Nginx + Apache vs Pure Apache on Shared Hosting: Real Speed Test Results
13 August 2025
Running 10 websites on shared hosting sounds ambitious, right? But guess what—it’s totally doable if you know what you’re looking for. Not all “unlimited” plans are truly unlimited, and not every $3.99 deal is going to hold up when you start stacking WordPress installs.
Let’s break it down – disk vs inode limits, RAM needs, real CPU expectations, and of course, which host actually gives you the most breathing room under $7/month.
Disk vs. Inode Limits – The Hidden Bottleneck
Sure, your hosting plan says “Unlimited Disk” — but what they don’t tell you is the inode cap is where things start to fall apart.
| Hosting Plan | Disk Space | Inode Limit | Realistic # of WP Sites |
| Typical Budget Host | Unlimited* | 150,000 | 5–6 sites max |
| TDWS Business Plus | 50 GB SSD | 300,000 | 10+ sites with headroom |
| Entry-level plan | 20 GB HDD | 100,000 | 3–4 sites |
TL;DR: A WordPress site eats ~10,000–25,000 inodes. Ten of them? You’re easily pushing 200k+. So even if your storage is fine, shared hosting can silently cap you with inode limits unless you read the fine print.
CPU & RAM Calculator – Do 10 Sites Even Fit?
Let’s be real: ten basic WordPress blogs ≠ ten WooCommerce monsters.
On average:
| Site Type | RAM per site | CPU Share |
| Simple WP Blog | 128 MB | 0.1 core |
| Small Biz Site | 192 MB | 0.2 core |
| WP + WooCommerce | 256–384 MB | 0.3–0.5 core |
So, for 10 sites, you’re looking at:
- RAM: ~1.2 to 2 GB
- CPU: ~1–2 cores
A decent shared plan should give you at least 1 GB RAM burst + 1 full vCPU access. Some hosts hide this info, others cap your processes, or just kill PHP scripts silently. Always read the tech sheet.
Addon Domains vs Subdomains – Watch the Fine Print
Some “unlimited hosting” plans only allow 1 domain unless you upgrade. Sneaky, right?
| Plan | Addon Domains | Subdomains | Notes |
| Budget Host A | 1 | Unlimited | Pay to add more |
| Budget Host B | 5 | Unlimited | Upcharge at 6+ |
| TDWS Business Plus | 20 | Unlimited | Addon domain-friendly |
If you want 10 completely separate domains, make sure the plan actually allows addon domains, not just parked or subdomains.
Also – DNS zones, SSL certificates, and email accounts often need per domain setups. That’s where many “cheap” hosts start to nickel and dime you.
Top 3 Shared Hosting Plans Under $7/mo
We compared real plans based on:
- Addon domains allowed
- Inode limit
- RAM & CPU access
- SSD storage
- Honest support (yes, that matters)
| Host | Price/mo | Addon Domains | Inodes | RAM | Our Take |
| TD Web Services | $5.95 | 20 | 300k | 2 GB burst | Best balance of power & price ✅ |
| Bluehost | $6.99 | 5 | 200k | 512 MB | Fine for beginners |
| Hostinger | $2.99 | 100 | 200k | 768 MB | Inexpensive, but overloaded servers ⚠️ |
Pro tip: Cheap is good, but overcrowded = slow. TDWS may not be the cheapest on paper, but you get fewer noisy neighbors and actual business-class support.
Final Word: Pay Less, Run More – If You Know What to Look For
If you’re hosting 10 legit websites, you’re already ahead of most casual bloggers. That means you need real specs, not just marketing fluff. Watch out for:
- Inode bottlenecks
- RAM limits hidden in the TOS
- Domain restrictions
- Shared CPU throttling
Grab a Deal That’s Built for Growth
TD Web Services Business Plus gives you:
- 20 addon domains
- 50 GB pure SSD
- 300,000 inodes
- Built for 10–12 WordPress sites easily
- Just $5.95/month
🎉 Use code GROW2025 for 10% off your first year!
