Are you looking to begin a career in web hosting, or do you need a reliable web hosting type to take care of your business needs? If, like many other business owners, you’re still contemplating between reseller hosting and a dedicated server, then you’ve come to the right place. We will provide insights into both types of web hosting such that at the end of this article, you’ll be able to make an informed decision.

We achieved this by evaluating important factors related to web hosting that every website owner needs to consider before purchasing any web hosting type. Topics like control, resources, security, management, customization and performance were compared and analyzed based on how they work with each web hosting type. Read on to find out all the information you need and more.

What is Reseller Hosting?

Reseller hosting is a type of web hosting that involves buying hosting resources such as bandwidth and disk space from a parent web host company and reselling to smaller individual websites. You, the account owner, essentially function as a middleman between the web host company and the third-party websites you’re selling to.

Opting for a reseller hosting account is ideal for those just starting in the web hosting business. It doesn’t require skills like server management as the web host company takes care of all technical aspects. You’re good to go as long as you have third-party clients to resell to.

What is a Dedicated Server?

A dedicated hosting server is a web hosting type where a web server is dedicated to a single user. Unlike most other types of web hosting, resources are not shared in dedicated hosting, and as the business owner, you have complete control over server management.

This web hosting type also allows the business owner to go into web host reselling on a larger scale as they have a whole server dedicated to their business. It further makes it a lot easier to allocate the remaining resources to third party clients.

Although expensive, a dedicated server offers many more benefits than reseller hosting. Well-established businesses that require total control over the web server and don’t mind footing the bill usually select this option.

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server – Pros & Cons

When it comes to picking a web hosting type, there are several factors you need to look out for. For one you need to consider the type of online business you’ll be running. Is it an ecommerce site, blog or a personal website? Your type of website will determine the most suitable web host plan for you. More importantly, you should also take into account your level of technical expertise as that will determine how much help you’ll need to run the website.

Pros and Cons of Reseller Hosting

Pros and cons of Dedicated Server

Reseller Vs Dedicated Server overview Table

This section is an overview of important topics to consider before selecting any web hosting plan. We evaluated each topic and compared how they work with Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server.

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Resources

Websites work by using certain resources such as RAM, hard drive space, operating system, and bandwidth. These resources determine the performance and speed of a website and work differently for each web hosting type. These resources are resident on the server and are allocated differently depending on the web hosting plan.

For reseller hosting, the resources bought can be shared across multiple third party websites, with each site having its own specific amount of resources. On the other hand, dedicated servers are unique to a single user and as such, all the resources on the server are used by the business owner .

How Resources Work with Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting plan is an excellent option for freelance web developers or startups in their early stages. You typically do not require considerable resources, and the WHM tool easily allows you to allocate resources to third-party clients

How Resources Work with Dedicated Server

Unlike other web hosting plans, a dedicated server allocates all resources on the server to a single website. That is, the resources are dedicated to just one user. Business owners searching for large online space and bandwidth will benefit the most from this web hosting.

Winner- Dedicated Server

Reseller Vs. Dedicated Server: Performance

Website performance is crucial in attracting visitors to any site and converting traffic. It typically depends on how many resources the website has and how optimized it is. Websites that share server resources are more prone to performance issues like slow loading or low uptime as multiple sites use the resources. Dedicated servers don’t have such problems as the resources they have are capable of catering to the website’s traffic.

How Performance Works with Reseller Hosting

With Reseller Hosting, performance and speed depend highly on the parent web host company you’re purchasing from. Confirm that they guarantee fast speed before buying from them.

How Performance Works with Dedicated Server

Dedicated servers are dedicated to a single user. That means a single user gets to make use of all the resources on the server. As a result, a website on a dedicated server is as reliable as it is fast.

Winner – Dedicated Server

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Security

Hackers and other online security threats are constantly finding creative ways to scam and attack online businesses, which is why security is a vital factor to look out for when selecting any web hosting type. Ensure that the web host provider you’re buying from has specific security measures that trigger security protocols in the event of a suspicious activity or malicious attack on your website. Look out for things like periodic security updates, replacement of security patches, and regular security checks.

How Security Works with Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting works with multiple third-party websites on a single server. Although each website has its share of resources, security threats to one website can still affect the others as they are all connected to one server.

How Security Works with a Dedicated Server

Dedicated servers offer more security by allowing you to install various scripts and security software to your server. This way, you can bolster the security of your website and safeguard it from those with malevolent intent.

Winner – Dedicated Server

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Customization

Customization refers to your ability to make changes or modifications to your server. This involves changing the color, style, design, or logo to your preferred choice via your cPanel. Both reseller and dedicated hosting offer some form of control in terms of what you can customize; however, dedicated servers give you more flexibility than reseller hosting.

How Customization Works with Reseller Hosting

The best reseller hosting plans come with software tools like Web Host Manager (WHM) that provides access to cPanel of individual websites and allow you to make adjustments as you see fit.

How Customization Works with Dedicated Server

Dedicated hosting is big on control, and this includes customization. Since you have root access to the server, you can easily make changes like installing a different Operating system, customizing the hardware or changing your website user interface as you see fit.

Winner – Dedicated Server

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Management

Website management is typically taken care of by the web host provider. They help with server maintenance and other backend technical issues relating to server management. While this is the case for reseller hosting plans, it’s a bit different for a dedicated server as the business owner is in charge of server management.

How Management Works with Reseller Hosting

Recent reseller hosting packages come with software tools that allow you to manage third-party websites under your account. However, your parent web host company is in charge of server management.

How Management Works with Dedicated Server

A dedicated server requires you to either have an IT background or a team of IT specialists who will run and manage the server.

Winner- Reseller Hosting

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Cost

Another critical factor to consider when choosing a web hosting plan is your budget. If you’re a small business owner, reseller hosting is much more affordable compared to dedicated servers. It is also beginner friendly and provides enough resources to take care of the current needs of your business. A dedicated server costs more than reseller hosting but offers a lot more features and functions.

How Cost Works with Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting is more affordable than a dedicated server and ideal for a newbie web host.

How Cost Works with Dedicated Server

A dedicated server is typically used by large businesses that require a lot of resources and experience heavy traffic on the site. Although expensive, it provides all the features and functions your business needs to thrive.

Winner – Reseller Hosting

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Complexity

Web Hosting is complex. It has both hardware and software components that will most definitely seem like jargon to a non-tech inclined person. Most web host providers try to make up for this by offering various plans depending on your level of expertise.

For instance, non-tech savvy folks are more likely to opt for reseller hosting as the web host provider takes care of all technical aspects of the website. On the other hand, you’ll need some form of IT knowledge of server management to make the most use of Dedicated Server plans.

How Complexity Works With Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting is the best place to start for web hosting if you’re not tech savvy. Most packages come with a Web hosting Manager tool that allows you to manage multiple websites while your web host company handles the technical aspect.

How Complexity works with Dedicated Server

A dedicated server provides you root access, and that means you are in charge of server management and other related aspects of running a server. This requires a high level of technical expertise.

Winner – Reseller Hosting

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Setup

Website setup involves both the hardware and software aspects of setting up a website. For reseller hosting, your host provider is responsible for website setup, software, and OS installations. All that’s left to do is manage the setup for the third-party websites you’re selling to. Dedicated Server plans don’t provide such luxury. The business owner is usually in charge of software installations and other setups the website needs to run smoothly.

How Setup Works with Reseller Hosting

Under reseller hosting, the web host company is in charge of server setup, configuration and other related settings. The reseller simply manages the third party websites on their account.

How Setup Works with a Dedicated Server

Dedicated servers are mostly self managed by the business owner and this includes initial setup of hardware, software installations, security settings and configuration.

Winner – Dedicated Server

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Control

Various web hosting types offer control in varying levels. A dedicated server provides the highest level of control as it allows you to have root server access which means you are entirely in charge of your server. Reseller hosting offers some form of control, but it is limited.

How Control Works with Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting does not provide as much control as a dedicated server; however, you have control over cPanel administration for all the third-party websites under your account.

How Control Works with Dedicated Server

Control is a dedicated server’s biggest advantage over reseller hosting. It allows you to install different software and make changes to the operating system as you wish. If you’re looking to have complete server control, then a dedicated server is your best option.

Winner – Dedicated Server

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Configuration

Configuration in web hosting refers to your ability to set up different programs in a certain way on your server. Depending on how much access and control you have over web configuration files, you can manage the various settings that define your website or control how a specific directory behaves. This is quite similar to customization, and it depends mainly on the amount of resources and control you have.

How Configuration Works with Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting doesn’t offer much in terms of server control, and configuration is limited to what the WHM tool allows.

How Configuration Works with Dedicated Server

Dedicated servers have a lot to offer in terms of configuration as the user has complete server control and can make different installations or set up as they see fit.

Winner – Dedicated Server

Reseller Hosting Vs. Dedicated Server: Scalability

Scalability in web hosting depends on your ability to expand or upgrade your resources. When your website grows and enjoys more visitors, you will need a larger space and bandwidth to accommodate the heavy traffic. If you have a scalable plan, you can easily increase your resources which will improve the performance of your website and save you from losing customers.

How Scalability Works with Reseller Hosting

Reseller hosting offers scalability in the event of your website needing more resources.

How Scalability Works with Dedicated Server

In most cases, Dedicated servers are the go to option for scaling up small businesses that used to run on shared or VPS hosting plans. This is because upscaled/large businesses require scalability, and that is one of the strong points of dedicated servers.

Winner – Dedicated Server

Conclusion

When selecting a web hosting plan, there’s a lot to consider; however, your business type, size, needs, and budget should be at the top of your list. Both reseller and dedicated server hosting have benefits that are ideal for different business types. Simply read through our analysis to find out the one most suitable for your business.