What’s your usual workflow? Do you host websites on a server you own? Do you use services like Vercel or Netlify? Or do you upload to a different shared hosting for each client?
I personally use a mix of all depending on the projects. What do you do and what’s the best option in your opinion?
I rent Ubuntu servers on Digital Ocean and host the websites there. Each client pays for their own server.
Harlan said:
I rent Ubuntu servers on Digital Ocean and host the websites there. Each client pays for their own server.
I have a mix of resources but love using Digital Ocean droplets.
Harlan said:
I rent Ubuntu servers on Digital Ocean and host the websites there. Each client pays for their own server.
Even easier on Cloudflare if you’re not as tech-savvy.
Harlan said:
I rent Ubuntu servers on Digital Ocean and host the websites there. Each client pays for their own server.
Even easier on Cloudflare if you’re not as tech-savvy.
What is the exact product you use on Cloudflare to host apps?
Harlan said:
I rent Ubuntu servers on Digital Ocean and host the websites there. Each client pays for their own server.
Exactly the same.
Harlan said:
I rent Ubuntu servers on Digital Ocean and host the websites there. Each client pays for their own server.
This is the way.
I don’t offer hosting. Most tech companies either host themselves or it’s for larger projects where another team handles hosting. I’ve hosted a few things before that are now decommissioned, and I much prefer not being involved with hosting now.
It’s not enjoyable to have to drop everything to fix a hosted project from years ago—like bugs or upgrades.
Especially if you’re solo, when it’s impractical to offer support around the clock, you shouldn’t be offering it. What if you’re traveling or on a break? You could partner with someone else, but that’s extra overhead.
I don’t think the income from hosting is worth the burden for me, but I don’t hear this viewpoint often.
VPS and Docker containers.
VPS (using IONOS, in my case).
The $3/month plan is more than enough to carry you for a long time unless you expect a significant amount of visits. Get the $6/month option if you need more disk space.
A single machine can comfortably host numerous websites (I buy a new machine every 50 domains as a personal preference). For more demanding clients (successful e-commerce sites, for example), you can get them a dedicated VPS for added security.
Don’t go with Amazon unless you need heavy performance; stick with a “fixed monthly price” model for peace of mind.
IONOS is just one of many options; you can find similar alternatives just stick to a monthly price with no surprises, and you’ll be fine.
My clients pay for hosting - it’s better that way. Clients are on maintenance contracts where I update their CMS quarterly.
Maintenance contracts are offered to clients using Servd or Digital Ocean / Laravel Forge.
Netlify, Servd, or Laravel Vapor (AWS), depending on the website’s needs.
For clients with low traffic levels, I add their domain to my shared hosting plan on Namecheap. Just curious as to why I don’t see anyone else using this strategy.
Casey said:
For clients with low traffic levels, I add their domain to my shared hosting plan on Namecheap. Just curious as to why I don’t see anyone else using this strategy.
I’m not a professional web dev; I do it as a side hustle and use the same strategy.
@Sidney
I’m a professional lol, and it has worked perfectly for me. I tend to do PHP-driven custom sites and have never had a reason to move away from this model. Waiting to hear someone tell me what’s wrong with it.
@Casey
For low traffic clients, simple informational pages work just fine. $29 a year for unlimited everything works well.
Kieran said:
@Casey
Do your clients need dynamic content? Like a forum, or just static pages?
Typically nothing dynamic, but some have interfaces I’ve built for managing content via a MySQL database, and I’ve had no issues. I’ve also created a PHP-based forum on it without issue (though not with high traffic).
Casey said:
For clients with low traffic levels, I add their domain to my shared hosting plan on Namecheap. Just curious as to why I don’t see anyone else using this strategy.
I do the exact same thing (on Namecheap as well) for my smaller clients. Same as you; our sites are custom-built with PHP as the driver.
Recently, I’ve started utilizing Digital Ocean (with Docker) to automate the deployment process. I’m not migrating my existing Namecheap clients, but for new clients, I now spin up a VPS and automate the entire deployment process, saving a lot of time so far!