Difference between hosting and domain

Hosting — this is where your site, its files, and its database are stored. Domain — this is the site's name in the internet.

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

The primary purpose of a domain name is to point visitors to the IP address of the server where the site is hosted.

When you enter a domain name into your browser's address bar, the browser uses the DNS system to convert the domain name into the server's IP address. It then uses that IP address to contact the server — sending a request and receiving a response. The response to the request may consist of site pages, images, or other data.

The domain also determines which mail servers should receive incoming mail and can be used for other purposes — such as verifying ownership of the domain or site.

The primary purpose of hosting is to store site data and provide the means for its internal logic to function (running scripts, interacting with the database, etc.). A certain amount of disk space is allocated on the hosting server, where you can store the site's scripts, content, templates, plugins, and other data. The hosting server receives requests from site visitors and returns the necessary information to them.

Site on hosting — this is a virtual host: a set of specific server settings and a separate directory for storing its files. If multiple sites are hosted on the same server, each will have its own virtual host with its own settings and a separate directory for files.

It is for the virtual host that the SSL certificate is installed, redirects are configured, and so on.