Once you have spent time brainstorming an idea, developing it, and getting feedback from close friends or colleagues, it's time to release it to the world. That is a huge milestone in your startup's journey, so congrats!
When it comes to launching your product, one of the most important decisions you will make is how to host it. How you host it can affect speed, cost, reliability and your ability to scale. There is a lot of jargon thrown around, like shared hosting, VPS, containers, serverless, etc., and this can get overwhelming fast.
How you release your software can vary depending on the type of product you are building. This could be a Windows desktop app, a mobile application or what this article focuses on: a web application, SaaS, or a set of micro-services.
In this article, we break down the types of hosting, what they mean and how to choose the right one for your startup's stage, budget, and technical needs.
#Mini Dictionary
#Redundancy
Redundancy means to duplicate critical parts of your environment as a backup if one or more parts fail, the backup will take over.
#Server
A server is a computer that provides a resource or service to other client computers. For example, if you use your laptop or PC to access your mail, those would be the clients, and the mail itself is hosted on a server computer, which you can access.
If we want the public to be able to access your web app then you will need to host this on a server.
#Hosting
Hosting means to place your project on a remote server where the public can access it. There are several different ways to do this, depending on your needs.
#Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting uses multiple interconnected servers instead of a single one to host your application. This has multiple benefits, including the ability to run the application on an additional server if one server is too busy to handle the current workload.
#Benefits
High redundancy: Great for applications that require high availability. Cheaper: No need to manage a physical in-house server and personnel to maintain it. Ideal for fluctuating traffic: Resources can be automatically or manually adjusted to meet varying demands.
#Limitations
Usage-based pricing can get expensive: Without the proper configuration to reduce the amount of unused resources, usage-based pricing means you are spending more for no extra benefit.
#Shared Hosting
Shared hosting is suitable for small websites, small businesses, or startups at the beginning. Shared hosting is where multiple websites are served from one server and share resources. Which makes it more affordable.
#Benefits
Easy-to-use: A lot of shared hosting platforms also come with easy-to-use, intuitive interfaces that require no advanced technical skills. Typically the cheapest option: Since multiple websites can be hosted with the cost of a single server.
#Limitations
Concerns with isolation: Some shared hosting environments do not properly separate one web application from another. This can mean that if one application becomes compromised, every application on that server is also affected.
#Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting
If you have a more demanding project and are comfortable with getting hands-on with certain technical aspects, such as DNS and SSL certificates, then this is the option to look at. But even those technical aspects are not as scary as they seem, as many hosting providers do their best to make it easy to automate, and sometimes you won't even have to touch your server to manage them.
#Benefits
Dedicated resources: This provides more consistent performance and is more reliable. This also prevents the isolation issue with shared hosting. Higher customisation: Due to having dedicated resources, it is easier to customise. For example, being able to choose which operating system to use and with which tools and configuration. Access directly to the server: Being able to connect directly to the server allows for performance fine-tuning and other optimisations, which can speed up the experience for visitors or improve security.
#Limitations
More expensive than shared hosting or other options: Can get expensive due to having dedicated resources. Requires technical knowledge: Can require knowledge of how to manage a server.
#Serverless
If your application has irregular usage, where your application responds to events (such as processing files to store, handling IoT signals, etc.), then serverless might be what you need.
With traditional servers, one issue is managing an unexpected spike in visitors. For example, if you have a set full launch day and have been promoting it on social media, that day will experience a spike in visitors. Since you know this, you can give your server more resources to handle this, so visitors don't feel a decrease in the quality of your service. However, suppose an influencer promotes your product and you receive a spike in visitors, and because you never expected this, visitors experience a decrease in quality and might leave.
#Benefits
Cheaper than most options: Since you only pay for what you use. This is helpful if you know you won't be getting visitors at certain hours, and your server sits idle but still costs you money. Does not require technical knowledge: Simply upload code, and the provider will handle configuration, maintenance and security.
#Limitations
Cold-start delay: Since a serverless function is not up all the time, when it is called, it experiences a small delay before being able to respond to wake up. Limited control: Without needing to manage a server, it also means you have less control over the environment and how it is managed. Harder to debug: Sometimes debugging requires going directly into the server. However, with serverless, you cannot do this, which reduces the number of ways you can fix and figure out a problem.
Overall, choosing the type of hosting is one of the most important decisions you will make, but that does not mean you cannot switch when your needs change and your startup grows. For any solution you pick, there is a wide range of resources available online to help you learn more and launch your product.
I hope you found this article helpful and wish you good luck on your journey!