The decision in buying a hosting plan also consists of choosing between managed and unmanaged hosting services. Shared hosting users are often not well versed in the word “server management.” The server management only comes in the role when you have a VPS Hosting, Dedicated Hosting and cloud hosting plans.
There is a definite difference between unmanaged and managed hosting services, and it does not only relies on the cost factor.
Key Differences between managed and unmanaged hosting
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In managed hosting plan, your host provider provides the full end to end managed hosting support like- everyday issues, OS upgrades, patches upgrade, and many more. The frequency of these tasks can be daily, routine or high priority. The only restriction is up to the coding level, i.e., your hosting provider won’t help you with any coding related issues on your website or application. Often, managed hosting comes with an automated backup and monitoring. Usually, many hosting providers might charge for these services.
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Unmanaged hosting is cheaper as compared to the managed hosting as there is no management- i.e., no routine support. Your hosting provider will ensure that your hardware(server) and Network is up- 24/7 without any fail. The host will replace failed components, reboot servers, maintain the network and keep the lights on, but it won’t support any software or install any for you. Hence it is your responsibility to install security patches, error messages and ensure that the server is secured. Many hosting providers also don’t provide the control panel or a UI based panel to do these server management tasks. In an unmanaged hosting your hosting provider might charge you an hourly rate for basic help or troubleshooting if you get stuck somewhere.
Best fit for you- Managed or unmanaged hosting?
The below-mentioned questions for you can help you decide whether to go for a managed hosting and unmanaged hosting
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In case of software failure downtime bearable?
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Are you well versed in applying security patches remotely?
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Is the price difference worth the extra work for you?
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Need for control panel- cPanel or Plesk?
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What’s important to you: low cost, or fewer maintenance tasks?
If you are not comfortable in handling the insides of your server, you should stick to managed hosting solution else if you prefer to keep your budget low and can manage the extra work and handle day to day server issues you can opt for unmanaged hosting solutions.