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What Is Domain Name Hosting?
As your website’s identity on the internet, a domain name is one of the fundamental aspects of internet routing protocols.
Domain name hosting helps you secure and renew your domain registrations while providing the systems to match domains with the files and other services associated with the website.
Domain names are often keyword terms followed by a URL extension, such as .COM.NET, and .ORG.
However, the servers and devices hosting or displaying your website know your website as an IP address, not a domain. (Our guide to setting up a website will make this a lot easier to understand.)
A dedicated IP address is a numerical value, such as 172.217.204.102. The web host’s name servers will convert between the IP address and the human-friendly domain URL to route I/O requests to a website.
The Domain Name System (DNS) settings with your domain host will point all web traffic requests to the name server, which then routes them to the specific hardware and files stored online.
Many of the terms can sound alike when it comes to domain name hosting, so here I’ll break down the most common phrases you’ll encounter:
How Is Domain Hosting Different From Web Hosting?
Understanding the differences between domain hosting and web hosting can be a little tricky since the two services work closely together.
Ultimately, you’ll need both to publish a website or send an email from a custom domain. Naturally, the domain host takes care of your registration and DNS settings, while your web host handles the storage and processing requirements of delivering your website to visitors.
I’ll break it down like this:
- A domain host helps you manage your domain name registrations and connects them to websites, email inboxes, and other web services.
- A web host stores your website information and provides the server resources to deliver the information to visitors.
Domain hosting primarily operates as the routing layer on top of a web hosting platform. Every domain name can be converted to a numerical IP address that can be used interchangeably with the keyword.
Web hosting refers to the web server hardware and software that supports domain publishing online. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the main components of web development, which are now commonly generated from PHP, ASP.NET, Ruby, and other programming languages.
How Do I Choose the Best Domain Name Hosting?
Searching for the best domain name hosting doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s one of the easiest parts of the process.
I strongly recommend trusted shared hosting platforms that support unlimited websites at low costs. These plans are inexpensive and typically have fast and easy domain registration included.
Plans that come equipped with cPanel cost as low as $2 per month, and you can use Softaculous to choose from nearly 400 open-source applications for web development. Look for the inclusion of bonus offers like SEO tools, developer utilities, and advertising credits.
With a domain hosting plan, website owners frequently need email inboxes, FTP accounts, databases, and SSL certificates to meet a project’s needs.
Best Domain Name Hosting
| Host | Price | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | $1.99/month | Leading WordPress host great for first-time site owners |
| Hostinger | $2.69/month | Cheapest prices for single-domain and unlimited-domain plans |
| IONOS | $1.00/month | Best introductory discount on the market, good for small business |
| HostGator | $2.29/month | A scalable host with free site transfers |
| Hosting.com | $1.99/month | Developer-friendly host with high-performance hardware |
Hi All,
I'm sure this question comes up so many times in the subreddit, but I'm looking for feedback on who I should use. To give a synopsis, I represent a small-startup baking company and we're activily creating a website but not sure the best place to host or register our domain name.
Idealy, I'd want to be in a situation where if we just-so-happened to transfer a domain name to another holder, there would be no fee.
In terms of web hosting, I've had so many people tell me to use GoDaddy, InMotion, Host Gator, etc. All I would really like from my provider is great hosting services and fantastic customer support.
I look forward to hearing your responses and insight.
Thanks!