectsay, less than a month or twoyou'll typically receive a refund should you cancel your hosting within 60 days. Some companies offer 30-day money-back guarantees, while others offer 90-day money-back guarantees. Once again, it's beneficial to do your homework
## Uptime, Downtime
All the aforementioned features are valuable to the Web hosting experience, but none matches the importance of site uptime. If your site is down, clients or customers will be unable to find you or access your products or services
We've added formal uptime monitoring to our review process, and the results show that most Web hosts do an excellent job of keeping sites up and running. If they don't, they suffer for it in our scoring. Even if they get everything else right, sites with uptime problems aren't eligible for high scores. All services suffer ups and downs, sometimes for reasons beyond their control. Those sites that fail to address the problem are penalized accordingly
## More Dedicated Web Hosting Resources
If you're just getting started with web hosting, make sure to check out 5 Factors You Need To Consider Before Choosing a Web Host, 10 Easy But Powerful SEO Tips to Boost Traffic to Your Website, and Linux vs. Windows: How to Pick the Best Server OS for Your Website
*Mike Williams contributed to this story.*
