Hosting and maintenance often show up on the same bill, so it's easy to think they're the same thing. They're not. One keeps your website online. The other keeps it working.
What hosting does
Hosting is the computer (the server) your website lives on. It stores your site's files and database and sends your pages to visitors. Good hosting affects:
- How fast your site loads
- How much storage you have
- Whether your site shares a server with lots of other sites
- Your SSL certificate (the padlock in the browser)
Hosting doesn't update your website, fix it or change it. If something breaks, a hosting company will usually tell you the server is fine.
What maintenance does
Maintenance is the ongoing work on the website itself:
- Updating WordPress, the theme and the plugins
- Taking backups and restoring them when needed
- Security and spam protection
- Checking the site and fixing problems
- Small content changes
If you only pay for one
Hosting only: the site stays online, but nobody runs updates or checks it. Over time, outdated plugins can break things or leave gaps for attackers, and you find out when a customer tells you.
Maintenance only: someone looks after the site, but it still needs somewhere to live, so you'll pay a hosting company separately. That works, as long as you know who to call when the site is down: the host or the maintenance provider.
How to tell what you're paying for
Ask your provider for a written list. If the list only mentions storage, bandwidth and uptime, you're paying for hosting. If it mentions updates, backups, checks and content changes, that's maintenance.
How SU Web handles it
Our Service Plans include both: hosting on Managed WPMU DEV Hosting, plus daily backups, weekly WordPress/theme/plugin updates, weekly website checks and bug fixes, and content updates. Plans start at $79/mo, and we can fully manage your site for you. If you're starting from scratch, see our website packages.
Related reading
- Your web developer is leaving: what to get before they go
- What a website care plan should include
- What do monthly website fees actually cover?
SU Web Agency is a Cedar City web design agency serving Southern Utah first and small businesses nationwide. We sell care plans, so we're not neutral, but the checklist above applies to anyone you hire.
