Domain and hosting: who owns what on your website

When someone builds a website for you, two words come up right away: domain and hosting. Many people use them as if they meant the same thing, but they are different things, they are paid for separately and, above all, they have different owners. Understanding the difference between domain and hosting spares you the most common scare: discovering, years later, that your website and your address are in someone else's name.

In this guide we explain what each one is with a simple analogy, who should appear as the holder, when to renew and which details are worth keeping in a safe place.

Domain and hosting: the difference, with an analogy

Think of it as a shop:

• The domain is the street address and the sign: yourcompany.com.ar. It is what people type to find you.
• The hosting is the shop itself: the space where the files of your website "live" so that it is switched on 24 hours a day.
• The website is what is inside: the design, the texts, the photos.

If you let the domain expire, you lose the address even though the shop is still there. If you let the hosting expire, the address points to a closed shop. And if the lease of the shop or the address are in someone else's name, that other person decides what happens.

What a domain is

It is the name of your site on the internet. It is registered for a period (generally one year) and it has to be renewed so you do not lose it. Domains ending in .ar are registered through NIC Argentina, which asks you to identify yourself with your CUIT or CUIL (Argentine tax ID); .com and other domains are managed through registrar companies.

The essential point: the domain has a holder (the person or company in whose name it is registered) and an access account where it is managed. Both details matter.

What hosting is

It is the service that stores your website and delivers it to whoever visits. It is paid for on a recurring basis, usually every month or every year, and its price depends on the type of service. It often includes the security certificate (the HTTPS padlock) and, sometimes, email accounts.

If your website is lightweight, the hosting can be simple; if it has a store, many visitors or special features, it needs more resources.

Who should own each thing

The general rule, which holds for any provider:

• The domain has to be in your name (or your company's), with an email of yours as the contact. It is your brand: it should not depend on anyone.
• The hosting account can be in your name or in the name of the studio that manages it, but you must be able to access it, export your website and take it with you if one day you change provider.
• The design and the content are yours once the work has been paid for, unless an agreement says otherwise. Ask for it to be put in writing.

If today you do not know whose name your domain is in, it is a good moment to find out. With NIC Argentina you can look up .ar domains; for other domains, each registrar offers the public "whois" lookup.

When each one has to be renewed

• Domain: generally once a year. Put a reminder in your calendar two months before it expires.
• Hosting: according to the plan you hired (monthly or yearly). Check that your payment method does not expire.
• Security certificate: many hosting providers renew it automatically; ask whether that is the case for you.

An expired domain can have serious consequences: your website stops loading, your professional email may stop working and, after a while, someone else could register your address.

The details you need to keep

Put together a document (or a note in your password manager) with:

• The domain holder and the associated contact email.
• Where the domain is registered and which user is used to log in.
• Where the hosting is, the plan you hired and the renewal date.
• Who manages each service (you, your provider) and how to contact them.
• The expiry dates and how each service is paid.

Keep it somewhere you will find it even if your team changes. And use unique passwords and, if the service allows it, two-step verification. The technical details of how a domain is configured are in the guide on DNS records. And if you are going to connect your website to Google, the guide on Google Search Console needs access to the domain.

Warning signs

• Your provider registered the domain in its own name and does not give you access.
• You do not know where your website is hosted or who pays for it.
• Nobody warns you about expiry dates and the contact email of the domain belongs to someone who no longer works with you.
• They tell you that taking your website with you "is not possible" or that it has a disproportionate cost, with no explanation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I have the domain in one place and the hosting in another?

Yes, it is the most common setup. You only need to point the domain to the hosting with the right configuration.

What happens if I change hosting provider?

You can take your website with you and point the domain to the new place. It is worth planning it so that the site does not go down and you do not lose your email.

Does the hosting include the domain?

It depends on the provider. In Pixie's development plans, hosting is paid separately and the registration of a standard domain is included for the first year, subject to availability. In monthly maintenance the hosting is included.

What to do next

If you would like us to review whose name your domain is in and how your hosting is set up, get in touch. If you do not have a website yet, take a look at the plans and prices, and to understand all the costs involved, read how much a website costs in Argentina.