Difference between hosting and domain

Hosting — Is the place where site, its files and database. Domain — Is the name of a website on the Internet.

For the site to work properly, you need both hosting and a domain. These are two separate services, they are ordered and paid separately.

The main task of a domain is to direct site visitors to the IP address of the server that hosts this site.

When you enter a domain name in the browser’s address bar, the browser uses the DNS system to convert the domain name into the server’s IP address, after which it uses the resulting IP to contact the server directly — sends a request and receives a response. The response to the request may be site pages, images or other data.

The domain is also responsible for which mail servers should accept incoming mail, and can be used for other purposes — for example, verifying ownership of a domain or site.

The main purpose of hosting is to store site data and provide tools for the operation of its internal logic (launching scripts, interacting with the database, etc.). A certain amount of disk space is allocated on the hosting server, where you can place site scripts, its content, templates, plugins and other data. The hosting server accepts requests from site visitors and returns them the information they need.

Hosting site — Is a virtual host: a collection of certain server settings and a separate directory for storing its files. If the hosting hosts several sites at once, each of them will have its own virtual host with its own settings and a separate directory for files.

It is for the virtual host that an SSL certificate is installed, redirects are configured, etc.