How to Host Multiple Websites on One Server in 2024

Can you host multiple websites on one server? Yes, you can host multiples websites on one server whether its WordPress, Joomla or HTML!

Now, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps and strategies to efficiently manage multiple websites on a single server, allowing you to save costs, streamline maintenance, and make the most of your resources.

Let’s dive in and explore the world of multi-website hosting!

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How to Host Multiple Websites on One Server in 2024 Step by Step

In this process, we will use a VPS and install CloudPanel – a free web control panel. From there, we will host multiple websites by installing CMS or other web applications. You’ll see how amazing it is.

Step 1. Signup with a VPS Server

In this tutorial, we well be using Contabo Cloud VPS. You can also use other VPS as long at it has Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS or Alma Linux.

Choose any of their Cloud VPS plans. If you’re new, you can choose Cloud VPS S.

A. Select your payment term. If you select 12-month, you don’t have to pay for One-Time Setup fee. You can select 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or 12-month.

B. Select your region. If you have audiences in the US, choose a US Region. If you have German audiences, choose Germany.

C. Select Storage Type. Choose which is faster or more storage space. For faster performance choose NVMe.

D. Image. Choose which operating system to install. For this tutorial we will use Ubuntu 22.04.

E. Login & password for your server. This part is very important. You need to generate a secure password to login to your server later on via SSH.

F. Networking. Leave the options as is.

G. Add-ons. No need to have add-ons. Leave it as is.

Proceed to next part and payment. Your login details will be sent to you via email.

Step 2. Connect to your Server

Once your server is fully setup, it’s time to connect to your server via SSH. So you need to install a free SSH client called Bitvise. Be sure to login as ROOT and use the password you generated when signing up with Contabo.

Once logged-in, click New terminal console on the left menu.

Step 3. Install CloudPanel

Once you are on the terminal console, let’s install a free cPanel alternative – CloudPanel.

Copy and paste the following commands in your command line interface. For complete installation process, refer to this guide.

A. Update the packages first.

apt update && apt -y upgrade && apt -y install curl wget sudo

B. Install CloudPanel.

curl -sS https://installer.cloudpanel.io/ce/v2/install.sh -o install.sh; \
echo "3874fff99744cf3afe6f533013282e87c95640e128d1d3998666e2929dc12978 install.sh" | \
sha256sum -c && sudo bash install.shcurl -sS https://installer.cloudpanel.io/ce/v2/install.sh -o install.sh; \
echo "3874fff99744cf3afe6f533013282e87c95640e128d1d3998666e2929dc12978 install.sh" | \
sha256sum -c && sudo bash install.sh

With this command, we will install CloudPanel with MySQL 8.0. For MAriaDB installation go to this page.

Access your CloudPanel using https://<yourserverIP>:8443

Just click Advanced and Accept the risk and continue.

Create an Admin user.

Then login using the credentials created.

Step 4. Create Websites in CloudPanel

With Contabo Cloud VPS starting plan, you can have as much as 4 cores of CPU and 8GB of memory.

From your dashboard, go to Sites > Add Site

Then choose Create a WordPress Site.

Fill in the website details and click Create. You can choose Multisite if you want to have multiple WordPress websites. But in this tutorial, we will host both WordPress and Joomla websites.

Once created, copy the credentials and store it in a safe place.

But before anything else, add an A record to your domain on your domain registrar.

Next, go to Sites > Beside the domain choose Manage > SSL/TLS > Under Actions choose New Let’s Encrypt Certificate.

We should install an SSL for our domain so that web browsers can access them.

Access your WordPress website. You can now use SSL.

Repeat the steps for another website say for example a static HTML site.

From your dashboard, go to Sites > Add Site > Create a Static HTML Site

Next, add your domain.

After creating the site, click Manage.

Go to File Manager > htdocs > your domain folder and upload the HTML files inside the folder.

Be sure the index.html is inside that folder.

Next, go SSL/TLS and install New Let’s Encrypt Certificate.

That’s easy as it!

How about Joomla?

Watch How to Create a Joomla Website on CloudPanel!

How many websites can you host on 4 cores and 8GB of memory?

The number of websites that can be hosted on a server with 4 cores and 8GB of memory depends on various factors such as the size and complexity of the websites, the traffic they receive, and the resource requirements of the applications running on the server.

In general, with those specifications, you can typically host several small to medium-sized websites comfortably. However, it’s important to optimize resource usage, consider caching techniques, and monitor server performance to ensure smooth operation.

Can CloudPanel host multiple websites?

Yes, CloudPanel is capable of hosting multiple websites. CloudPanel is a control panel designed specifically for managing and hosting websites on cloud infrastructure. It provides an intuitive interface and powerful features to facilitate the deployment and management of multiple websites on a single server or across multiple servers.

What Web Applications Can I Host on CloudPanel?

CloudPanel can be used to host popular CMS platforms such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or Magento. These applications allow you to create and manage websites, online stores, and blogs with ease.

You can even create a Node.js website or app or even static HTML. That what makes CloudPanel a good option for people who want to manage their own server.

Where is Contabo Located?

Contabo is located in Germany but they have data centers located worldwide. I personally use Contabo because its easy to use and they really are reliable especially their VPS and Dedicated servers.

Conclusion

Hosting multiple websites on a single server can be a cost-effective and efficient solution for webmasters looking to consolidate their resources. By following the steps and strategies outlined in this blog post, you can harness the full potential of your server, maximize its performance, and accommodate multiple websites with ease.

Remember to consider factors such as the server’s specifications, the size and complexity of your websites, and the expected traffic when determining the number of websites to host on your server.

Regular monitoring and optimization of resource usage are essential to ensure optimal performance and user experience.

If you have roadblocks, please don’t hesitate to comment. I’m here to help 🙂