Anyone who wants to publish a website can choose between different types of web hosting. Here is an overview of the most relevant hosting options in the corporate context:

• Free/advertising-financed hosting: the cheapest hosting option is only listed here for the sake of completeness. With ad-financed hosting, there are no fees, but users must expect severe restrictions in configuration freedom and performance. Since it makes no economic sense for companies to display third-party ads on their own websites, this option is not available in a professional context.
• Shared hosting: This form of hosting is one of the most common. Here, several web hosting accounts (websites) are hosted on one server. They share the hardware resources and the bandwidth of the system. However, the operators of one account do not have direct access to the data of another account. Both private and smaller professional users choose this form of hosting with relatively low fees. Security aspects speak against shared hosting – after all, the data is stored on a shared server together with external company data. Performance is also limited because resources are used jointly. If you operate a high-traffic site and want to ensure fast loading times, you are more likely to opt for hosting on a single server.
• Virtual dedicated servers: Virtual dedicated servers offer more security. Here, companies share the hardware of a server, but their accounts are created separately as their own virtual systems. Users usually have more extensive configuration options here than shared hosting offers.
• Cloud hosting: With this relatively new form of hosting, website content is located on interconnected (clustered) servers. This distributes the workload better and performance weaknesses of shared hosting can be compensated for to a certain point, while costs remain moderate. Cloud hosting is sometimes criticized in terms of data protection. If the hosting provider does not take appropriate security precautions, sensitive data can more easily fall into the wrong hands.
• Dedicated servers: Similar to the virtual dedicated server, a company’s data is stored here clearly separated from other customers of the hosting provider – in this case on its own physical server, a completely separate device. The advantage: This allows you to use the full bandwidth of the system for your online presence. Companies also get full administration access and can configure the server independently.
• Managed Hosting Server: Here, the user’s website content is stored on its own server, but the user does not get full control over the hardware as with the dedicated server. The configuration options are more limited. In return, the web host takes over administration and maintenance and relieves the company’s IT resources.
• Server housing / colocation web hosting: With this form of hosting, a hosting provider provides companies with a space for their own servers. Configuration, administration and maintenance are completely in the hands of the company. This form is intended for companies that use their own hardwarewant their servers to be in a professional environment. Colocation web hosting is one of the most costly hosting options.