Managed hosting is by far the easiest way to create and run your own online services:
- You sign up with a managed hosting provider and ask them to set up and host your online service. You pay the provider a small monthly fee for this (typically starting at 5 to 10 euros a month).
- The provider does all the technical stuff behind the scenes including installation, updates, fixing problems etc.
- The service belongs to you, and you run it through an easy-to-use graphical interface on a website. If anything breaks, you can ask the managed hosting provider to fix it at no extra charge.
What kind of services can I run through managed hosting?
There are lots of different online services available through managed hosting, here are some directories of services and links to relevant managed hosting providers:
Click on these categories to browse available services and managed hosting companies that provide them.
Do you have any tutorials for setting stuff up through managed hosting?
Yes, here are a couple of step-by-step easy-to-understand tutorials:
- How to create your own Mastodon server through managed hosting
- A beginner’s guide to creating your own Nextcloud server through managed hosting
You may also want to check out this beginner’s guide to buying your own domain name:
Is managed hosting just for non-technical people?
Managed hosting is useful to anyone who wants to avoid technical stuff and technical problems. It lets you focus on running the service instead of having to troubleshoot obscure settings.
What happens if I want to switch managed hosting providers?
Sites and services usually operate based around a database, which stores all the articles, user accounts etc. As long as a managed hosting provider lets you export your database, you will be able to switch to another managed hosting provider seamlessly. The new provider will be able to import it and get your site up and running with them, and all your accounts, passwords, posts, followers etc will be preserved.
This is why it is crucial to ask managed hosting providers whether they allow database exports before you sign up with them. If they do allow it, that is a really good sign. Making it easy for you to leave shows they are serious about earning your trust with a good service.