How to host a website: your options explained

"How do I host a website?" has more than one right answer, because it depends entirely on what you're building. A single landing page and a database-backed web app have very different needs. Here's a clear map of the options and how to choose.

What "hosting" actually means

To put a website online you need three things: the files (your site), a server that's always on and connected to the internet to serve those files, and a domain so people can find it by name. Hosting is really just renting that always-on server — the options differ mostly in how much of the server you get and how much you manage.

Option 1: Static site hosts

If your site is plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript — no server-side code — a static host is the simplest path. You push your files and they're served fast from a CDN.

• Best for: portfolios, landing pages, docs, static blogs.
• Pros: cheap or free, extremely fast, almost nothing to manage.
• Cons: no server-side logic or databases.

Option 2: Shared hosting

Hundreds of sites share one server and a control panel. You upload files, click to install WordPress, and you're live.

• Best for: small WordPress sites, simple brochure sites.
• Pros: cheap, beginner-friendly, no command line.
• Cons: you share resources with everyone on the box, so performance fluctuates, and you're limited to what the panel allows.

Option 3: A VPS

A Virtual Private Server gives you a slice of a machine with guaranteed CPU, RAM and disk, plus full root access. You install whatever you like — a web server, a database, an app runtime, Docker.

• Best for: web apps, APIs, growing sites, anything needing custom software or consistent performance.
• Pros: real, reserved resources; total control; scales as you grow.
• Cons: you manage the server (though modern platforms make this far easier than it used to be).

Option 4: Managed platforms

Platform-as-a-service options run your app for you — you push code and they handle the servers. Convenient, but you trade control and often cost for that convenience, and you can hit limits on what you're allowed to run.

Hosting a real site on a VPS

For most dynamic sites, a VPS hits the sweet spot of power, control and price. The rough shape:

1. Provision a VPS and connect over SSH.
2. Install a web server like Nginx.
3. Deploy your site or app — upload files or run your application.
4. Point your domain at the server with an A record:

Type: A
Name: @
Value: 203.0.113.10
TTL: 3600

1. Add free HTTPS with Let's Encrypt:

sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com

And you're live on your own server, on your own domain, with a padlock.

How to choose

• Just static files? Start with a static host.
• Small WordPress or brochure site, no command line? Shared hosting is fine.
• A web app, API, or a site you expect to grow? A VPS gives you room and control.

The Nxeon angle

Nxeon focuses on VPS hosting with NVMe storage, instant deployment, free Let's Encrypt SSL, an optional dedicated IP, and domains registered in the same dashboard. If your project has outgrown static or shared hosting — or you simply want root access and consistent performance — you can provision a server, point your domain at it, and go live in minutes, all from one place.