Unlimited Disk Space and Web Hosting
Unlimited storage (disk space) in web hosting is a term that often entices website owners looking for cheap web hosting solutions to store and manage their website code and files. The idea of unlimited storage sounds appealing with no restrictions on how much data you can store, since you will have no worries about running out of space. However, the reality behind “unlimited” storage is there are usually hidden limits.
Unlimited Storage and Overselling
Web hosting companies use a strategy called overselling. They sell more resources than they physically have under the assumption that not all users will fully utilize their quotas. Since most websites consume only a fraction of the available storage, hosting companies can afford to advertise unlimited storage while setting soft limits on actual usage.
Think of overselling like an airline selling more tickets than there are seats on a plane. Airlines know that some passengers won’t show up for their flight, so they sell extra tickets to maximize profits. Most of the time, this works out fine.
Similarly, web hosting companies sell more storage than they actually have, assuming most users won’t use all their space. This means they selling more storage than they actually have, knowing most users won’t use extremely larger amounts of storage. They can advertise unlimited storage but still set quiet limits on usage. To address the potential of running out of space, the host may impose restrictions to manage resources.
Hidden Restrictions on Unlimited Storage
Even if a hosting plan says it has unlimited storage, there are often restrictions, such as:
- Inode Limits: Some plans limit the number of files and folders you can store, even if space isn’t full.
- File Type and Size Limits: Some providers block large files like videos or backups to save space.
- Non-Website Storage Restrictions: Some hosts don’t allow users to store personal files, backups, or anything unrelated to websites.
How Unlimited Storage Works
To manage storage, hosting companies use different technologies and rules:
- Sharing Resources: Multiple users share the same storage space, which helps manage capacity.
- Fair Usage Policies: If you use too much space, the company may limit or warn you.
- CPU and RAM Monitoring: Even if storage isn’t limited, high CPU or RAM use can slow or suspend your site.
Why Hosting Companies Offer Unlimited Storage
Hosting companies offer unlimited storage to attract small businesses, bloggers, and new website owners. Most of these users don’t use much space, so companies can afford to make the promise. However, websites with heavy storage needs may be asked to upgrade.
How Much Storage Do You Really Need?
Make sure you are choosing the best web hosting for your needs. Before choosing a web hosting plan with unlimited storage, it’s important to figure out how much space your website actually requires. Most small business websites, blogs, and portfolio sites use only a few gigabytes of storage. Shared hosting plans are designed for these types of websites, meaning you likely won’t need unlimited storage. If your website grows and requires more space in the future, you can always upgrade to a higher-tier plan or switch to a VPS or dedicated server.
If you find that you really do need large scale storage solutions, then shared web hosting is probably not right for you. You may need to invest in VPS or dedicated servers. These cost more and require technical knowledge to managing a web server. Even if you buy managed services, you still need to have an understanding of how to communicate with support.
Another option could be storing large volumes of content on services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Box.com and AWS S3. Through programming you can move files to and from these services, and link to them in your website code.
Unlimited storage in web hosting is more of a marketing term than a real promise. Before choosing a plan, check the fine print and consider other options if you need more storage for large files or high-performance needs. Don’t get hooked by “getting more stuff” that you don’t actually need just because it sounds like a deal.