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What is the difference between domain and hosting, and do I pay for both?

Quick answer

A domain is your website's address, like yourbusiness.com. Hosting is the rented space on a computer where the website's files live. You need both, and both are paid every year: a domain costs about ₹500–₹2,000 and hosting about ₹3,000–₹15,000 for a small business. Keep both accounts in your own name.

What is the difference between domain and hosting, and do I pay for both? — answered by UpSocially

An easy way to think about it

The domain is your shop’s address. The hosting is the shop itself. A customer types the address and arrives at the shop. If the address is not renewed, nobody can find you. If the shop’s rent is not paid, the address leads to an empty space.

Do you pay for both?

Yes. Some builders like Wix bundle them into one plan, and some hosts give the domain free for the first year, but you still pay for both over time. Renewal prices are often higher than the first-year offer, so check them.

Things to watch

  • Keep the domain and hosting logins in your business email.
  • Turn on auto-renew so the site and email never go down by accident.
  • Your business email (info@…) usually depends on the domain, so losing the domain means losing email too.
  • You can keep the domain and move hosting to another company later.
Domain vs hosting
DomainHosting
What it isYour web addressStorage for your website files
Typical yearly cost₹500–₹2,000₹3,000–₹15,000
If it lapsesSite and email stop workingSite goes offline

Key numbers

Key takeaways

  1. Domain is the address; hosting is the shop.
  2. Both renew every year.
  3. Keep both in your own name with auto-renew on.
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