What are the best reseller hosting packages? And do I need one?

A reseller web hosting package allows you to host several web sites on one server. With it you can divide the diskspace and bandwidth across different web sites on the same machine. Each reseller hosting account comes with a master administration panel or a master control panel that allows you to create your own hosting packages. You can then resell hosting to others.

Differences between reseller and multiple web site hosting

You need reseller hosting package only if you want to host several web sites of different people. A multiple web site hosting package is more suited if the web sites you want to host are your own. The difference in the two lies not only in price but also the way the hosted web sites are administered and managed. However, both reseller and multiple hosting packages require you to designate a primary domain name which will hold the master control panel.

Hosting multiple web sites of your own

On a multiple web site hosting package you can host several web sites on one server and administer them through a single control panel. Since the hosted web sites are yours, a single control panel is sufficient to manage those web sites. Through this control panel you would not only be able to add more web sites but also create email accounts, databases, perform software installations etc. on specified web sites. Hosted web sites are typically placed in subdirectories under the primary domain name.

Reseller hosting - Hosting several web sites for different people

A reseller hosting package is geared towards web developers who want to provide hosting for their clients or resell hosting to prospects. Reseller hosting is a good business idea especially when you already have a loyal customer base.

Reseller hosting packages tend to be priced higher than multiple web site hosting packages as each web site in the reseller package comes with its own control panel. This control panel is usually more advanced than the one on a multiple web site hosting package and comes with additional features. For example, with the control panel of a reseller hosting package you can define your own web hosting packages. This means that you can create hosting packages with different amounts of disk-space, bandwidth, number of email accounts etc. and sell them at different prices.

As mentioned above, each web site on a reseller hosting plan has its own control panel which means that if customers request you to create email accounts, databases etc. you can always direct them to the control panel through which they would be able to perform these tasks on their own. Also, each control panel has its own username/password so customers cannot mess up accounts of others.

When do you need a reseller web hosting package?

You don't need a reseller hosting package if you want to host only one site. You also don't need one if you plan to put several of your own web sites. A reseller package is required only when you need to host multiple web sites of different people because in this way you would be able to give each web site its own control panel.

Prices of reseller hosting packages vary from company to company, but with heavy competition in this industry, the prices have come down substantially.