Cloud Hosting Pros and Cons and mods on a cloud plan.

[BenCurry]

Hi, 

I am currently hosted with IPS on their cloud plans.  I'm on the 200 Online visitors and $130 per month.  

I'm really happy with the service I've been getting but the last few things I have looking into doing have and my last couple of support questions has led me be think I need to look at purchasing a licence and getting my own hosting.  The most recent 2 being needing a live test area that I believe you are allowed to use with a licence but get no access to with a cloud plan and also installing a facebook pixel.  

I have a developer to help me with mods to my themes and some layout stuff.  nothing too in depth.  New blogs and gallery layouts, maybe some blocks and pages.    Can anyone advise on what my best course of action might be.  Is there a way to edit and test this on a live site without all my users seeing things that are being tested?  

Can anyone recommend what i would need from a hosting services that would give an equivalent or better package that what I am currently getting. 

Reliability and speed are important.  

Thanks, 
Ben 

[Day_]

That's a no go discussion on here, you will get directed to other forums like http://www.webhostingtalk.com/ 

 

[Pete T]

20 minutes ago, BenCurry said:

Hi, 

I am currently hosted with IPS on their cloud plans.  I'm on the 200 Online visitors and $130 per month.  

I'm really happy with the service I've been getting but the last few things I have looking into doing have and my last couple of support questions has led me be think I need to look at purchasing a licence and getting my own hosting.  The most recent 2 being needing a live test area that I believe you are allowed to use with a licence but get no access to with a cloud plan and also installing a facebook pixel.  

I have a developer to help me with mods to my themes and some layout stuff.  nothing too in depth.  New blogs and gallery layouts, maybe some blocks and pages.    Can anyone advise on what my best course of action might be.  Is there a way to edit and test this on a live site without all my users seeing things that are being tested?  

Can anyone recommend any hosting services that give an equivalent or better package that what I am currently getting. 

Reliability and speed are important.  

Thanks, 
Ben 

First cloud hosting is good in few ways you get all the suite at low price and hosting, the problem with this is what your limited to and that no FTP and also no way of getting accress to your database because its all closed off. 

The good part being self hosted is you can have live site that you have full accress and can control yourself using the hosting option you selected but you need pay more at first believe its $175 for standard suite* don't quote me on that price but in return its the best and in my view good investment you will need way the pros and cons of both in terms best hosting company the link that @daveoh has provide is a good start.

Also answer part question can you have test site and answer yes if self license holder but need be local or if live domain need be locked via htaccess so that means username and password when enter the domain.

[BenCurry]

thanks fr the replies guys.  I have edited the first post to make it not so much about hosting and more about the differences.  

What barriers would a Dev. run into on the cloud plan?  Id its just visual stuff I am asking to be altered will this be a problem? Or is a self hosted plan the way to go for this?  Is it possible to duplicate a theme, set that as access to only a user group that my developer is in and let him edit it live or is that not a good idea? 

[Simon Woods]

3 hours ago, BenCurry said:

 Is it possible to duplicate a theme, set that as access to only a user group that my developer is in and let him edit it live or is that not a good idea? 

You can do this either on the Cloud hosting or self-hosting. I'd say it's a good idea, since it is basically a way that you can at least test out theme changes.

[Joel R]

Self-hosted licensees can run a second, non-public instance using the -TESTINSTALL license key.  

This way you can test any modifications without using your live community.