The main difference between domain registration and web hosting is that the domain registration refers to obtaining a domain name from a domain registrar for the website while the web hosting refers to storing website files into a web server to make them available to the visitors.
The World Wide Web (WWW) contains a massive number of websites. Each website has a domain name to identify it out from other websites. The user must register and pay to a domain registrar to get a domain name. The domain names must be creative and should define the business. The process of acquiring a domain name from a domain registrar is called domain registration. The website files are stored into a web server to make them available for visitors. Web hosting companies maintain these servers and provide support to maintain the websites.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Domain Registration
– Definition, Functionality
2. What is Web Hosting
– Definition, Functionality
3. Difference Between Domain Registration and Web Hosting
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Domain Registration, Web Hosting, WWW
What is Domain Registration
A website is a collection of web pages. To make a web page available to the user, the website owner should register a domain name. This name helps to identify the website uniquely out of other websites. An individual or an organization can register and obtain a domain name from a domain registrar. It is an organization that manages and reserves domain names.
Figure 1: Domain Registration
Domain names are affordable. The user can renew them every year or every few years. Anyone can purchase a new domain name for their website or blog. After purchasing the domain name, it belongs to that registered user for a certain period of time. After that period is over, the user can renew it again. If the user does not renew, that domain name can be available to some other user.
What is Web Hosting
In order to make a website available for the visitors, it is stored in a special high power computing device connected to WWW. They are called web servers. Website hosting companies have several web servers in one location called a data center. These companies allow storing their user’s website files in their web servers to make them available for the visitors to view them in WWW.
Figure 2: Web Server
The web hosting company allocates the space for the website and assigns an IP address. When the visitor enters the domain name, the Domain Name System Server converts it to the corresponding IP address. Then the visitors can view the website. Bluehost is an example for a web hosting company.
A web hosting company provides multiple advantages. It provides the required space to store the website files. It also provides the bandwidth or the required data transferring rate to connect the website to the WWW. Additionally, it provides flexibility, privacy and security features.
Difference Between Domain Registration and Web Hosting
Definition
Domain Registration is the process of acquiring a domain name from a domain name registrar. Web hosting is the process of storing website files in a web server to make them available to the visitors in WWW.
Usage
The domain registration helps the users to obtain unique names for websites while the web hosting allows storing website files and provides support to maintain those files. It provides bandwidth to connect the website to WWW and secure the files.
Conclusion
Domain registration and web hosting are compulsory activities to make a website visible. The difference between domain registration and web hosting is that the domain registration is to obtain a domain name from a domain registrar for the website while the web hosting is to store website files into a web server to make them available to the visitors.
Reference:
1. What Is Web Hosting? Explained Simply | GoDaddy, GoDaddy, 13 Dec. 2016, Available here.
2. What Is Web Hosting?, Bluehost, 26 Oct. 2016, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Domain Registration” by Nick Youngson (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Blue Diamond Gallery
2. “24915” (CC0) via Pixabay
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