Shared Should I host Xenforo on Shared Hosting?

[eL_]

Have used shared hosting for years and it worked nicely. As soon as the forum grows and you can also monetize, it makes sense to pay for a more expensive option

That`s true, my community is on shared hosting.

 

[Necabo]

I work in a web hosting company, but we don't offer shared hosting anymore. I can definitely suggest starting out on shared hosting, when you get a bigger audience you can then upgrade

 

[eL_]

I work in a web hosting company, but we don't offer shared hosting anymore. I can definitely suggest starting out on shared hosting, when you get a bigger audience you can then upgrade

That`s my goal. So far I`m ok in shared hosting. I hope to get users on my community and after for sure I will try to find something else.

 

[sean8ing]

Low end box has vps prices as cheap as a decent shared hosting plans. There are free panels like virtualmin to boot.

I wouldnt use shared hosting for anything more than a static file host these days.

 

[haqzore]

I wouldnt use shared hosting for anything more than a static file host these days.

Why not?

 

[sean8ing]

Why not?

Mostly because of server resources.

Cloudlinux supposedly addresses the issue but I've found that was just a way to limit users further and add more accounts in a single server.

Even if it worked flawlessly and effectively caged off supposed abusers, (which is everyone that needs CPU power), the system is filled with tasks it has to perform. Some of them incredibly resource hungry tasks.

Each domain and each IP attracts attackers. These attackers are constantly being proccessed by the firewall. Backups are zipping and unzipping. Email virus scanners and spam filters need power too. Crons..

It's a shared aystem after all.

Nothing like trying to use a php script when 3 users are performing a full account backup.

A small vps doesn't need a lot of resources to run a nice forum and you can at least be sure that it's available to your site when it needs it.

Sure it depends on the number of accounts on each server and server hardware etc. It's just that I've been burned too many times. I trust the host to do what makes money for them. It makes sense. Doesn't always align with my interests as a customer.

 

[KnownHost]

A small vps doesn't need a lot of resources to run a nice forum and you can at least be sure that it's available to your site when it needs it..

Don't forget that even with a VPS it's still a shared pool of resources. I think at the end of the day it just all depends on how the provider manages everything on the back-end. You can have oversold / overloaded shared, vps, cloud services all day long. The only 100% true way to avoid it is bare metal dedicated servers but you're talking a lot higher expense.

 

[sean8ing]

Don't forget that even with a VPS it's still a shared pool of resources. I think at the end of the day it just all depends on how the provider manages everything on the back-end. You can have oversold / overloaded shared, vps, cloud services all day long. The only 100% true way to avoid it is bare metal dedicated servers but you're talking a lot higher expense.

You are soooo right.

 

[MCA]

I'm in the same boat. Looking to change hosts. There are a lot of positive comments but hardly any actual hosts being mentioned. I'm looking at Namecheap but also others. The one thing I worry about is how much Tech support the host(s) actually offer. I'm not all that tecky but if I need help, I'll need it. Any help?

 

[KnownHost]

I'm in the same boat. Looking to change hosts. There are a lot of positive comments but hardly any actual hosts being mentioned. I'm looking at Namecheap but also others. The one thing I worry about is how much Tech support the host(s) actually offer. I'm not all that tecky but if I need help, I'll need it. Any help?

Generally speaking, a good web host should offer you support for anything under the hood.

You can think of web hosting like a car. Your web host (mechanic) is going to fix the engine, add that new exhaust and change your breaks for you. If you ask that same mechanic to paint your car if you're lucky he'll say no, if you're not he will grab a can of spray paint and well you can imagine from there.

That's the way we approach things anyway. We will be glad to help take care of anything server side, be it add PHP modules, rule out server issues etc, but we rarely touch side code or design. It's just too far outside of our normal wheel house and a speciality on it's own. We'd rather say no than have our customers sites look like a car painted with spray paint!

 

[haqzore]

I'm in the same boat. Looking to change hosts. There are a lot of positive comments but hardly any actual hosts being mentioned. I'm looking at Namecheap but also others. The one thing I worry about is how much Tech support the host(s) actually offer. I'm not all that tecky but if I need help, I'll need it. Any help?

I've usee NameCheap for years. They have fantastic, 24/7 live chat support.

 

[cheat_master30]

Based on my experience, you can definitely host a decent sized forum on shared hosting. Yeah, the more oversold ones might struggle a bit as the site scales (stuff like GoDaddy or Bluehost or Lunar Pages I wouldn't trust with a large forum site), but better hosts can handle a large XenForo forum pretty damn well. Heck, I remember using MDD Hosting for my old site back in the day, and if space wasn't a concern, I could have quite happily hosted a site approaching big board status on a standard hosting plan.

So yeah, XenForo can work well on shared hosting, as can various other forum scripts. Even when they're being used for larger forums or those with plenty of add ons or what not.

 

[MCA]

Yeah, I'm on shared servers now with no issues except for the cost. I pay a high price but get great customer service above other hosts. If it's something tricky, like writing ode, they'll do it too but charge me by the hour. I like having that option but have to change. I have yet to find another host that offers that. If I have issues or get hacked, I'd like to keep it all with one company. I wouldn't know where to find a trust worthy third party help to trust my forum and/or cpanel with.

 

[Alpha1]

Why would you want to accept all kinds of limitations on shared hosting when you can have your own VPS for $5 a month?
That doesn't make sense to me.

 

[doubt]

Why would you want to accept all kinds of limitations on shared hosting when you can have your own VPS for $5 a month?
That doesn't make sense to me.

For $5 a month on your own VPS you are on your own, without that great customer service.

 

[haqzore]

Why would you want to accept all kinds of limitations on shared hosting when you can have your own VPS for $5 a month?
That doesn't make sense to me.

Not to mention shared hosting can get far cheaper than even $5/mo, while retaining full support.

VPS is a great option for the right need, but so is shared.

 

[we_are_borg]

For $5 a month on your own VPS you are on your own, without that great customer service.

A normal person that does a few hours a week maintaining a VPS and willing to read can handle that.

 

[haqzore]

A normal person that does a few hours a week maintaining a VPS and willing to read can handle that.

Agree, but for certain people - myself included - a few hours a week is a pretty heavy investment.

It just goes back to knowing what you need.

Shared is neither right or wrong in every situation. No solution is.

 

[KnownHost]

Agree, but for certain people - myself included - a few hours a week is a pretty heavy investment.

It just goes back to knowing what you need.

Shared is neither right or wrong in every situation. No solution is.

If you're anything like me a lot of my knowledge is a use it or lose it type knowledge. Sure, there's a lot of things I can do, but it's been years since I've rebuilt a small engine carb. So do I buy the parts, take it apart, try and make sure I set the mixture ratios correct and hope it works the frist time. Or do I pay Bob a little bit and let him do it and it likely works right the first time.

If you like to tinker by nature then absolutely a small unmanaged VPS can be the way to go, but if your job is cutting grass, can you afford that extra time spent saving a few bucks to rebuild that carb, or would you rather be mowing lawns and making $

 

[Banxix]

Have you tried hosting services in your local area. It is reasonable to use them.
You can start at a low plan, monitor resources needed and tell hosting service to upgrade anytime you want.