Web application hosting: cloud, VPS or shared?

Why web application hosting differs from website hosting

A website mainly shows pages. A web application does work: it stores orders, calculates prices, sends emails and talks to your accounting. That asks more of the hosting:

• A database that is reliable and fast, with good backups.
• Processing power that grows as more users join.
• Background tasks, such as sending reminders overnight.
• Tight security, because there is often personal data inside.
• Little downtime, because your team or your customers depend on it.

For a standard website, read more in choosing website hosting. Here we focus on the heavier side.

Types of hosting: shared, VPS, cloud and serverless

There are roughly four types. Each has pros and cons.

• Shared hosting: you share a server with many other customers. Cheap and simple, but limited in power and settings. Too tight for most web applications.
• VPS (virtual private server): your own sealed-off part of a server. More freedom and fixed costs, but someone has to manage and update the server.
• Cloud hosting: you rent processing power, storage and databases from a cloud provider and pay for what you use. Scales easily and has lots of built-in services, such as automatic backups.
• Serverless and platform services: you only deploy your code and the provider handles the servers. Handy for modern web applications, often with a free or cheap starting tier.

There is also managed hosting. Then a provider handles server management for you, such as updates and monitoring. That is possible with each of the types above.

VPS or cloud: which suits your web application?

For most web applications at small and medium-sized businesses, the choice is between a VPS and cloud hosting. A few rules of thumb:

• Few users and predictable traffic: a well-managed VPS is often fine and affordable.
• Fluctuating traffic, for example busy weekends or seasons: cloud hosting scales more easily.
• You want to manage as little as possible yourself: choose managed hosting or a platform service.
• You expect fast growth, as with a SaaS product: start in the cloud, so you don't have to migrate later.

Building a platform you sell to other businesses? Then also read having a SaaS platform built.

Privacy and GDPR: where is your data stored?

If your web application holds personal data, GDPR (AVG in Dutch) plays a part in your hosting choice. Watch these points:

• Choose a data centre within the EU, for example in the Netherlands or a neighbouring country.
• Sign a data processing agreement with the hosting provider.
• Ask how data is encrypted when stored and when sent.
• Know who has access to the server and the database.

Large cloud providers often have data centres in Europe that you can choose. For legal questions about transferring data outside the EU, it's best to consult a lawyer or check the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens). You can read more about security in general in building secure software.

Backups, monitoring and uptime

Good hosting is more than a server. Always ask about these three things:

• Backups: how often are they made, how long are they kept, where are they stored and has restoring been tested?
• Monitoring: does someone get an alert if the application is slow or goes down, even at night?
• Uptime: what availability does the provider promise, and what happens if they don't meet it?

A separate test or staging environment is also wise. That is where you try out new versions before they go live, so your users aren't bothered by bugs.

What does web application hosting cost?

Prices vary widely. As a rough indication: a small VPS or the entry tier of a platform service starts at a few tens of euros per month. A cloud setup with a separate database, backups and monitoring quickly comes to several times that, depending on traffic and storage. This is an indication; always check the current price with the provider.

Pay particular attention to costs that are not in the hosting price, such as management, updates and fixing outages. That time is often bigger than the monthly server bill itself. More on that in web application maintenance costs.

Common mistakes when choosing hosting

When hosting a web application, things often go wrong in the same places. This list helps you avoid most problems:

• Choosing on the lowest monthly price. Cheap hosting without backups or monitoring costs you more as soon as something goes wrong.
• Leaving the hosting in the developer's name. Make sure the account is in your company's name, with access for the developer. Then you can always switch.
• No plan for growth. Ask beforehand how easily you can scale up when more users join.
• Everything on one server, without a separate backup. If that server fails, you lose everything in one go.
• No agreement on who gets woken up during an outage. An alert that nobody reads doesn't help you.

In short: don't just look at the technology, but also at who is responsible and what happens when things go wrong.

Hosting and management through Violexa

At Violexa, for every custom web application we advise which hosting suits your usage, budget and privacy requirements. That way you don't have to dig into server options yourself. A custom web application starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT) per project.

Want updates, backups and monitoring taken care of after delivery? Then you can choose from our maintenance plans: Silver €179 (€217 incl. VAT), Gold €299 (€362 incl. VAT) or Platinum €699 (€846 incl. VAT) per month excl. VAT. Fixed for the first 12 months, then cancellable monthly by email with 1 month's notice.

Unsure about hosting for your current or new application? Book a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or in person, we look at your situation. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.

Frequently asked questions