When it comes to building a website, the terms “domain name” and “web hosting” are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to two different things.
A domain name is an address people use to access your website, while web hosting is the service that allows your website to be accessible on the internet. In this article, we’ll explore the differences between the two and how they work together to power your website.
Definition and Purpose
A domain name is an address people use to access your website. For example, www.example.com is a domain name. When someone types in this address into their web browser, they will be directed to the website associated with that domain name.
Web hosting, on the other hand, is a service that allows your website to be accessible on the internet. When you create a website, the files and content that make up the site are stored on a server. Web hosting companies provide these servers and make them accessible to the public so that people can view your website.
Ownership and Registration
When it comes to ownership, you can think of a domain name as a property. Just like a house or a car, you can own a domain name and use it for a certain period of time. Once you register a domain name, it’s yours for the length of the domain registration period, which can be anywhere from one to ten years. You can renew the registration when it expires, and as long as you continue to pay the annual fee, you can keep the domain name.
As per the experts at 1 Grid, “Web hosting works differently in that you don’t own the server or the space on it. Instead, you rent it from a web hosting company.” You pay a monthly or annual fee to use the server space, but you don’t actually own the server or the space itself.
Physical Location
One key difference between domain names and web hosting is the physical location of the assets. The domain name is a virtual address that can be used globally to access your website. Web hosting, on the other hand, is physically located on a server. This server can be anywhere in the world, and the hosting company will have multiple servers in multiple locations. This is important because it can affect the loading speed of your website. The closer the server location is to your visitors, the faster the website will load.
Cost and Maintenance
The cost of a domain name can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the domain extension (e.g. .com, .org, .net) and the length of the registration period. On average, a domain name can cost anywhere from $10 to $40 per year.
Web hosting, on the other hand, can cost anywhere from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars per month, depending on the type and level of service you need. Shared hosting, for example, can cost as little as $5 per month, while a dedicated server can cost several hundred dollars per month.
When it comes to maintenance, domain names require very little upkeep – you simply need to renew the registration when it expires. With web hosting, however, you may need to maintain and update the server software, as well as manage backups and security. It depends on the type of hosting service you choose, the company you choose to host with, and the complexity of your website.
Website Content and File Management
The domain name is only responsible for directing users to your website. It has nothing to do with the actual content or files that make up your website. On the other hand, web hosting is where all the files and content of your website are stored on the server, and it is accessible to the public once you host it.
When you register a domain name, you’ll need to link it to a web hosting account. This is done by pointing the domain name’s DNS (Domain Name System) records to the IP address of the server where your website files are stored. Once this is done, users can access your website by typing in your domain name into their web browser.
In summary, a domain name and web hosting are two distinct things that work together to power your website. To ensure the best website experience for your visitors, it is crucial to have both a domain name and web hosting service that are reliable, scalable, and well-suited to your needs.
