Cloud Server vs Home Server: Which One Should You Choose?

Choosing the right website hosting server is important as it plays a crucial role in the site’s performance. When you launch your website, you need to store it on a web server. 

You can buy a server and maintain it yourself (home server) or purchase a hosting service. While different types of hosting services available, Cloud Hosting has evolved into a popular name due to the service’s cost-efficiency, scalability, and reliability. 

This article will compare a Cloud Hosting Server with a Home Server and help you pick the best one for your website.

What is Cloud Hosting?

When you opt for a Cloud Hosting service, your website resides on a shared server with a cloud storage network backing it. 

Hence, you can leverage the power of the cloud via a pay-as-you-use hosting plan. 

Understanding a Home Server

Many site owners prefer to buy or rent an entire server to control it completely. 

This is a home server. It allows them to use the server for any purpose.

Cloud Hosting Server vs Home Server

Feature	Home Server	Cloud Hosting Server
Server sharing	When you opt for a home server, you are looking for a dedicated hosting environment. Therefore, the server is dedicatedly used by your site.	The website resides on a shared server when you opt for a Cloud Hosting service. Therefore, you will share the server with other users.
Customisation options	With a home server, you have complete control over the hosting environment. Therefore, you can choose the server’s configuration and make changes to the settings to customise it per your needs.	A Cloud Hosting provider offers limited customisation options to users since the Server is shared between multiple users, and every change can impact them.
Scalability	When you run and manage a web server in-house, adding resources can be expensive since you will have to add hardware to scale up.	A Cloud Web Host offers instant resource scalability to all users. When you upload your site to the cloud, its data is mirrored across the cloud network. Therefore, the Cloud Host can add resources to your hosting account in no time.
Cost	A Cloud Hosting plan is more cost-efficient and affordable than a home server. This is because buying or renting a home server and maintaining it can be expensive.
Who should opt for it?	Home Servers are ideal for site owners that need a highly customisable hosting environment and complete control over the server. Hence, businesses with sensitive and crucial data or sites with high traffic volumes prefer a home server.	Cloud Hosting plans are designed for new-age websites that require instant resource scalability and cost efficiency. ECommerce platforms, growing business sites, dynamic websites, etc., prefer them.

Summing Up

Cloud Hosting and home servers have certain pros and cons and are ideal for different websites. 

Therefore, spend some time understanding your site’s hosting needs before choosing. This will help you create a list of features you need from the hosting server and choose one accordingly. 

Also, before buying, research the options available and find the best hosting solution for your site. Good Luck!