Application hosting, or Platform as a Service, is the next generation of virtual hosting. It’s gaining popularity as the go to platform for hosting web applications, and databases. This includes CMS like WordPress and Drupal, as well as applications running Java, PHP, Node.JS, Python, Go, and Ruby. App hosting enables you to host your app in the cloud with a scalable and redundant environment, without having to manage an actual VPS.
Efficient Hosting
Similar to a VPS, Application Hosting is virtualized. It utilizes containers that run trimmed down, specialized operating systems. These are connected to other containers to form an environment that hosts your Application. Your application services, databases, load balancers, and storage containers each live in different containers.
In contrast, a VPS runs a full operating system regardless of what it really needs to accomplish its tasks. All services are typically in the same server, and compete with each other for VPS resources. Networking multiple VPS together is very time consuming, and is usually expensive and wasteful with resources.
Scalable Hosting
App Hosting isn’t just for big complex environments, either. In fact, it’s like the vector graphics of the virtual hosting world. Perfectly efficient on very small scales, and just as efficient at massive scales. This type of scalability isn’t something you’re likely to see in a normal VPS provider, let alone pay less for.
And, it definitely can handle the complex stuff, too. Scale horizontally by adding containers to your environment dynamically, and load balance application and databases. Things that would normally take a team can be done inside a UI. This reduces time to deployment, as well as enables easy future proofing.
Is it worth investigating a move to App Hosting?
Yes. App hosting is definitely here to stay, and for good reason. It’s efficient, yet flexible and powerful. The ease of deploying clusterized application environments allows smaller, leaner shops to compete in ways that normally would be cost prohibitive. Pay per usage billing allows for incredible vertical scalability without overpaying for reserved resources.
Businesses of all sizes, new and old, can benefit by moving to an Application hosting environment. Reductions in administrative overhead and infrastructure costs alone will keep App Hosting an attractive hosting solution for some time.