Definition

What Is Web Hosting?

The service that stores website files on a server and serves them to visitors via the internet. Hosting types include shared, VPS, dedicated, cloud, and managed.

Related Terms

CDN

DNS

SSL Certificate

Page Speed

Above the Fold

Example

Webflow provides managed hosting on a global CDN — clients don't need a separate hosting provider when using Webflow.

Website downtime costs businesses an average of $5,600 per minute according to Gartner research — making hosting reliability and uptime SLAs a critical business decision, not just a technical one.

Synonyms:

Web hosting, Server hosting

Acronyms:

-

What it applies to

Every live website. Hosting is the infrastructure that stores your website's files and serves them to visitors around the world. The choice of hosting provider affects speed, uptime, security, and scalability.

Types of web hosting

  • Shared hosting: Multiple sites share the same server resources. Cheapest option but slowest and most vulnerable to performance degradation from neighbour sites.
  • VPS (Virtual Private Server): A dedicated portion of a shared server. Better performance and isolation than shared hosting.
  • Dedicated hosting: An entire physical server for one site. Maximum performance, highest cost.
  • Cloud hosting: Resources distributed across multiple servers. Scalable on demand — used by AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure.
  • Managed hosting: The provider handles server maintenance, updates, security patches, and backups. Webflow, WP Engine, and Netlify fall into this category.

In Webflow

Webflow includes managed hosting on AWS infrastructure with a global CDN, automatic SSL, DDoS protection, and 99.99% uptime SLA on Business plans. No server configuration, maintenance, or security management is required — it is handled entirely by Webflow. This is a significant operational advantage for agencies and marketing teams.

Hosting: Common Questions Answered

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