PHP web hosting refers to any hosting provider that supports modules written in the PHP programming language. The language is extremely popular, as it can be used to easily construct customized login pages, shopping carts, online surveys, database applications and more. As such, practically every hosting provider includes support for it, including even those providers that offer free hosting services.
Server-Side Language
PHP is a server-side scripting language. When you access a typical HTML web page, your computer downloads the HTML code and processes it. With PHP, the server processes the code for you and then transmits the results to your computer. This in turn results in a tremendous improvement in hosting speed, as you receive only a few kilobytes of data versus having to download 500 kb or more of code.
PHP Hosting Benefits
With a PHP web hosting server, you can build dynamic web pages whose content automatically changes, e.g., a ticking clock. You can also create visitor tracking scripts, shopping carts, forums and daily giveaway drawings, to name a few. PHP comes with no licensing fees, so you can construct anything you want with it, so long as you know how to write PHP code.
Free PHP Hosting
Some free web hosts offer PHP integration, but what they fail to tell you is that they place certain limits or restrictions on what modules or tools you may use. For instance, most free PHP web hosting providers disallow the PHP mail() module, the fopen() function and access to the GD2 library. Paid hosts, on the other hand, permit you to use any resource you require.
Windows Vs Linux
PHP can be used with either an Apache server with Linux or an IIS server with Windows. Developers tend to prefer the former option, as PHP web hosting on an Apache server comes with numerous benefits: CGI compatibility, easy installation/deployment and support for all modules and functions. Keep in mind, however, that you cannot take advantage of .NET resources on Apache.
The Best PHP Web Host
All Host Gator shared and reseller hosting servers feature PHP 5.3.5. In addition, either PHP 5.2 or 5.3 (depending on your preference) may be installed on a VPS or dedicated server. More importantly, Host Gator provides the extensive disk space and network bandwidth required to quickly process pages upon pages of PHP code, meaning your clients will not have to deal with any lag.
