Unlimited vs metered hosting: What's better?

Choosing the best web hosting plan is important for any website's success, and it’s essential to understand the nuances of "unlimited," "unmetered," and "metered" resources in your hosting plan. These terms define how your hosting provider manages and allocates resources like bandwidth and storage, directly impacting your site's performance and cost.

While those terms look similar, each model has distinct characteristics that cater to different website needs. Plus, the promise of "unlimited" or “unmetered” can be alluring, but does it truly deliver?

This article will break down the key differences and help you select the hosting plan that best fits your requirements and ensures optimal website functionality.

What is unlimited, unmetered, and metered in web hosting

Unlimited

Unlimited is a marketing term that suggests you have no limits on resources like the number of websites, storage, and bandwidth. However, this is almost always subject to fair use policies. Hosting providers typically have restrictions to prevent abuse and ensure fair resource allocation.

For example, when a web host advertises “unlimited storage,” this will depend on their terms. Hidden limits or restrictions might exist, and the host may throttle your site’s performance if you use excessive storage. An example is GreenGeeks’ unlimited websites, which they offer on their shared hosting. They have a dedicated page explaining what “unlimited” means so customers can still be informed about it.

The same applies to “unlimited websites.” This does not necessarily mean you can host unlimited websites — server resources will still be a limiting factor. This is like being given an unlimited amount of water but you can only take as much as your cup can hold and that’s it. Sure you can have an unlimited amount of websites but there will be a finite amount of resources for those websites. What it really means is we’re not going to put a limit on how many websites you can create with one account but you still need to be reasonable with how you use the resources.

DreamHost offers unlimited traffic on their shared hosting plans. Their Unlimited Policy page explains that customers don’t have to worry about disk storage or network transfer when their sites get bigger. However, DreamHost set a firm reminder that if your site isn't well-optimised and takes too much computing power (and causes issues for others on the same shared server), the DreamHost team may ask you to move to a private server.

Unmetered

Unmetered resources are primarily about bandwidth.

Unlike “unlimited”, which often has hidden restrictions, “unmetered” offers a guaranteed value — in this case, connection speed. For example, a 50Mbps unmetered plan means you can transfer any amount of data at that speed, no extra charges, it’s just that your speed is limited to 50Mbps. It's a flat rate for the chosen speed.

This means you can use as much bandwidth as needed without worrying about exceeding the upper limit, making it ideal for websites with unpredictable traffic patterns or heavy media content, such as video streaming websites.

An example is Bluehost, which offers unmetered bandwidth on its VPS and dedicated hosting. With Bluehost, users are not charged according to the amount of bandwidth typically used in the normal operation of a personal or small business website. They encourage their customers to comply with their Terms of Service and not exceed 25% or more of system resources for longer than 90 seconds. They will also email you if you exceed normal usage.

Metered

“Metered” resources means that a user is charged based on a specific amount of server resources they use, such as CPU, RAM, storage space, and bandwidth. The hosting provider will actively track how much of each resource is consumed by a user's website, and when a user exceeds their allocated resource limit, they will be charged extra for the overage.

Typically, users can access detailed reports showing their resource consumption, so they can manage their usage and avoid unexpected charges.

This can cater to various needs, as users can choose based on their expected resource usage. Metered resources are especially ideal for websites with low resource needs, as they likely won’t experience a traffic surge or store lots of customer data.

What to keep an eye on if you use unlimited resources

Unlimited resources might sound ideal, but the reality often involves hidden limitations and shared resource concerns. Nothing is truly unlimited — let’s say there’s a hosting plan offering unlimited websites, but it only comes with 2 CPU and 4GB RAM. Hosting unlimited websites there is possible, but each would be really slow.

It also depends on how resource-intensive your website is. If you have a complex site like an online store or a site with members-only content, that would take a lot more computer resources than simpler websites like personal blogs or static pages. These simpler types of websites can function with just the bare minimum resources, and you can host more websites like this in a hosting plan with unlimited website capability.

Also, using a web hosting plan that offers unlimited resources has several drawbacks, especially if you’re on a shared server.

One major drawback is the vulnerability to abuse. The unlimitedness can attract malicious users who exploit the lack of hard limits by hosting large media files or running resource-intensive applications. This abuse can lead to server instability and security risks, affecting all websites on the server.

The key is to read the fine print. "Unlimited" can be a marketing term, and most hosting plans have limitations, but many of them are genuinely trying to solve your problem. Just keep in mind to pay attention to the possible drawbacks.

How to choose between unlimited and metered hosting

Unlimited resources sound great, but it's important to know they are not truly limitless. If the hosting provider manages their servers well and provides transparent policies, it can still be a good option for websites with fluctuating traffic or growth.

On the other hand, metered resources give you clear limits on what you're paying for, so you can avoid surprise costs. This transparency is particularly valuable for websites with predictable traffic patterns and resource requirements.

To decide, think about these things:

• How much traffic do you expect? If you anticipate your website to grow rapidly or have highly variable traffic, "unlimited" might provide the necessary flexibility. But if your traffic is steady, metered hosting is likely better.
• What resources does your website need? If your website uses a lot of resources (e.g. video streaming, large databases), metered hosting allows you to allocate specific resources and avoid potential throttling.. If your website is simple, "unlimited" might be enough, but always check the policies.
• What's your budget? Metered hosting gives you a predictable cost. "Unlimited" can have hidden problems if you use too much.
• How good is the hosting provider’s reputation? Check reviews and see if they're clear about their rules. Prioritise providers with clear fair use policies, robust abuse prevention measures, and transparent resource allocation.
• How much do you know about website management? Metered hosting is good if you’re comfortable keeping track of your resource usage. Unlimited might seem easier if you want a more hands-off approach, but remember to read the fine print.

How much traffic do you expect? If you anticipate your website to grow rapidly or have highly variable traffic, "unlimited" might provide the necessary flexibility. But if your traffic is steady, metered hosting is likely better.

What resources does your website need? If your website uses a lot of resources (e.g. video streaming, large databases), metered hosting allows you to allocate specific resources and avoid potential throttling.. If your website is simple, "unlimited" might be enough, but always check the policies.

What's your budget? Metered hosting gives you a predictable cost. "Unlimited" can have hidden problems if you use too much.

How good is the hosting provider’s reputation? Check reviews and see if they're clear about their rules. Prioritise providers with clear fair use policies, robust abuse prevention measures, and transparent resource allocation.

How much do you know about website management? Metered hosting is good if you’re comfortable keeping track of your resource usage. Unlimited might seem easier if you want a more hands-off approach, but remember to read the fine print.

Ultimately, the best choice is to find the right balance between your website's needs and your desired level of commitment.