Web Hosting vs Domain Name
What’s the Difference between Web Hosting and a Domain Name?
A lot of people don’t know the difference between a domain name and web hosting. If you are thinking about launching your own website, you need to know the difference. This can be tricky because web hosting and domain names go together. In fact, they can’t exist without each other, and if you are buying a domain name, you will need to acquire web hosting services as well. To clear the matter in a way that can be understood by everyone, we are going to individually break down both web hosting and a domain name.
What Is a Domain Name?
The address your website has on the internet is known as the domain name or URL, such as Google.com. It is the name that users will type on their browsers when they want to access your website. You’ll need to buy a domain name first when creating a website, and register the domain so that no one else can launch a website with the same name.
What Is Web Hosting?
The place where you are storing the files and content of your website is known as web hosting. When users arrive to your website, they will be directed to website files that are stored on the web hosting server. Web hosting essentially refers to a company renting out their servers/computer to host your website. They will ensure that the website is available and online around the clock.
Web Hosting Vs. Domain Name
To explain the difference between web hosting and domain name in a simpler manner, the following analogy may help.
“A domain name is your home address, while web hosting is actually your house where your furniture is placed, and you are renting that house.”
So, the domain name is what users will enter into browsers to access your website, while web hosting is all the files and content on your website, which is stored at a server that you are renting. Your domain name leads users directly to the website. This allows people from all over the world to access your website by entering your domain name.
There are various types of web hosting you can choose, including dedicated server, WordPress hosting, VPS, shared hosting, etc. if you’re launching your first website, it is recommended to choose WordPress hosting or shared hosting, since it is affordable and will meet all your needs.
