Hosting plans differ in three ways: how many resources you get, how much control you have, and who looks after the server. This overview helps you pick the right level today and know when to move up.
In short
| Type | Best for | Control | Server managed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | Most websites, blogs, small shops | cPanel account | Host |
| Reseller hosting | Agencies and freelancers hosting clients | WHM + many cPanel accounts | Host |
| Master reseller | Starting a hosting brand with your own resellers | WHM, create reseller accounts | Host |
| VPS | Custom software, high traffic, developers | Root access to a virtual server | You (or managed plan) |
| Dedicated server | Heavy workloads, compliance, full hardware | Root access to physical hardware | You (or managed plan) |
| Cloud | Workloads that scale up and down | Root or platform-level | Varies |
Shared hosting
Many accounts share one powerful server. Isolation technology such as CloudLinux gives each account its own guaranteed slice of CPU and memory, so a busy neighbour does not slow you down. You get cPanel, email, SSL and backups without any server administration. See MdmHost web hosting.
Reseller and master reseller hosting
You get WHM to create separate cPanel accounts for each client, with your own packages and branding, while the host maintains the server. A master reseller can also create reseller accounts below them. MdmHost offers Reseller plans (Starter, Advance, Business, Supreme) and VIP Master Reseller plans. Compare them in reseller vs master reseller and read what reseller hosting is.
VPS, dedicated and cloud
A VPS is a virtual machine with its own operating system and root access; a dedicated server is a whole physical machine; cloud hosting spreads workloads over many machines with flexible scaling. All three give full control but make you responsible for updates, security and backups unless they are managed. Details: VPS vs shared, VPS vs dedicated and VPS vs cloud.
When to move up
- You regularly hit CPU or memory limits even after caching and optimisation.
- You need software or server settings shared hosting does not allow.
- You host several clients and want separate accounts and billing: move to reseller.