We have had several clients ask why we don’t offer unlimited disk space or bandwidth on our hosting services when so many other hosting companies do. So, we decided to write a small post about what we like to call the “Unlimited Myth”
Disk space is the space that is allotted to you from a web server. It’s where you store the content of your website. Bandwidth is the amount of content that you are allowed to transfer between your website and your users or between you and your website (say while uploading your web pages). Obviously, the storage capacity of a web server is limited and so is the capacity of the network lines that carry the content of your website up and down. So how can other companies offer unlimited disk space and bandwidth? The truth is they can’t!
There is no such thing as unlimited disk space and bandwidth. Any company that promises you unlimited disk space and bandwidth are counting on the fact that you will not use it, and if you do they will quickly find ways of either forcing you to pay for it, or restricting your site. This is called “Overselling“. Hidden beneath the promises of unlimited space and bandwidth is the fine print. If you do not read and understand the fine print, it may cost you in the long run.
How can they do this, you might wonder? Well, most will not allow you to upload heavy audio or video files. Further, if you look at the fine print, you will start noticing other restrictions – you may not be able to add all your content at once. This means, the host is restricting the disk space and though you are allowed an “unlimited disk space”, you will not be able to use it all at once. Some providers will mention that you will be allowed to add content only at a certain rate otherwise you may have to pay a fine. This means that you have signed and paid up for a plan, which does not actually tell you how much disk space is available to you. In fact, in order to get your entire website up and going, you may end up having to pay more.
Web hosting providers that offer unlimited bandwidth restrict the bandwidth in a way not usually known to website users. Bandwidth refers to the amount of data that is transferred to and from the website. Of course, while transferring data, you are also using other computer resources like the processor or memory. As the bandwidth increases, the usage of these computer resources also increases. What most web hosting companies may not state clearly is that there is a limit on the usage of these resources even in the case of “unlimited bandwidth.” So even though you may be allowed “unlimited bandwidth”, the restriction on the other resources places a practical limit on the bandwidth you will actually be allowed to use.
Just ask yourself why does your unlimited hosting, with an unlimited disk space and traffic, cost you no more than $9 per month, while a private server that has a 250 GB memory limit and 1.5 TB traffic limit per month can reach up to $175? Does that make sense?
Webline Services will not make you any false promises. You know exactly what you are getting and how much it costs. So the next time you find yourself with a company promising you unlimited services remember that there is no such thing as unlimited hosting, as all the unlimited services offered have their actual physical limits. We don’t know of a single unlimited hard drive to date. Don’t fall prey to this advertising trick make sure to read the terms of service or the company’s official documents to see what you are really getting.
