Quick answer
A domain name is your website's address (like yourbusiness.com); web hosting is the service that stores your website's files and serves them to visitors. You need both, and they're usually purchased separately, though many providers sell them together.
Domain name
Your domain is your website's address — like yourbusiness.com. It's what people type into their browser to find you, and it's registered annually through a domain registrar (sometimes the same company as your host, sometimes a separate one).
Web hosting
Hosting is the service that stores your website's files — pages, images, databases — on a server and makes them accessible whenever someone visits your domain. Without hosting, your domain has nowhere to point and your site simply won't load.
A simple analogy
Think of your domain as your street address, and hosting as the building at that address. You need both for visitors to actually find and enter your "house" — an address with no building behind it, or a building with no listed address, doesn't work on its own.
Side-by-side comparison
| Domain name | Web hosting | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your website's address | Where your website's files live |
| Billing | Usually annual | Usually monthly or annual |
| Without the other | Points to nothing | Has no memorable address |
Ready to set up both? See Hostinger's plans.
Explore Hostinger →Common mix-ups
- Assuming buying a domain creates a live website. A domain alone doesn't host anything — you still need hosting.
- Assuming hosting includes a free domain forever. Some hosting plans bundle a domain for the first year only; check renewal terms.
- Thinking they must be bought from the same company. You can register a domain with one provider and host with another.
FAQ
Can I buy a domain and hosting from different companies?
Yes. This is common — you simply point your domain's DNS settings to your hosting provider.
Do I need a new domain for every website I build?
Generally yes, each website needs its own domain, though a single domain can also host subdomains for related sections.
What happens if I stop paying for my domain or hosting?
If a domain registration lapses, your site becomes unreachable at that address and the domain may become available for others to register. If hosting lapses, your site's files may become inaccessible or removed, depending on the provider's policy.
Conclusion
Domain and hosting solve two different problems — an address people can find, and a place where your site actually lives — and a working website needs both.