What’s the Difference Between Web Hosting & Domain

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Many people use the terms web hosting and domain interchangeably. But, they are distinct concepts with many differences. For starters, domain is the address that enables a visitor to easily find a specific website online, whereas hosting is where the website files are stored. For a fully functioning website, both domain and a web hosting space are important. In this blog, we will delve into the nitty-gritty of web hosting and domain and check out their differences so that you are equipped with the right knowledge.

 

Domain Name – A Crisp Overview

Simply put, a domain name is the address of a website that consists of a name and an example. It is a part of the web address nomenclature, which helps users find your website or one of the use its internet protocol (IP) address. Without domain names, Netizens would have to use pages of the website online. For instance, the domain name for Google is Google.com. With a domain name, users can easily find your site on the vast labyrinth of the web and do not have to numerical label assigned every website and server on the internet to get to the site of their choice.

Moreover, it also communicates the brand and purpose of a website to its users. Typically, domain names have two distinct parts -a top-level domain (TLD) and a second-level domain (SLD). Top-level domains are preset extensions that come after, whereas second-level domains often consist of words or phrases. For example, in the case of Google.com, Google is the second-level domain, whereas ‘.com’ is the TLD.

 

How do Domain Names Work?

Domain names work via domain registration, which is the process of reserving or booking a name on the internet for a stipulated time period. To get a domain name for your website, you have to register your website first and then buy the domain name from a company or organization that sells or manages domain name registrations.

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ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is the organization that oversees and organizes the management of domain databases on the internet. They are referred to as domain registrars.

However, it’s crucial to confirm that your custom domain is available before registering it with a domain registrar. In today’s day and age, a custom domain name is a sure-shot way to make your website look and feel more rich and sophisticated and also increase credibility among users. Besides, a custom domain name helps create professional and unique business email accounts. Last but not least, a meticulously curated domain name with relevant keywords can bolster search engine rankings, as well. After registration of your domain name, you have to renew the domain license once every year, but you can pay up in advance for up to 20 years for the domain to be registered under your name.

 

What is Web Hosting?

In simple words, web hosting can be defined as an internet service that enables you to host a website or web application online. When you buy a hosting service from a provider, you will have a portion of their web servers to store your website’s files and data. It means that you rent a space on a physical server where your data and files are stored for your website or web application to work on devices like mobiles, tablets, laptops, desktops, smoothly. Thereafter, when a user types in your website’s domain on a search engine, your web hosting provider will be responsible for sending its content to the visitor.

 

How Does Web Hosting Work?

Every website is composed of folders, such as videos, texts, images and code. Web hosting happens when all the files that make a website or web application are uploaded from a local computer to a web server. Thus, in addition to configuring, maintaining, and operating physical servers, the web hosting service provider also offers additional help for website security, performance, and backup.

Web hosting services manage hardware resources for websites and invest in advanced technology so that you get high-performing and robust servers with internal memory, processing power and other computing resources. Thus, with such high-tech servers, the performance of your website and the loading speed of pages increase and get better. Furthermore, web hosts also regularly upgrade their systems to maintain a high level of security. So, your IT resources are freed and you can focus more on delivering your application rather than just server management.

Currently, the market is inundated with providers of web hosting services. However, to make the right pick, you should look for the following features –

  • User-friendliness
  • Server speed and uptime
  • Pricing and plans
  • Customer service
  • Reputation

Now that we know what a domain name and web hosting service is, let us see how they are related and how they are different.

 

How are Domain Names and Web Hosting Related?

Domain names and web hosting are two completely different phenomena, but they are related, as their objective is to work together and make websites possible. A domain name system may be thought of as an enormous, dynamic address book. The web hosting service’s URL that houses the website file is located behind every registered domain.

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Temporary domain hosting may be offered by some domain registrars.

So, long story short, domain and hosting have an interrelationship. Since web hosting is the real home and domain names are the website addresses, they complement each other. Your website’s internet visibility is aided by web hosting. Both domain names and web hosting have to be synchronized to create a website.

 

How are Domain Names and Web Hosting Different?

The main difference between domain names and web hosting is that domain name points users to the location of your website, whereas web hosting is where your website lives.

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In simpler lexicon, web hosting is where you store your website files and domain name is the address of that house.

 

Wrapping It Up

So, there we have it, a crisp overview of the differences between web hosting and domain.