Short answer: web hosting is a service that keeps a website’s files, database and software on a server that is online around the clock, so visitors can reach the site any time. You rent that space and computing power from a provider instead of running a server yourself. The domain is separate: the domain is the address, hosting is the place.
Most first-time confusion about the meaning of web hosting comes from that split. You can buy a domain and have no website, or run a website on a server that has no domain at all, only an IP address. A site needs both, plus a DNS record that connects them. This guide explains what hosting is and how it works, the main types side by side, the difference between a domain and hosting, and what you need to put a site online.
Domain vs hosting: what is the difference?
A domain name (example.com) is a name you register for a period, usually a year at a time, through a registrar, which registers the name for you with the registry that runs the ending (.com, .de, .io). Hosting is the server where the site actually lives. They are often sold by the same company, but they are two separate contracts and either can move to another provider without the other.
| Domain name | Web hosting | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The address people type: example.com | The server space and software that store and serve the site |
| Who sells it | A domain registrar | A hosting provider |
| What you pay for | The right to use the name for the registration period | Storage, CPU, memory, bandwidth and the service around them |
| Renewal | Yearly or multi-year; renew it on time | Monthly or yearly plan |
| If it lapses | The name stops resolving and, after the grace periods, can be registered by someone else | The site and its files go offline, and are deleted after the provider's retention period |
| Moving it | Transfer to another registrar with an authorisation code | Copy files and database to a new host, then update DNS |
How DNS connects a domain to hosting
The link between the two is DNS. At the registrar you set which nameservers answer for the domain; on those nameservers, an A record (IPv4) and an AAAA record (IPv6) point the name at the hosting server’s IP address. When a visitor types the domain, their resolver asks DNS for that address and the browser connects to it.
dig +short example.com A # the IPv4 address the domain points to
dig +short example.com NS # which nameservers answer for itMoving a site to a new host is therefore mostly a DNS change: copy the site, then change the A record to the new server’s IP. Pointing a domain to a VPS walks through the records step by step, and what is DNS covers why changes take a while to reach everyone.
How does web hosting work?
A hosting server runs the same pieces whichever plan you buy; what changes is who manages them and how much of the machine is yours.
- Web server software (nginx, Apache, LiteSpeed) accepts the browser’s request and returns files.
- An application runtime (PHP for WordPress, or Node.js, Python, .NET) builds dynamic pages. Web server vs application server explains the split.
- A database (MySQL or MariaDB, PostgreSQL) stores posts, users and orders.
- A TLS certificate lets the site load over HTTPS. Free certificates from Let’s Encrypt are standard and renew automatically on most hosts.
- Storage, network and power in a data centre, with someone looking after the hardware.
Types of web hosting
| Type | What you get | Who runs the server | Good for | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | An account on a server shared with many other sites, with a control panel | The host | Blogs, small business sites, WordPress | No root access; fixed software; resource caps per account |
| VPS | A virtual machine with its own OS, IP address and root access | You (unmanaged) or the host (managed) | Apps, busy sites, bots, anything custom | You handle updates and security on an unmanaged plan |
| Dedicated server | A whole physical machine | You or the host | Heavy, steady workloads; strict isolation | Highest price; hardware changes take longer |
| Cloud hosting | Virtual machines and services billed by usage, resized on demand | You, through the provider's tools | Workloads that grow and shrink | Costs are harder to predict |
| Managed WordPress | Shared or VPS hosting tuned for WordPress, with updates and backups done for you | The host | Owners who want WordPress without server work | WordPress only; plugin restrictions on some hosts |
Two other terms come up. Reseller hosting is shared hosting with the right to create accounts for your own clients, and colocation means renting rack space, power and network for a server you own.
Shared hosting
The entry point. You log in to a control panel such as Plesk or cPanel, upload files or install WordPress with one click, and the host keeps PHP, the web server, the database and backups running. It is enough for most sites that are a CMS plus a database. It stops being enough once you need software the host does not offer, long-running background processes, or more CPU and memory than your account’s share. cPanel vs Plesk compares the two common panels.
VPS and dedicated servers
A VPS gives you a server of your own inside a virtual machine: you choose the operating system, the web server and every package, and resources are allocated to you. A dedicated server is the same freedom on a whole physical machine. Both are usually unmanaged, which means the operating system is yours to maintain; managed vs unmanaged VPS lists who does what.
What you need to put a website online
- 1Register a domain
At any registrar. Check the renewal price, not only the first-year offer, and turn on auto-renew.
- 2Choose hosting
Shared or managed hosting for a CMS site, a VPS for anything custom. The checklist below helps.
- 3Point the domain at the host
Either switch the domain’s nameservers to the host’s, or keep your DNS where it is and set the
AandAAAArecords to the server’s IP addresses. - 4Turn on HTTPS
Issue a certificate once DNS resolves. Control panels do it with one switch; on a VPS, certbot does it from the command line.
- 5Publish the site
Install the CMS or upload your files, then test on a phone as well as a desktop.
- 6Set up email and backups
Email for the domain needs its own
MXrecords, and a backup you have actually restored once is the only kind worth counting on.
How to choose a web host
- The right type first. A static site or a small WordPress installdoes not need a dedicated server, and a Node.js app will not run on most shared plans.
- Resources and limits. Storage, memory, CPU share, and how many sites and databases a plan allows. “Unlimited” on shared plans usually has fair-use limits in the terms.
- Location. A data centre close to your visitors lowers latency, and the country decides which law the server falls under.
- Backups. How often, how many restore points, and whether you can restore them yourself.
- HTTPS and security. Free certificates, current PHP versions, and protection against DDoS attacks.
- Room to grow. Whether you can upgrade without moving, and whether the same provider offers a VPS when the site outgrows shared hosting.
- Support, payment and terms. How support is reached, which payment methods are accepted, and what the acceptable use and refund terms actually say.
When to move from shared hosting to a VPS
The usual signs are resource-limit errors in the panel at busy times, a site that is slow even with caching, software the host will not install (a newer PHP or a Node.js or Python app), or background jobs and bots that a shared account cannot keep running. At that point a small VPS costs little more and removes those limits, in exchange for doing the server work yourself. Moving from shared hosting to a VPS covers the move in order.
What does web hosting cost, and is free hosting worth it?
Price follows the type: shared hosting is the cheapest, a VPS costs somewhat more, and a dedicated server the most, because you pay for a whole machine. Within a type, the price is driven by storage, memory and CPU, the number of sites allowed, backups and support. Two things catch people out: introductory prices that renew at a much higher rate, and add-ons (backups, certificates, a dedicated IP) sold separately. Compare the renewal price and what is included, not the first month.
Free hosting exists, but it usually carries the provider’s ads or subdomain, tight limits, no support and no promise that the account will still be there next year. It is fine for a test page; for anything with your name on it, a small paid plan is the safer place.
Can you host a website yourself?
Technically yes: any computer running a web server can serve a site. In practice a home connection makes it hard. Many internet providers hand out an IP address that changes, put customers behind carrier-grade NAT so the router has no public address of its own, or block incoming port 80 in their terms; the machine also has to stay on, and your home network is then exposed to the internet. Renting the server, even a small VPS, removes all of that: a fixed public IP, a data centre network and power, and nothing open on your own router.
Web hosting at VMHeaven
At VMHeaven you register the domain at a registrar of your choice; the hosting panel shows the DNS records to add there. Plesk hosting in Amsterdam is the option where we run the server: a Plesk panel with the WordPress Toolkit, 30 to 250 GB of SSD storage, free auto-renewing SSL, and daily backups with up to 10 restore points, plus free migration from a cPanel or Plesk host. When you need root access, a Linux VPS or a dedicated server is the next step.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between a domain and hosting?
A domain is the name people type to reach a site, registered through a registrar for a year or more at a time. Hosting is the server space where the site's files and database live. DNS connects them: the domain's A record points to the hosting server's IP address. They can be bought from different companies and moved independently.
Do I need hosting if I already have a domain?
Yes, to run a website. A domain on its own is only an address; without a server behind it, the name points nowhere or to a registrar's parking page. Hosting, whether shared hosting, a VPS or a dedicated server, is where the site actually runs.
Which type of web hosting should I choose?
Shared or managed WordPress hosting for a typical CMS site, a VPS when you need root access, custom software or background processes, and a dedicated server when a workload keeps a whole machine busy or needs strict isolation. Cloud hosting suits workloads that grow and shrink and are billed by usage.
Can I move my website to another host and keep my domain?
Yes. Copy the site files and database to the new host, then change the domain's A and AAAA records, or its nameservers, to point at the new server. The domain stays registered where it is; only the DNS answer changes.