The terms "web hosting" and "domain hosting" are often used interchangeably, but they refer to two distinct, though interconnected, services. Think of them in a real-world analogy:

Your domain name is your website's street address.

Your web hosting is the physical house or plot of land where your website's files live.

Here's a detailed breakdown of the differences:

Web Hosting
Web hosting is the service that makes your website accessible on the internet. A web hosting company provides the server space where all of your website's files—HTML, CSS, images, videos, and other data—are stored.

When someone types your domain name into their browser, the web hosting provider's server sends all the necessary files back to that user's computer, allowing them to see and interact with your website.

Key functions of web hosting:

Storage: Provides the disk space for your website files.

Bandwidth: Determines how much data can be transferred from your website to visitors.

Uptime: A good web host guarantees that their servers are running 24/7, so your website is always available.

Security & Backups: Many hosting services include security measures and regular backups to protect your site.

Without web hosting, your domain name would be an empty address with nowhere to go.

Domain Hosting (or Domain Registration)
Domain hosting, more accurately called domain registration, is the service that allows you to register and own a unique domain name (e.g., yourbusiness.com). A domain name is a user-friendly way for people to find your website on the internet, replacing the need to remember a complex string of numbers known as an IP address.

A domain registrar is a company authorized to sell and manage domain names. When you purchase a domain name, you're essentially renting it for a specific period, usually one year, with the option to renew.

Key functions of domain registration:

Ownership: Gives you the right to use a specific domain name.

DNS Management: The Domain Name System (DNS) is what links your domain name to your web hosting server. Domain registrars provide the tools to manage these settings.

Renewal: Manages the renewal process to ensure you don't lose your domain name.

You can own a domain name without having a website or web hosting. In this case, the domain would just point to a blank page or a parking page from the registrar.

How They Work Together
For a website to be live and accessible, you need both services working in tandem.

You purchase a domain name (e.g., example.com) from a domain registrar.

You purchase a web hosting plan from a hosting company.

You connect the two: In your domain registrar's settings, you point the domain's DNS records to your web hosting provider's servers.

While you can purchase these services from two different companies, many web hosting providers also act as domain registrars and offer the convenience of bundling both services together. For beginners, buying both from the same company is often the simplest and easiest option to manage.