Domain name vs web hosting: what is the difference?

People often use the two words as if they meant the same thing. They do not. Think of the domain as your address and the hosting as the building.

The domain is your address

A domain like yourbusiness.com is the name people type to find you. You rent it by the year from a registrar. It should be registered in your name, because whoever holds the registration controls the address.

Hosting is where the website lives

Hosting is a computer that stores your website's files and database and sends them to visitors. Without hosting, a domain points nowhere. Without a domain, your hosted site has only a technical address nobody will remember.

How the two are connected: DNS

DNS is the internet's address book. It tells browsers which server answers for your domain, and tells other mail servers where your email goes. When you "connect a domain to a website", you are editing these DNS records, or handing them to your host by changing the domain's nameservers.

Can they be at different companies?

Yes. Many people register a domain in one place and host the site somewhere else. Keeping both together is simpler because there is one place to manage, but it is not required.

Things worth knowing

• Renewal. Domains expire if they are not renewed, and an expired name can be registered by someone else. Keep reminders on.
• Moving a domain. Most new registrations cannot be transferred to another registrar for the first 60 days.
• Email. Your email records live in the same DNS. If you change nameservers, copy your email (MX) records first.

On Almulx

You can do both in one place: register a domain (in your name), host your WordPress website and connect the two from the same dashboard. If you already own a domain elsewhere, you can keep it there and point it at your Almulx website.