Every website you visit is stored on a computer somewhere, and that computer is connected to the internet all day, every day. Web hosting is the service that gives your website a place on one of those computers, so that anyone who types in your address can see it.<\/p>\n
This guide explains web hosting in plain terms: what it is, how it works, how it differs from a domain name, the main types of hosting and who each one suits, what to check before you choose a plan, and the mistakes beginners often make. It ends with a short step list for getting your first site online and answers to common questions.<\/p>\n
A website is a collection of files: text, images, code and usually a database that holds things like blog posts, products or orders. For other people to see those files, they need to sit on a server<\/strong>, which is a powerful computer built to stay switched on and connected to the internet around the clock.<\/p>\n A web hosting company owns or rents these servers, keeps them in data centres, and rents space and computing power on them to you. In return for a monthly or yearly fee, the host looks after the hardware, the power, the network connection, the server software and the security updates.<\/p>\n A simple way to picture it: if your website were a shop, the hosting would be the building the shop sits in. Your domain name (such as A common belief is that registering a domain name is enough to put a website online. It isn’t. A domain is only a name. Without hosting, there is nothing for that name to point to, and visitors will see an error or a holding page.<\/p>\n You can build a website on your own computer, but nobody else can see it until it is uploaded to a server that is publicly reachable. In theory you could run your own server at home, but you would need a capable machine, an operating system such as Linux or Windows, a reliable fast internet connection, backup power, and the skills to install, secure and repair it all yourself. For almost everyone, renting space from a host is cheaper and far less work.<\/p>\n A host also deals with the back-end problems, such as failed drives, network faults and server updates, so you can focus on your website.<\/p>\n Hosting servers live in data centres: buildings designed to keep computers cool, powered and connected, with backup generators and several internet connections. Each server has a processor (CPU), memory (RAM), storage space and a network connection. Your hosting plan decides how much of those resources your website is allowed to use.<\/p>\n Computers on the internet find each other using numbers called IP addresses, which are hard for people to remember. The Domain Name System (DNS)<\/strong> is the internet’s address book. It matches a name like When you buy hosting, your host gives you nameservers<\/strong>: the addresses of the DNS servers that hold the records for your domain. You set your domain to use those nameservers, and from then on your host’s DNS tells the world where your website and email live.<\/p>\n All of this usually takes a second or two. How fast it happens depends partly on the hosting: the speed of the server, its storage, and how far it is from your visitors.<\/p>\n People often confuse the two because they are frequently bought from the same company. They are separate services:<\/p>\n You need both for a working website, and you can buy them from the same provider or from different ones. If they are separate, you connect them by pointing the domain at your host’s nameservers. Our article on the difference between web hosting and a domain name<\/a> covers this in more detail, and if you don’t have a domain yet, see how to choose a domain name<\/a> and how to buy a domain name<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hosting types differ in how many websites share a server, how much control you get, and how much of the technical work the host does for you.<\/p>\n Many websites share one server and its resources. Because the cost of the server is split between many customers, this is the cheapest option. The host handles all the server management, and you manage your site through a control panel. It suits most personal sites, blogs and small business websites. The trade-off is that resources are limited per account, so very busy or demanding sites can outgrow it. Read more in what is meant by shared hosting<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is hosting set up specifically for WordPress, a popular system for building and managing websites. It usually includes one-click installation, server settings tuned for WordPress, caching (storing ready-made copies of pages so they load faster), and support staff who know WordPress. Managed plans also handle updates, backups and security, and often include a staging site<\/strong>: a private copy of your site where you can test changes before making them live.<\/p>\n Reseller hosting lets you buy a larger amount of hosting and divide it into separate accounts for other people, often under your own brand. It suits web designers and agencies who want to host their clients’ websites. See the reseller hosting guide<\/a> if this applies to you.<\/p>\n A virtual private server (VPS) is one physical server split into several virtual servers. Each one has its own guaranteed share of CPU, RAM and storage, and behaves like a separate machine. You get more power and control than shared hosting, but on an unmanaged VPS you are responsible for setting up, updating and securing the server yourself.<\/p>\n You rent a whole physical server for yourself. Nobody else’s websites share its resources, and you can configure it however you need. It suits large, high-traffic sites or businesses with specific software or compliance requirements. It costs more and needs technical skill or a paid management service.<\/p>\n Your site runs on a group of connected servers rather than one machine. If one server has a problem, another can take over, and resources can be added when traffic rises. It suits sites with traffic that goes up and down sharply. Usage-based pricing can make costs harder to predict.<\/p>\nyourbusiness.co.za<\/code>) would be the street address that tells people where to find it.<\/p>\nWhy a website needs hosting<\/h2>\n
How web hosting works<\/h2>\n
Servers and data centres<\/h3>\n
Domain names and DNS<\/h3>\n
yourbusiness.co.za<\/code> to the IP address of the server where your website is stored.<\/p>\nWhat happens when someone visits your site<\/h3>\n
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Hosting and a domain name are not the same thing<\/h2>\n
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The main types of web hosting<\/h2>\n
Shared hosting<\/h3>\n
WordPress and managed WordPress hosting<\/h3>\n
Reseller hosting<\/h3>\n
VPS hosting<\/h3>\n
Dedicated servers<\/h3>\n
Cloud hosting<\/h3>\n
Comparing the types<\/h3>\n