Comparisons
Comparisons
A small website has no single "right" hosting and no single "best" way to cover its costs. Shared hosting is simple and low-maintenance, a VPS gives more freedom but requires skills, and static hosting barely needs updates. The same goes for monetisation: ads don't require a product of your own but annoy readers, while paid content demands constant work. In this section we compare the options by their strengths and weaknesses, without prices or income promises.
Monetisation you'd be embarrassed to explain to readers openly usually costs a site more than it earns.
How this section works: we compare types and methods, not specific providers or services. Assessments are given in general terms, without prices, income percentages or rankings.
Hosting types
| Type | When it fits | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | A brochure site, a blog, a small project on a popular CMS; when you don't want to administer a server | Resources are shared with other sites, server settings are limited, and sudden traffic spikes can cause outages |
| VPS | Projects with special software requirements or growing traffic; when you need your own server settings | You often have to set up updates, security and backups yourself; server administration skills are required |
| Dedicated server | Large, high-traffic projects that need an entire server to themselves | Usually overkill for a small site; requires serious administration |
| Static hosting | Sites without forms or user accounts: documentation, brochure sites, reference sites built with a static site generator | No server-side logic: forms, search and comments need separate solutions; edits are easiest to make through a build step |
Ways to monetise
| Method | Pros and cons | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising | No product of your own needed; but it gets in readers' way, slows pages down and may show dubious ads | In Russia, online ads must be labelled since 1 September 2022; other countries have their own rules. Consent for data use if the ads collect data |
| Affiliate links | Appropriate if you genuinely recommend the product or service; but trust is easily lost once advice starts depending on commissions | Tell readers honestly that a link is an affiliate link; in Russia, advertising materials are labelled under the Law on Advertising |
| Paid content | A direct relationship with readers and independence from ads; but you have to publish valuable material regularly and handle payments | Clear access and refund terms, a privacy policy, and properly set-up payment processing |
| Donations | Don't get in readers' way and suit non-profit projects; but income is unpredictable | Explain honestly what the money will be used for; take payment processing requirements and taxes into account |
Related sections
- Guides
Step-by-step guides: domain and hosting, HTTPS, backups, updates, privacy policy. The article catalogue lives here too.
- Security
Threats to a small website: outdated plugins, weak passwords, spam sign-ups, malicious injections, phishing, domain loss.
- FAQ
Answers about this reference, launching and maintaining a site, money and the law.
Sources
- Federal Law No. 38-FZ on Advertising
- Federal Law No. 152-FZ on Personal Data
Information on standards and laws is based on official sources as of the preparation date. Technologies, search engine rules and laws change, so check the current documentation and the laws in force.