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What is shared web hosting?

A shared web hosting service or virtual hosting service is a form of web hosting where a number of web sites are hosted on the same server. It is currently the most common form of hosting.

In shared hosting, the web host is responsible for the management of servers, installation of server software and security updates. Most servers use the Linux operating system. However, some providers offer Microsoft Windows based hosting.

Shared web hosting normally uses a web-based control panel system, such as cPanel or Plesk.

The advantages of shared web hosting

For a small site the cost of shared hosting is much lower than it would be on a dedicated server.
You don't have to buy a web server or the software installed on it.
You don't need to be an expert on web servers. Your web host is responsible for maintaining web server services, and the installation and updating of the software.
Most hosts who offer shared hosting have more than one plan to choose from. This means that you can start with a small plan and move to a larger one when your web site grows.

The disadvantages of shared web hosting

Your site will be hosted on the same web server as a number of other sites.
If one of the sites hosted on your server overloads it, your site will run slowly and may even stop working altogether sometimes.
You will probably have the same IP address as your web host and the other web sites hosted on that server (some hosts do offer separate IP addresses).
Since you are sharing the server space with other users the security is not as high as it would be with a dedicated server (for most web sites this is not a serious problem).