Difference Between Managed and Unmanaged Cloud Hosting Service

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]There are two different types of cloud hosting services that are commonly offered by hosting companies. Unmanaged cloud hosting services allow a lot more freedom and customization, while also requiring more management on the user end. They are also generally cheaper. Managed cloud hosting services give more security and administrative help, because there is more management on the provider end. They are also generally a bit more expensive.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of both managed and unmanaged cloud hosting solutions:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”Managed Cloud Hosting Services”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Managed Cloud Hosting Services

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A managed cloud hosting service gives the person using the host all the different kinds of benefits of cloud hosting. You get a ton of scalability and flexibility. But the host has control of the server. They control the things that can be changed and installed. They will only offer the kind of software and apps that they think are really important for their system. Managed cloud hosting has a number of benefits that might be perfect for your business:[/vc_column_text][hrel_numberlist][hrel_numberlist_item number=”1″ heading=”Security”]Managed cloud hosting services offer a lot more security than unmanaged cloud hosting services, because the host company controls everything. That means there is a higher quality of hardware and applications. Service providers generally also use their own security solutions to make sure that the cloud maintains functioning. This isn’t always true though, so you should check with a managed cloud hosting service to see what kind of security features they provide.

Theoretically, they’ll provide some decent spam filters and DDOS defenses. They should also have some firewalls in place. Good cloud hosting management systems will also take care of a lot of the OS and security updates on the backend so that you don’t have to worry about it. Additionally, they prevent any weird software from getting installed in the cloud environment and set the rules for firewall access.[/hrel_numberlist_item][hrel_numberlist_item number=”2″ heading=”Backup”]Websites crash and data gets lost. If you own a website for any amount of time, you can expect to face problems like this. But with a managed cloud solution, most providers will provide automatic backups. While most unmanaged plans will feature these backups as well, managed cloud plans may have more flexibility and automation behind the backup plan.

They usually provide fail safes for issues on the management end. If the data center fails there will usually be another one that can be used. Most unmanaged accounts place responsibility for backups on the cloud on the user, while managed accounts will take responsibility for managing your data.[/hrel_numberlist_item][hrel_numberlist_item number=”3″ heading=”Tech Support”]Unmanaged hosting plans give you a lot of the plans for the boat and expect you to build and sail it. Managed hosting plans expect to interact with you, and the provider knows that they will be responsible for taking care of any technical issues that pop up. When you pay for a managed hosting plan, you are paying for tech support in the event that you experience any technical difficulties. Without a managed cloud hosting plan, your business might need to have personal and the right kind of knowledge to maintain your site.[/hrel_numberlist_item][hrel_numberlist_item number=”4″ heading=”Time”]Another huge difference between managed and unmanaged cloud solutions is the amount of time that goes into the site. If you don’t know how to maintain unmanaged cloud hosting plans, it will be a steep learning curve and you might need a lot more time and staff than you currently have. Without the right service structure in place, unmanaged hosting forces your site and business to expend far more resources on the site than you might hope to. Additionally, the things that you have to do to maintain the site are not central to the business: you’ll need to manage firewalls, fix technical errors, and manage the data processing and security issues.[/hrel_numberlist_item][/hrel_numberlist][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”Unmanaged Cloud Hosting Services”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Unmanaged Cloud Hosting Services

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Unmanaged cloud services basically give you a lot more control and customization in exchange for the rails and systems of the managed solution. If you are an expert in hosting, or have members on a team who can manage the solution, you’ll save time, money, and resources by managing your own hosting solution. With an unmanaged cloud plan, you’ll have more scalability and flexibility because you’ll have access to the wires, gears, and codes on the backend.

When you sign up for an unmanaged cloud hosting service, you get an operating system that the provider supports. Everything else falls on the shoulders of the user. That might be great, if you’re looking for a ton of customization and access. If not, skip back to a managed hosting solution to get the other perks.[/vc_column_text][hrel_numberlist][hrel_numberlist_item number=”1″ heading=”Cost”]There is less involved in an unmanaged hosting solution, from a provider perspective, so they generally pass along those savings to you in the form of the monthly fee. Managed hosting solutions will play up the service and responsibility, charging you more per month. Unmanaged solutions are the wild west of cloud hosting. You have a lot more freedom and responsibility, and so the investment from the provider is significantly less.

If you have a team that’s already paid to manage something like a site, and has the knowledge and technical capabilities to do it, it will be cheaper to go with the unmanaged solution. If your site lacks that kind of technical expertise, then it will certainly be less expensive to purchase a management solution than to hire additional personnel.

There are additional charges that an unmanged solution can incur, however, through the cost of additional software and technical issues. If you don’t have the right kind of software ahead of time, you’ll be paying for that even if you have the talent to install it.[/hrel_numberlist_item][hrel_numberlist_item number=”2″ heading=”Backups”]While in a managed solution, the cloud company takes care of backups, there is actually an advantage to running your own data backups on an unmanaged solution. You can make as many backups as you like, whenever you like, and restore them as you please. This additional control can actually minimize downtime and improve efficiency. In the case that something goes wrong, you may have to spend hours getting a backup back in a managed cloud hosting solution.[/hrel_numberlist_item][hrel_numberlist_item number=”3″ heading=”Security”]There can be a tremendous upside to the security offered in an unmanaged cloud hosting environment. If you have extensive knowledge of web applications and cloud environments, you can run particular security protocols that work for your site. You might be able to gain the features and software in particular that work for your site. Of course, without this knowledge, security is the biggest hurdle to running an unmanaged cloud hosting environment. If you don’t know about firewalls, common security threats, and common viruses–steer clear of the dangers of an unmanaged cloud hosting service.[/hrel_numberlist_item][/hrel_numberlist][/vc_column][/vc_row]