What is shared hosting?

On a shared server the processor, memory, network connection and the machine itself are shared between many accounts. The hosting company looks after the hardware, the operating system, the web server software, security updates and the network, and you look after your website.

What stays yours is the content and the access. Your files, databases and email accounts sit inside your own account, with your own login. Good providers isolate accounts from each other so that one customer cannot see or damage another's data. On our plans, CloudLinux provides that isolation and gives each account its own limits.

That model is why shared hosting costs so little. A server that might cost a lot to run is split between many customers, so each pays a small share. The trade-off is that you cannot change the server software or reserve a fixed slice of the machine.

Start by installing only what you need. Every plugin, theme and application uses space and processing time, and each one is something else to keep updated.

Turn on caching as soon as the site works. On our plans the LiteSpeed web server and the free LiteSpeed Cache plugin for WordPress give the biggest single speed gain, and Redis object caching helps dynamic pages. Then compress images, because pictures are usually the heaviest part of any page.

Finally, look after the basics: use strong passwords, keep software updated, and check that your backups exist. These habits matter far more than the difference between one shared plan and another.

This is the question most people ask, and it is fair. On a poorly run server, a noisy neighbour can slow everyone. A well run one prevents it.

Account isolation and resource limits stop one account from taking more than its share. A busy neighbour hits its own limit and not yours. The web server software also matters. LiteSpeed, which our servers use, handles many requests efficiently and caches pages so a repeat visit needs very little work.

Your own site matters as much. A light, well-built site on a good shared server is faster than a heavy site on an expensive one. Compress images, keep plugins to the ones you use and turn on caching.

It can be, if the provider takes security seriously and you keep your own site updated. Server-side protection should include malware scanning, a firewall, DDoS protection and account isolation. Ours include Imunify360, a ModSecurity firewall, DDoS protection and CloudLinux isolation on every plan.

Most successful attacks on small sites come from the website itself, not the server. Old plugins, weak passwords and pirated themes are the usual causes. Keep software updated, use strong passwords and turn on two-factor login, and your risk drops sharply.

Most sites never need to leave shared hosting. A few do, and the signs are clear.

• Your site regularly hits resource limits during normal traffic
• You need software or settings a shared server does not allow
• You run constant background processing or heavy computing
• You need guaranteed dedicated resources for a busy application
• Compliance rules require a particular server set-up