Hosted vs. Self-Hosted

  • markwill

    (@markwill)


    9 years, 3 months ago

    I am very aware that this is something of a FAQ but I need to make a call about whether to install on my own server or use the hosted platform. I’ve read a few docs on the differences but need to put these in context of my own site. So, here goes – advice very much appreciated.

    Background
    I have an existing web site which runs on DNN on my own server (was DotNetNuke) on Windows Server 2012 R2. On the same server, I have a WordPress blog (running version 4.x). The two run side-by-side and the installation of WordPress on IIS wasn’t too bad. However, I’m not sure it’s totally necessary.

    Plans
    I am investigating moving everything – not just the blog, but my entire web site – to WordPress. I need to make the call about to whether to move to a WordPress.com-hosted site or continue to use WordPress on my server (extending to the non-blog content).

    Requirements

    Beyond “basic” CMS requirements (add /edit articles, tag them, etc), I have the following high-level requirements and/or preferences:

    . Access a local database. I know C# and all the current logic I have is in DNN modules. I would REALLY like to retain the use of C#, SQL Server, Visual Studio, etc. It’s what I know, I am comfortable there and I have logic I would like to retain (from the DNN module). That is not essential, but it is a strong preference. I am not familiar with how I would access SQL Server (and integrate my C# logic) from WordPress pages.

    . “App” (service) logic. Down the road, I want the ability to integrate content retrieved from external web services. I am unclear on how much I would be limited with this via hosted WordPress.

    . “Unconstrained” web page design. What I mean by this is that I want to be able to work with a designer to design the site with any visuals, layout, etc without being constrained by either WordPress themes or some aspect of a hosted WordPress environment. This is a tougher one to assess but, in a nutshell, I want the designer to have the same freedom s/he would have with just HTML/CSS. I do not know how much WordPress themes would limit this ambition.

    . Sophisticated URL management. On DNN, I have both a custom URL mapping module (supports URL remapping declaratively) and, in some places, some pretty sophisticated logic expressed in C#. What this means is that I have a lot of freedom to design an SEO-friendly scheme for virtual URLs. I do not know how much hosted vs. self-hosted WordPress sites would differ in terms of my flexibility here.

    . I am FAR more comfortable with IIS and SQL Server than anything else. I get totally that WordPress is build on PHP and MySQL (that’s what I have running on my current server, alongside ASP.Net and SQL Server) but I am not clear on how much compromise I make by going with IIS, rather than a more “natural” platform for WordPress ie. non-IIS (I know it’s not an easy fit :)).

    I have a few other aspects to consider but those are the primary ones. I’d be interested in which direction they point.

    Thanks.

    Mark

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • WPyogi

    (@wpyogi)

    9 years, 3 months ago

    You cannot use plugins on a WordPress.COM site – so that probably answers the question right there. You also have no access to any site files – so it’s quite “constrained” compared to a self-hosted site. Same with most or all of the other things you want. Have you looked at this?

    http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/

    What you may want to consider is self-hosted (that doesn’t mean you personally – it means the .ORG version of WP on a non-WordPress.COM server) – managed WP hosting. There are several options for that – Google can help you find them. Forum guidelines don’t allow detailed or extensive discussions of hosting here – as they become too spammy.

    Thread Starter markwill

    (@markwill)

    9 years, 3 months ago

    Thank you for the response. So, when you mention managed WordPress, would the offering through Azure be an example?

    http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/web-sites-php-web-site-gallery/

    With this approach I get the benefits of WordPress.org (self-hosted) installation and can install plug-ins, etc, yes?

    If so that could be a very interesting solution.

    Thank you again.

    WPyogi

    (@wpyogi)

    9 years, 3 months ago

    “Managed WordPress hosting” generally means that you pay a higher rate to a hosting company and they take care of the server side of things – which usually includes updates, security, performance, backups, a higher level of customer support. You may not have the same free access you would on other types of hosting. But details and restrictions vary among different companies, so check around with the hosting companies that offer that option.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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