Domain vs hosting: what a website needs

Reviewed on September 8, 2026 8 min read dominios hosting dns

A domain is the name someone types to find a project on the internet, such as tudominio.com. Hosting is the service that stores and runs the website, its databases and, usually, its email accounts.

They are different services, although to publish a website under your own name you normally use both. DNS is what tells each of the domain's services which hosting to go to.

	Domain	Hosting
What it does	Gives the project a unique name	Hosts the website, databases and email
Example	`tudominio.com`	The server account where the website runs
You pay for	Registration and renewal periods	Resources, on a monthly or yearly cycle
Can you change provider?	Yes, by transferring management of the same name	Yes, by migrating the content
Can it be with another provider?	Yes	Yes

What a domain is

A domain is a registered name so that nobody has to remember the IP address of each service. Its extension, for example .com, .es or .org, is part of the full name.

Transferring a domain changes who manages it, not its name. To use a different name you'd have to register that other domain.

Registering a domain gives you the right to use it for the period you've paid for, but it doesn't by itself create a website or a mailbox. To decide where each part goes, you set its nameservers or its records:

Website records, such as A or CNAME, send visitors to the server that publishes the page.
MX records say which servers receive email.
Other TXT records can prove ownership of the domain or authenticate messages through SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

You can register the domain with Hostsuar even if the website is hosted with another provider. You can also keep it with its current registrar and use our hosting: you'll just need to point the DNS to the right service.

What hosting is

Hosting provides the space and resources a website needs to respond when someone visits the domain. Depending on the project it may include files, databases, PHP, SSL certificates, backups, statistics and email accounts.

Two plans with the same disk space won't necessarily perform the same. When choosing, it's worth also checking the CPU and memory available, the technologies the application needs, the backups included and who will help you when a problem comes up.

With our PHP hosting plans, each account has guaranteed resources, LiteSpeed Web Server, several PHP versions, MySQL, SSL and daily off-site backups. The domain can be registered with us or with any other provider.

How the domain and hosting connect

When someone opens tudominio.com, their device queries DNS. The answer gives the address of the hosting server, and the browser requests the page from there. The same domain can use different records for the website, email and other services.

For example:

You register tudominio.com with one provider.
You order hosting from another.
You add the domain to the destination hosting and prepare the website.
You set the nameservers provided by the hosting, or the specific records it gives you. If you already use email or other services, keep their records.
You check that the website responds from the new server and that email still works.

Having both services with the same company makes management simpler, but it isn't a technical requirement. Keeping them separate doesn't by itself improve performance or security either: what matters is knowing where DNS is managed and keeping access to both accounts.

What happens if you only buy the domain

You can register a domain before your website is finished to reserve the name. In the meantime you can leave it without content, point it to another page or set up certain DNS records.

A domain without hosting doesn't automatically come with a website or mailboxes. Some registrars offer redirects or email forwarding, but that isn't the same as hosting an application or running full IMAP accounts.

What happens if you only order hosting

The hosting account can be ready before you change the domain's DNS. This is useful when migrating a website or building it without affecting the current service.

For visitors to reach it under your own name, you'll then need to link a domain. During a migration you can test the content through a temporary address or a local change, but that address doesn't replace the final public domain.

Should you order both together?

Having the domain and hosting with the same provider means fewer panels and makes it easier for DNS to be set up automatically. Keeping them separate may be down to internal policy, managing several projects or simply already having one of the services.

Both options are valid. Before deciding, check:

Who is listed as the domain's holder and who controls its account.
Where the DNS zone is managed.
Which provider hosts the website and which one receives email.
How both services will be renewed and what reminders you'll get.
Whether you'll get help with the migration and the DNS change.

FAQ

Can I have the domain and hosting with different companies?

Yes. You can point the domain to the hosting provider's nameservers or set up the records it gives you. The website will work just the same once the DNS is correct.

Can I change hosting without transferring the domain?

Yes. You migrate the content to the new server and then change the DNS. The domain can stay registered where it is.

Can I transfer the domain without moving the website?

Yes. During the transfer, keep the current nameservers so the website and email keep going to the same hosting.

Does a domain include email?

The domain lets you create addresses such as nombre@tudominio.com, but you need a service that receives and stores the messages. That can be the hosting itself or a separate email platform.

Can several domains use the same hosting?

Yes, if the plan allows it. They can show separate websites, share an application or redirect to a main domain. Each case needs both the DNS and the destination within the hosting to be set up.