Guide · Hosting
How to Choose Web Hosting in 2026
Shared hosting, VPS or cloud: we explain the difference in plain English, add up the real costs and help you choose for a landing page, an online store, a bot or a scraper.
Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend what we use ourselves. Learn more
Hosting is a computer on the internet where your website lives. It determines how fast your pages load, whether your site survives a traffic spike and how much you pay every month. We set up hosting for every project we build, so we have gathered here the things we explain to clients most often.
Three types of hosting
| Type | Price per month | Best for | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared | from $2-3 | landing pages, small business sites, blogs, WordPress | minimal: everything through a control panel |
| VPS (virtual private server) | from $4-6 | Node.js and Python projects, bots, online stores, CRMs | basic Linux skills required |
| Cloud / PaaS | from $0 to hundreds of $ | fast-growing projects, teams without a sysadmin | depends on the platform |
Prices are approximate, as of October 2026. Exact amounts depend on the billing term and current promotions.
Shared hosting
Hundreds of websites from different owners live on one server, and the provider takes care of setup, updates and security. You get a control panel where you can install WordPress, create mailboxes and enable SSL in a few clicks.
Pros: cheap, simple, no Linux knowledge needed. Cons: resources are shared, so a noisy neighbor can eat into your performance; you can only run what the provider allows (usually PHP and MySQL). Not suitable for bots, scrapers or custom backends.
A typical example of this kind of hosting is Hostinger.
VPS
You rent a virtual server with a guaranteed share of CPU, RAM and disk, and you can do whatever you like with it: run Node.js, Python, Docker, databases, several bots at once. This very site runs on a VPS, by the way.
Pros: freedom, predictable performance, good value for money. Cons: the server has to be set up and maintained: updates, firewall, backups. That takes either your time or a sysadmin's.
Among VPS providers, we work most often with DigitalOcean (reliability and ease of use) and Contabo (maximum resources for minimum money).
Cloud and PaaS
Platforms such as DigitalOcean's App Platform, Vercel or Render take your code from GitHub and run, scale and update it for you. There is no server to manage, but as your load grows the bill grows faster than on a VPS, and you become more locked in to the platform.
What to choose for your project
- Landing page, small business site, WordPress blog. Shared hosting. There is no point paying more and administering a server.
- Online store. A small WooCommerce store runs fine on a good shared plan. A store with integrations, inventory sync and its own backend is better placed on a VPS with 2+ GB of RAM from day one.
- Telegram bot, CRM, Node.js or Python site. A VPS. 1-2 GB of RAM is enough to start.
- Scrapers, n8n, multiple bots, test servers, backups. A VPS with plenty of RAM and disk for little money, for example Contabo.
- A production project where reliability matters. A VPS from a provider with a good reputation, backups and monitoring, for example DigitalOcean.
Comparing the providers we work with
| Hostinger | DigitalOcean | Contabo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | shared hosting, VPS also available | cloud VPS, databases, PaaS | low-cost VPS and dedicated servers |
| Approximate price | from $2-3 per month when paying for several years | from $4-6 per month | around €5 per month for 4 vCPU and 8 GB of RAM |
| Billing | upfront for the chosen term | for the time the server actually runs | monthly or upfront for a term |
| Strength | simplicity, hPanel, WordPress in a few clicks | reliability, documentation, servers spin up fast | the most resources for the money |
| Weakness | renewal price is noticeably higher than the intro price | resources cost more than at budget providers | slower CPU and disk, unhurried support |
| We recommend it for | landing pages, small business sites, WordPress | bots, CRMs, Node.js projects in production | scrapers, n8n, staging, backups |
What to check before you buy
- Renewal price. With many providers, especially for shared hosting, the first term is cheap and the renewal costs several times more. Look at the renewal price, not the intro price.
- Data center location. Pick the data center closest to your audience: lower latency means faster page loads. For Europe that's Frankfurt, Amsterdam or another European location.
- Backups. Find out whether automatic backups are included and how much they cost. Without backups, any mistake can cost you the whole site.
- An account in your name. Your hosting and domain should be registered to you, and your developer only needs access. That way you are not dependent on a contractor.
- Room to grow. It helps when you can upgrade your plan in a few clicks without migrating.
The bottom line
For a simple website, get shared hosting and keep it simple. For a bot, CRM or Node.js site, get a VPS: DigitalOcean if reliability and convenience matter, or Contabo if you need lots of resources for a minimal price. If you would rather not deal with the server yourself, we will pick hosting for your project and set everything up.
Can I start with shared hosting and move to a VPS later?
Yes, and that is a perfectly normal path. A WordPress or static site can be moved in a few hours. The key is to have access to your domain and a fresh backup.
How much RAM does a VPS need?
1 GB is enough for a single bot or a small Node.js site. For an online store, a CRM with a database or several projects on one server, go for 2-4 GB. Scrapers with browser automation need 4 GB or more.
Is free hosting good enough?
For learning, yes; for a business, no: limited resources, provider ads, no guarantees and no support. A few dollars a month for proper hosting pays for itself with your very first lead.
Are hosting and a domain the same thing?
No. A domain is your site's address (example.com), and hosting is the server where the site physically lives. You can buy them from different companies and connect them through DNS.