Domain and hosting: what they are, what they cost and how to choose well for your website

Published on October 28, 2026 · The mitza.es team

To have a website you need two things: an address (the domain) and a place where the files live (the hosting). They're often bought together, which is why people confuse them, but they're different products with different risks. Understanding the difference avoids two very common problems: the domain ending up in someone else's name and the hosting falling short when the site grows.

What a domain is

A domain is your website's name on the internet, such as mitza.es: what you type into the browser and what appears in your business email. It's made up of the name (mitza) and the extension (.es, .com, .eu…). It's registered for periods of one or more years and you have to renew it so you don't lose it.

What hosting is

Hosting (or web hosting) is the server where your website's files, its database and, if you include it, your email are stored. When someone types your domain, the DNS system directs them to the server and the server delivers the page. Without hosting, the domain leads nowhere; without a domain, you'd have only a numeric address that's hard to remember.

The difference between domain and hosting

• Domain: the name. You pay for it once a year and you register it with a registrar.
• Hosting: the space and the computing power. You pay monthly or annually and you can switch provider without changing domain.
• DNS: the “address book” that links the two. It's managed at the registrar or at the hosting provider, and whoever controls the DNS controls where the domain points and where the email goes.

They can be bought from the same company or from different ones. Keeping them separate gives you more freedom (you change hosting without touching the domain), although it takes a bit more management.

Most important: the domain must be in your name

It's the most expensive mistake and the easiest to avoid. If the agency or the “IT friend” registers the domain in their name, the legal owner of your website is someone else, and you might have to negotiate to get it back if you change provider. Insist that the holder is your company or you, with your email and your details, and keep the registrar credentials and the transfer code (EPP/AUTH) somewhere safe. Ownership can be checked by looking the domain up in the registration data services (RDAP) of the relevant registry, which sometimes hide some personal data for privacy.

How much a domain costs

The price depends on the extension and the registrar. As a guide, according to several registrars' websites consulted in October 2026, a .es domain usually runs around €6–10 a year (plus VAT), with first-year deals below that and more expensive renewals. A .com tends to cost somewhat more, and trendy or specific extensions, quite a bit more.

What matters isn't the launch price but the renewal price, and whether they charge extras for features that should be standard (holder privacy, DNS management, transfer). The price of .es domains includes a part set by the official registry (Red.es), so differences between registrars usually aren't huge.

How much hosting costs

It varies enormously by type. A basic shared hosting plan can cost a few euros a month; a VPS or a dedicated server, quite a bit more; and managed hosting for WordPress or stores, an intermediate range with more support. As with everything, the lowest price usually implies limits (visits, resources, backups) and more expensive renewals. To estimate a project's total cost, see how it fits into your website budget.

Types of hosting

• Shared hosting: many websites share one server. Cheap and enough for small sites with little traffic; if a neighboring site uses a lot of resources, it can affect yours.
• Managed WordPress hosting: hosting optimized for WordPress, with updates, backups and security already included. It costs more and saves work.
• VPS (virtual private server): resources reserved for you and control of the system. It requires knowledge or someone to administer it.
• Dedicated server: a whole machine for your project. For heavy loads or specific requirements.
• Cloud: resources that scale with demand and are paid per use. Useful for sites with traffic peaks; you'll find the context in our guide to cloud computing for small businesses.

What hosting your website needs

• Presentation website or small blog: quality shared hosting or managed WordPress.
• Online store: a plan with more resources, daily backups and good support, because an outage in the middle of a campaign costs you sales (see the full cost in how much an online store costs).
• Custom application or high-traffic website: VPS or cloud, with someone to administer it.

What to check before buying hosting

1. Server location (preferably in Spain or the European Union, for speed and for data protection).
2. Automatic backups, how often they run and whether you can restore them yourself.
3. SSL certificate included and its automatic renewal (certificates last less and less: we explain it in this article on SSL/TLS).
4. Current version of PHP and of the databases, and whether they get updated.
5. Real resource limits (CPU, memory, processes) and not just disk space.
6. Support in your language and the hours it answers.
7. Renewal price and cancellation terms.
8. Security measures: firewall, protection against attacks, isolation between accounts.
9. How easy it is to export your website and your data if you ever leave.

Domain, email and DNS: how they relate

Email on your domain (name@yourcompany.es) works thanks to DNS records, specifically MX records. If you change hosting or email provider, those records need to be updated carefully so you don't lose messages. If you're going to use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, first read our comparison of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Changing hosting without losing rankings

A well-done move doesn't affect SEO; an improvised one can wipe out weeks of work. The key steps:

1. Make a full backup (files and database) before touching anything.
2. Set up the site on the new hosting and test it before changing the DNS.
3. Lower the DNS TTL a couple of days before the switch so it propagates quickly.
4. Keep the same URLs (or redirect with 301 the ones that change) and check the robots file and the sitemap.
5. Check SSL, email and forms after the switch.
6. Don't cancel the old hosting until you've confirmed everything works and that Google crawls the site without errors.

Security and maintenance: hosting doesn't do it all

Good hosting reduces risk, but it doesn't replace keeping your website's system (WordPress, plugins, themes) up to date or making your own backups. Many attacks exploit outdated plugins, as we explain in our analysis of a critical WordPress vulnerability. To know what a good website care service includes, see website maintenance: what it includes and what it costs, and remember that backups should follow the 3-2-1 rule.

Common mistakes with domain and hosting

• Leaving the domain in the name of the agency, the developer or an employee.
• Forgetting to renew it and losing it: turn on auto-renewal and use an email address you check.
• Buying only on the first-year price, without looking at the renewal.
• Hosting a store on the cheapest plan and discovering the limits in the middle of a campaign.
• Having no backups of your own, relying only on the hosting provider's.
• Changing hosting without planning the DNS and the email.

How we can help at Mitza

We put your domain in your name, choose the hosting to suit the project and configure it with SSL, backups and email. If you're planning a new website, see our guide to what a corporate website should have, or get in touch from the contact page.