How is a domain name different from web hosting?

Website domain names
Domain names and internet concept

Domain Name:

What it is: Your website’s unique address on the internet, i.e. choosewebsitebuilder.com
Analogy: Like your home’s street address.
Function: Allows people to find and access your website by typing it into their web browser.  

Web Hosting

Web Hosting:

What it is: A service that provides space on a server for your website’s files (like HTML, images, and scripts).  
Analogy: Like the actual house where you live.
Function: Stores all the components that make up your website and makes it accessible to visitors.  

In simpler terms:

  • You need a domain name to give your website an address people can remember.  
  • You need web hosting to actually store your website’s files and make it visible on the internet.  

Think of it this way:

  • You buy a piece of land (domain name).
  • You build a house on that land (web hosting).

You can’t have a house without land, and you can’t have a website accessible on the internet without both a domain name and web hosting.

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