Website hosting: Which direction to go
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I am using Host Monster - decent company, and largely I have forgotten about my site(s), but I host a few for my brother as well. Just was easier to keep them that way as opposed to his getting hosted also.
So, in reviewing what I have, Seven domains plus the hostage package - it looks like my hosting fees are nearly $300 a year.
I have a number of options I suppose. But the goal is to simplify things as much as possible, and of course if possible reduce my over all costs.
Domain registration isn't going to change much.. It is what it is. But could I go with Vultr (or something) and self host cheaper and more importantly easier? Uh - maybe. Maybe not.
If I go with Vultr instances, then I have to maintain each on updates and such. The sites aren't 'business' level sites,.. they are mainly hobby type sites. So there isn't the critical need.
And I likely will be adding another hosting - but that needs to be done differently as it will be a club site. So, 'ownership' will be set to the club, with trustees - never know when something could happen - I mean, two of my kids have had appendicitis...
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I have been pretty happy with AlphaRacks for my hobby sites. It is really inexpensive and I cannot remember any real downtime. BTW, their new year's specials still work. I recently bought one.
One Added Bonus: CPanel integrates with Let's Encrypt SSL and creating SSL certs is automatic and instant with no configuration.
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For the sites that you host for you and your brother, could you use a single $5 Vultr instance?
One Server to update (this can be done automatically via cron or systemd)... and then all you'd need to patch would be your Web Apps.
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@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
For the sites that you host for you and your brother, could you use a single $5 Vultr instance?
One Server to update (this can be done automatically via cron or systemd)... and then all you'd need to patch would be your Web Apps.
I wonder the same thing - I am likely on a shared IP anyway,.. so a single system would be fine ... likely.
However - what about email(s). I have a number of self hosted email addresses for notifications. how does Vultr system address email addresses for each domain?
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How much time do you want to dedicate to hosting these sites?
If you're like me and on want to worry about the sites, then I'd go the web host method.
I used to be with Hostgator, and moved to Dreamhost. I've been with Dreamhost a few years now and am very happy.
@scottalanmiller would direct you to Hostadillo, which to me looks great, but I haven't used them yet. I think your hosting options are limited there... as in only WordPress or static hosting only... but, it's fully managed.
Sometimes I do wish I was hosting them myself on my VPS, and then other times I'm glad I'm not when I'm too busy.
Dreamhost: https://www.dreamhost.com/hosting/shared/
Hostadillo: https://hostadillo.com/ -
@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
For the sites that you host for you and your brother, could you use a single $5 Vultr instance?
One Server to update (this can be done automatically via cron or systemd)... and then all you'd need to patch would be your Web Apps.
I wonder the same thing - I am likely on a shared IP anyway,.. so a single system would be fine ... likely.
However - what about email(s). I have a number of self hosted email addresses for notifications. how does Vultr system address email addresses for each domain?
That does complicate things somewhat.
Edit: Where are the current email addresses hosted?
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@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
For the sites that you host for you and your brother, could you use a single $5 Vultr instance?
One Server to update (this can be done automatically via cron or systemd)... and then all you'd need to patch would be your Web Apps.
I wonder the same thing - I am likely on a shared IP anyway,.. so a single system would be fine ... likely.
However - what about email(s). I have a number of self hosted email addresses for notifications. how does Vultr system address email addresses for each domain?
That does complicate things somewhat.
Edit: Where are the current email addresses hosted?
They are self hosted. so they are x@domainname. All under my hosting package.
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@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
For the sites that you host for you and your brother, could you use a single $5 Vultr instance?
One Server to update (this can be done automatically via cron or systemd)... and then all you'd need to patch would be your Web Apps.
I wonder the same thing - I am likely on a shared IP anyway,.. so a single system would be fine ... likely.
However - what about email(s). I have a number of self hosted email addresses for notifications. how does Vultr system address email addresses for each domain?
That does complicate things somewhat.
Edit: Where are the current email addresses hosted?
They are self hosted. so they are x@domainname. All under my hosting package.
That's the complication I was thinking of. Could always move them to Gmail (not free any more) or O365...
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@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
For the sites that you host for you and your brother, could you use a single $5 Vultr instance?
One Server to update (this can be done automatically via cron or systemd)... and then all you'd need to patch would be your Web Apps.
I wonder the same thing - I am likely on a shared IP anyway,.. so a single system would be fine ... likely.
However - what about email(s). I have a number of self hosted email addresses for notifications. how does Vultr system address email addresses for each domain?
That does complicate things somewhat.
Edit: Where are the current email addresses hosted?
They are self hosted. so they are x@domainname. All under my hosting package.
That's the complication I was thinking of. Could always move them to Gmail (not free any more) or O365...
GMail - barf... yea,.. no. I"ll keep what I'm doing then. I already have six GMail accounts.
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@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
However - what about email(s). I have a number of self hosted email addresses for notifications. how does Vultr system address email addresses for each domain?
Email is controlled via DNS using the MX record. Whoever is doing your DNS, there, you simply point your MX record to your email provider... if you're self hosting it, you point your MX record to your email host.
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@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
For the sites that you host for you and your brother, could you use a single $5 Vultr instance?
One Server to update (this can be done automatically via cron or systemd)... and then all you'd need to patch would be your Web Apps.
You never want to host your own basic systems.
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@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@gjacobse said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@dafyre said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
For the sites that you host for you and your brother, could you use a single $5 Vultr instance?
One Server to update (this can be done automatically via cron or systemd)... and then all you'd need to patch would be your Web Apps.
I wonder the same thing - I am likely on a shared IP anyway,.. so a single system would be fine ... likely.
However - what about email(s). I have a number of self hosted email addresses for notifications. how does Vultr system address email addresses for each domain?
That does complicate things somewhat.
Edit: Where are the current email addresses hosted?
They are self hosted. so they are x@domainname. All under my hosting package.
That's the complication I was thinking of. Could always move them to Gmail (not free any more) or O365...
GMail - barf... yea,.. no. I"ll keep what I'm doing then. I already have six GMail accounts.
I use Zoho for all of my mail. My blog is hosted with GitLab pages. Netlify is another popular option for static hosting from Git repos.
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I use (and love) cloudways
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All you need is a CPanel hosting for $20-50 a year. That will handle all email domains and all websites.
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@irj said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
All you need is a CPanel hosting for $20-50 a year. That will handle all email domains and all websites.
Exactly. Anyone telling you to do anything else is flat out selling snake oil for one reason or another.
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@irj said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
All you need is a CPanel hosting for $20-50 a year. That will handle all email domains and all websites.
Assuming you now how to run Wordpress. cPanel itself does not install or maintain apps. You need expensive plugins. So you need more than cPanel hosting.
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Vultr Instance and ServerPilot
serverpilot.io ( or my Referral Link: https://serverpilot.io/a/929b0a32da42)"Includes everything you need for fast, secure hosting.
Free SSL certificates
App isolation
Firewall configuration
Server security updates
Database management
Multiple PHP versions
One-click WordPress installer
HTTP/2 support
Brotli support
API access" -
@scottalanmiller said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
@irj said in Website hosting: Which direction to go:
All you need is a CPanel hosting for $20-50 a year. That will handle all email domains and all websites.
Assuming you now how to run Wordpress. cPanel itself does not install or maintain apps. You need expensive plugins. So you need more than cPanel hosting.
Assuming he needs WordPress. That was not part of the OP.
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Wordpress or Joomla! would be the likely - however I know more and more are using WP now.
