Are you serious about creating a website? If yes, then you must have figured out by now that you need a domain name and a web host to create your website. But the most common question that everyone has at this point is…
Does web hosting include a domain name? Yes, some Web Hosting companies do provide a domain name along with web hosting, and some Web Hosting companies don’t. But ideally, you should not be getting a domain name from your web hosting company because, over the course of your website’s lifespan, you will end up shifting Web Hosting companies. That means, your domain name will get stuck with your old Web Hosting company. You don’t want that.
Confused? Don’t be. I will go over all this and a lot more in just a bit. So keep reading. But first, let’s understand…
How Does Domain Name Registration Work?
To create your website, you first need to register your domain name.
You can register your domain name through a Domain Registrar, or you can register it with your Web Hosting company. Some Web Hosting companies also act as Domain Registrars and will provide you with a free domain name if you buy web hosting from them.
Whether you should register your domain name with your Web Hosting company or not is an important question. We will go over this in a second.
Now, once you register a domain name, you will need to point it to the servers of your Web Hosting company so that you can start building your website.
If you register your domain name with your Web Hosting company, then your Web Hosting company will automatically point your domain to its own servers. So basically, you don’t have to do anything.
But if you register your domain name through a Domain Registrar, then you will need to point your domain to your Web Hosting company by yourself. This is a simple process, and it takes less than a minute to do. But this change might take up to 48 hours to propagate across the internet.
Don’t worry, it is not that big a deal. Usually, it happens a lot faster than 48 hours.
Now, the million-dollar question is….
Should You Buy Domain Name From Your Web Hosting Company?
No, you should not buy a domain name from your Web Hosting Company because, as your website grows, you will want to shift it to another better Web Hosting company. And when you do that, your domain name will still remain with your old Web Hosting company.
There is nothing bad in it as such but, since domain registration is not the primary business of most Web Hosting companies, you might not get proper support for your domain name if you need it someday.
Also, the domain registration renewal cost is generally higher with Web Hosting companies than it is with Domain Registrars.
By registering your domain name with your Web Hosting company, you also run into the risk of keeping all your eggs in one basket.
What if the Web Hosting company runs into some technical issues with its servers? Your website will go offline, which will impact your business.
If you keep your Web Hosting and Domain Name with separate companies, then you can simply point your domain name to another Web Hosting company and bring up your website.
Another problem is that your old Web Hosting company might ask you to shift your domain name to your new Web Hosting company or to another Domain Registrar once you shift your website. Shifting a domain name involves more work and cost. So it is better to avoid it if possible.
I have gone into a lot of detail on this topic in my how to register a domain name tutorial. So do read it before you buy a domain name.
Okay! Now the question is….
Do You Need Web Hosting If You Buy A Domain Name?
Yes, you do need web hosting if you buy a domain name. Domain name and web hosting are two different things.
A domain name is the one using which people will land on your website. For example, mywebsite.com is a domain name. While web hosting is the company or server on which you will create your website.
After you buy a domain name, you will need to point your domain name to your web hosting server.
Now, when someone visits your domain name, they will get redirected to your web hosting server on which your website exists.
All of this happens in a fraction of a second for anyone to realize it.
I guess that is why people get confused between a domain name and web hosting.
I hope you have now understood that these two are two different things. So you will need to buy a domain name as well as web hosting.
Related Further Reading:
- How To Host A WordPress Site The Correct Way!
- Are Free Domains Safe? – 7 Risks And A Better Alternative
Final Thoughts!
Some Web Hosting companies do provide you with a free domain name when you sign-up for one of their hosting plans. But…
Never, ever register your domain name with your Web Hosting company.
Always register your domain name and web hosting with different companies so that you don’t risk your website by keeping all of your eggs in the same basket.
