What is shared hosting? Explanation, prices and who it's for

Shared hosting is the most popular form of web hosting, especially for beginners and small websites. You share a server with hundreds of other websites, keeping costs low. But what exactly is shared hosting? And is it the right choice for your website?

In this guide, you'll learn everything about shared hosting: how it works, what the pros and cons are, and who it's suitable for. We'll also compare prices from popular providers like TransIP, Hostnet, and Vimexx.

Shared hosting is perfect if you're just starting with a website. You don't need to think about server management, you only pay a few euros per month, and you can get started within minutes. But there are downsides too: less control, limited performance, and dependency on other websites on the same server.

How does shared hosting work?

With shared hosting, your website runs on a server that you share with dozens to hundreds of other websites. The hosting provider divides the server capacity (processor, memory, storage) among all customers. This works like an apartment building: everyone has their own space, but you share the infrastructure with others.

The provider handles server maintenance. Think of software updates, security patches, and technical issues. You only need to upload your website and set up your email address. The technical side is completely managed for you.

You get a control panel like cPanel or DirectAdmin to manage your website. With this, you install WordPress, create email accounts, and upload files. It's designed for people without technical knowledge.

The server runs on shared resources. If another website on the same server suddenly gets a lot of traffic, it can affect your website's speed. Most providers have measures against this, but you can't completely rule it out.

Advantages of shared hosting

Start dirt cheap Shared hosting is the cheapest form of hosting. For €2 to €10 per month, you already have a working website online. Providers like TransIP offer packages from €4.95 per month with everything you need: domain name, email, and WordPress installation. Perfect for small budgets.

No technical knowledge needed You don't need to know anything about servers, Linux, or security settings. The provider handles everything for you. Through a user-friendly control panel, you install WordPress or other software with one click. Ideal if you just want to build your website without technical hassle.

Maintenance is done for you Software updates, security patches, backups: the hosting provider does it all. You don't have to worry about anything. If there's a problem with the server, their support team fixes it. This saves you enormous amounts of time and headaches.

Get online quickly with your website Within a few minutes, you have a working website. Choose a package, register a domain, install WordPress, and you're done. Most providers offer one-click WordPress installation. You can literally have a professional website online within an hour.

Scalable as you grow Start small, upgrade later. As your website grows, you can scale up to a larger shared hosting package or grow into VPS hosting. Many providers make this process easy with migration assistance. So you're not locked into your first choice.

Includes email and domain Most shared hosting packages include email accounts and a free domain name. This way you have everything in one package: website, email, and domain name. That's clear and prevents you from having to work with multiple providers.

Support for beginners Shared hosting providers target beginning website owners. Their support is therefore often patient and understandable. You can ask questions about WordPress, setting up email, or FTP access. That provides peace of mind, especially when you're just starting.

Disadvantages of shared hosting

Limited performance with high traffic If your website gets a lot of visitors, you'll run into the limitations of shared hosting. The shared resources (memory, processor) are not unlimited. During a traffic spike, your website can become slow or even temporarily go offline. This is frustrating for visitors.

Impact from other websites The "bad neighbors" problem: if another website on your server gets hacked or draws a lot of traffic, it can affect your website. After all, you share the same server. Good providers isolate websites from each other, but you can't completely rule it out.

Less control and flexibility You can't install your own software or adjust server settings. Do you want a specific PHP version or your own caching solution? Then you often run into limitations. For standard websites this isn't a problem, but for custom solutions it is.

Limitations in storage and databases Shared hosting packages have limits. For example, 10GB storage or 5 databases. For small websites this is plenty, but if you upload many photos or want to host multiple websites, you might run into this.

Less suitable for webshops with traffic A WooCommerce webshop with hundreds of visitors per day needs more resources than shared hosting can provide. The slowness can lead to lost sales. For small starting webshops it's fine, but you need to upgrade quickly when growing.

Who is shared hosting suitable for?

Shared hosting is the perfect choice if you're starting a personal blog. You don't have high demands for speed or traffic, and you mainly want to be able to start easily. Platforms like WordPress run fine on shared hosting as long as you don't have thousands of visitors per day.

For small business websites, shared hosting is often sufficient. A website for a local bakery, hairdresser, or photographer doesn't need a heavy server. You want a professional appearance without high costs. Shared hosting offers that, including professional email addresses on your own domain.

Starting webshops with limited traffic can run fine on shared hosting. If you're just starting with a WooCommerce or Shopify webshop and don't have many orders yet, the costs of shared hosting are attractive. As soon as you grow, you can upgrade to more powerful hosting.

Shared hosting is ideal for portfolio websites of photographers, designers, or freelancers. You want to show your work, but you don't expect huge visitor numbers. The low costs make it possible to put multiple projects online without spending capital.

Hobby sites and communities also find their way to shared hosting. Think of a forum for a local association or a website for a hobby group. Visitor numbers are manageable and technical requirements are low.

Test environments are perfect for shared hosting. Do you want to try out new WordPress themes or build a new website before going live? Shared hosting offers a cheap sandbox where you can experiment without risk.

For students and starters who want to learn how to work with websites, shared hosting is an accessible starting place. You learn the basics of web hosting without immediately investing in expensive VPS or dedicated servers.

Shared hosting price comparison

Shared hosting prices vary greatly by provider and package. Here's an overview of what you can expect:

Budget providers (€2-€5 per month) Providers like Hostinger and ONE.com offer extremely cheap packages. For €2.99 per month you have hosting, but don't expect miracles in terms of speed and support. These are suitable if you're really on a budget and don't have high requirements.

Dutch providers (€4-€10 per month) TransIP, Hostnet, Vimexx, and Antagonist are in this segment. For €4.95 to €8.95 per month you get solid hosting with Dutch support. TransIP, for example, offers 10GB SSD storage, 5 databases, and unlimited email addresses for €5.95 per month. This is the sweet spot for most Dutch websites.

Premium shared hosting (€10-€20 per month) Providers like SiteGround and Kinsta offer premium shared hosting with better performance, faster servers, and excellent support. For €12.99 per month you get daily backups, free SSL, and a CDN at SiteGround for example. This is suitable if you want a bit more quality without going to VPS.

What should you watch out for in prices? You often see introductory rates: the first year €2.99 per month, then €7.99. Read the fine print and calculate what you'll pay after the first year. Renewal costs can also increase significantly.

Many providers charge extra for an SSL certificate (€5-€15 per year) or daily backups (€2-€5 per month). Some, like TransIP, give this for free. Add up all costs for a fair comparison.

Practical tips for shared hosting

Choose a provider with Dutch support If you don't have a technical background, support in your own language is worth gold. Providers like TransIP, Hostnet, and Vimexx have Dutch-language phone support. That saves frustration when something goes wrong.

Test the speed before you choose Many providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Use this to test your website's speed. Install WordPress, add some content, and test with tools like GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights. If it's too slow, ask for your money back and try another provider.

Make your own backups Don't rely only on your hosting provider's backups. Install a WordPress plugin like UpdraftPlus and make weekly backups to Google Drive or Dropbox. If something goes wrong, you always have your own backup.

Use a caching plugin WordPress websites run faster with caching. Install a free plugin like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache. This reduces the load on the server and makes your website faster for visitors.

Monitor your resource usage Many shared hosting packages show how much CPU, memory, and bandwidth you're using. Keep an eye on this. If you regularly hit the limits, it's time to upgrade to a larger package or VPS hosting.

Optimize your images Large images make your website slow and eat up storage. Use tools like TinyPNG or a WordPress plugin like Smush to compress images before uploading. This can improve your load time by seconds.

Choose SSD storage Old shared hosting runs on HDD disks, modern on SSD. SSD is tens of times faster. Always choose a package with SSD storage. All modern Dutch providers now offer this as standard.

Read reviews from other customers Check Trustpilot or WebhostingTalk for what other customers say about the provider. Pay special attention to recent reviews about support quality and uptime. One bad review says little, but a pattern of complaints is a red flag.

Know when to upgrade Shared hosting is a starter option. If your website grows to more than 5,000 visitors per month, is regularly slow, or you hit resource limits, it's time for VPS hosting. Don't wait until your website crashes.

Use a CDN for global traffic If you have visitors from different countries, use a CDN like Cloudflare (free). This ensures your website loads quickly around the world, even though your server is in the Netherlands. It compensates for some of the limitations of shared hosting.

Want to compare all hosting providers on price and features? Check out our complete hosting overview with current prices and specifications. Or start with our guide hosting for beginners if you're still doubting which type of hosting suits you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does web hosting cost on average?

Web hosting costs between €3 and €15 per month for shared hosting on average. VPS hosting starts around €10-€20 per month, and dedicated servers from €50 per month.

Can I upgrade to a different package later?

Yes, with most hosting providers you can easily upgrade to a larger package when your website grows. This can usually be done without downtime.

Is Dutch hosting better than foreign hosting?

For Dutch visitors, Dutch hosting is often faster due to the shorter distance. Additionally, communication with support is easier and you comply with GDPR legislation.