What is the difference between web hosting and a domain name?

When you are setting up a website there are many things that need to be considered. Amongst these things are "domain names" and "web hosting", both of which you need to pay for, although it may be in the same invoice.

It's easier to explain if we draw an analogy...

We could describe where you live with great accuracy in terms of degrees of latitude and longitude. Anyone who understood this system would be able to find your house without a problem but they might not be able to remember the details and describe how to find you to someone else. This is why we give your house a more memorable name like 21 Acacia Avenue, and a postcode.

A "Server", the type of computer that houses a website, similarly has a complicated numerical way of uniquely identifying themselves - this is called an "IP Address". Similarly, IP Addresses can be difficult to remember and are quite inconvenient for daily use. This is why Domain Names were introduced.

A Domain Name is a handy way of referencing your IP Address into something more memorable. For example, the server this website is hosted on is called, amongst other things, 91.198.165.131. Not an easy thing to remember if you want to come back here, is it? However, we use sputnikweb.co.uk to refer to the same server and, more specifically, this precise website as there are many websites on the same server all sharing the same IP address and we don't want to get confused between them all.

So, we have the server where your website lives - this is the "web hosting" - and we have the domain name that points to your website. A domain name can simply be considered to be a sign post pointing your website visitors in the right direction. The web hosting and domain name registration can be on opposite sides of the world just as long as your domain name points to your server it doesn't matter.

Web hosting is usually a service that needs to be renewed every year. Depending on the level of service you receive this can cost anything from just a fewpounds to several hundreds of pounds (or more). Domain name registration (or domain name renewal) is usually something that needs to be done very two years and, depending on the type of domain name you choose (e.g. .co.uk, .net, .com etc.) it shouldn't cost more than a few pounds for the whole period of registration - but you will need to renew the domain name if you wish to keep hold of it. Failing to renew you domain name will throw it back out into the world for someone else to register.

It is worth noting that some service providers offer both of these services, domain name registration and web hosting, bundled together. It might be worth looking into what you are getting before you agree to anything.