Website vs Web Application
We should distinct between a website and web application by the custom functionality that is offered by the site. CMS (Content-Management System) websites are usually Wordpress or Drupal, one-click setup websites that can be managed by non-programmers but offer limited functionality as a drawback. The latter can also be used for e-commerce via the WooCommerce plugin. If custom programming is involved we are usually talking about a web application.
A web application differs by offering digital services or other business logic via the website instead of just introducing the company.
When deciding on a web hosting provider it is often a good idea to think about your business needs. What will the exact purpose of website be? Will there only be need for a website displaying services? Is there a need for an email server? Will the website be a fully functioning custom web application?
Deciding whether your solution will be just a website or a custom web application plays an important role when choosing a hosting provider.
Advertis Recommends: Veebimajutus.ee
Web hosting is one of the most popular web hosting service providers in Estonia. Web hosting offers the cheapest accommodation plan compared to its competitors, without losing quality. The company offers customer support on weekdays and is very flexible to the customer's needs. Web hosting is ideal for the content management system WordPress and PHP, Ruby, Python web applications. A more detailed overview of the services offered by the LAMP web hosting stack can be found in the table.
| Cheapest Plan | Cheapest Cloud | Content Management System | Web applications | Databases | Mail server |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5.21€/month |
N/A |
WordPress |
PHP |
MySQL |
Yes |
Sounds good?
Zone
Zone, another popular hosting provider in Estonia, offers services similar to Veebimajutus but also offers cloud solutions and Node.js support on their standard web hosting packages. Zone is ideal for CMS solutions such as Wordpress. Zone’s cloud capabilities also allow for the hosting of custom web applications with little restrictions if you are comfortable with the price.
| Cheapest Plan | Cheapest Cloud | Content Management System | Web applications | Databases | Mail server |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5.55€/month |
9.12€/month |
WordPress and much more. |
NodeJS |
MySQL |
Yes |
Flow
If you are not comfortable with Wordpress, Voog offers a hosting plan that includes their own website builder. The Voog website builder allows you to create multilingual websites, e-shops or blogs. Voog offers no cloud solutions making custom solution limited. Voog may be suitable for non-technical people who are looking for a visually oriented website builder.
| Cheapest Plan | Cheapest Cloud | Content Management System | Web applications | Databases | Mail server |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
8.00€/month |
N/A |
Flow |
No Direct Access |
No |
Core Solutions
Core Solutions is an Estonian service provider that offers server hosting in addition to the usual web hosting and cloud solutions. Core Solutions cloud services are also very flexible, allowing you to customize cloud performance as needed. Higher performance also comes at a higher cost.
| Cheapest Plan | Cheapest Cloud | Content Management System | Web applications | Databases | Mail server |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2.00€/month |
2.95€/month |
WordPress and more |
No restrictions on cloud |
MySQL |
Yes |
Radicenter
Radicenter offers common CMS solutions and also custom Ruby solutions. Radicenter does not offer any cloud solutions.
| Cheapest Plan | Cheapest Cloud | Content Management System | Web applications | Databases | Mail server |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5.55€/month |
N/A |
WordPress |
Ruby |
MySQL |
Yes |
Summary
After looking through five hosting providers in Estonia we can conclude that there are usually two categories of services offered by these providers.
The first category is a simple to set up, CMS solution, such as Wordpress, that is accompanied by certain performance parameters and usually an email server. This service is ideal for non-technical people looking to get their companies digital presence up and visible. Visually pleasing websites, blogs and e-shops are usually the main outcomes of such a service.
The second category is cloud solutions. We can think of cloud solutions as renting server space in the same way as renting an office in real life. Feel free to customize your server space to your liking. Cloud solutions are great for web applications or any other digital service that is not just a flyer. Cloud services usually come at a higher price.
In the end it all boils down to your business needs on whether you should choose a simple CMS web hosting or a cloud solution fit for a custom web application.
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