Category
Hosting & Cloud
Guides to choosing and running web hosting: shared, VPS and cloud plans, developer platforms such as Vercel, Netlify and Firebase, and the DNS, SSL and CDN setup around them. Prices are dated and linked to the vendor's page.
21 guides
Best Web Hosting for Small Business: 2026 Plans Compared
Three plans advertised at $3.99 a month cost $383, $395 and $911 over five years. This hub compares nine shared plans, two VPS providers and three developer platforms, and links to every hosting guide we publish.
How to Choose a Web Hosting Provider: A 9-Point Checklist
Most hosting regret comes from three things: the renewal bill, a slow server far from your visitors, and backups that were never there. This checklist covers all nine checks, with real prices.
Shared vs VPS vs Cloud Hosting: Which One Do You Need?
Shared hosting is an apartment, a VPS is a townhouse, and cloud hosting is a hotel that bills by the night. Here is how to tell which one your site needs, and when to move.
Firebase Hosting vs Vercel vs Netlify for Next.js (2026 Pricing)
All three will host a Next.js site for free at small scale. They differ in what the free tier allows, how bandwidth is billed, and how much of Next.js works without extra setup.
Hostinger vs Bluehost: Price, Limits and Features Compared
Both entry plans cost about $143 at checkout. Hostinger's lasts four years and Bluehost's lasts three. Here is how the two compare on price, limits, email, backups, staging and support.
Web Hosting Renewal Prices: What $2.99 a Month Really Costs
The price on a hosting homepage is a first-term discount. We pulled the renewal rates for nine plans at three hosts and worked out what each one costs over five years.
What Is TTFB? Time to First Byte Explained, With Fixes
Time to First Byte tells you how long a visitor waits before your server sends anything at all. Google calls 0.8 seconds or less good. Here is what makes it slow and what fixes it.
DNS Records Explained: A, CNAME, MX and TXT in Plain English
Six record types handle almost everything a small site needs. This guide shows what each one does, what a correct record looks like, and how to switch hosts without breaking email.
How to Get a Free SSL Certificate With Let's Encrypt
Let's Encrypt certificates cost nothing and last 90 days. With Certbot you can install one in about ten minutes and never renew it by hand. Here are the exact commands.
What Is a CDN and Does a Small Website Need One?
A CDN keeps copies of your files in cities around the world so visitors download them from nearby. For most small sites the free tiers are enough. Here is how it works and what to cache.
Core Web Vitals Explained: LCP, INP and CLS in Plain English
Google judges page experience on three numbers: how fast the main content loads, how quickly the page responds, and how much the layout jumps. Here are the targets and how to hit them.
How to Set Up a VPS: 10 Steps to a Secure Ubuntu Server
A new VPS allows root login with a password and has no firewall. These ten steps, with the exact commands, take about 45 minutes and close the gaps bots look for.
Best VPS Hosting for Developers: DigitalOcean vs Linode vs Lightsail
Three well-known providers charge almost the same for a small server. The differences are in the vCPU count, what backups cost and how overage is billed. Here are the plans, line by line.
How to Deploy a Next.js Site to Firebase Hosting for Free
Set output to export, point firebase.json at the out folder and run one command. Here is the full process, with the errors CodeNexon hit on its own deploy and how to fix them.
How to Transfer a Domain to a New Registrar Without Downtime
Unlock the domain, get the authorization code and start the transfer. ICANN's rules give your registrar five days to hand over the code. Here is the full process and how to avoid downtime.
HTTP Security Headers Explained: 6 to Add to Your Website
Six short headers block whole categories of attack, from HTTPS downgrades to clickjacking. Here is what each does, a safe starting value, and how to add them without breaking your site.
Website Uptime Monitoring: How to Know Your Site Is Down First
Your host's SLA tells you what credit you can claim, not when your site is down. A free monitor checks every 5 minutes and alerts you first. Here is what to monitor and how to read the numbers.
SSH Keys Explained: How to Create and Use Them Safely
An SSH key lets you log in to a server without a password that bots can guess. Here is how to create an Ed25519 key, install it, use an agent and manage keys as your team changes.
HTTP/2 vs HTTP/3: What Changed and How to Enable It
HTTP/3 runs on QUIC over UDP, which removes a stall that HTTP/2 suffers on lossy networks and usually needs fewer round trips to connect. Here is what that means for your site and how to switch it on.
Nginx vs Apache: Which Web Server Should You Use?
Both run websites well. Nginx is lighter and a natural reverse proxy. Apache allows per-folder .htaccess rules that shared hosts and WordPress plugins rely on. Here is how to choose.
How to Change Your Domain Name Without Losing SEO
Moving to a new domain puts years of search signals at risk. Page-to-page 301 redirects, Google's Change of Address tool and patience protect them. Here is the full sequence.