I answer this question quite often, also, so hopefully this article will help to clarify what website hosting is. Website hosting (aka hosting) is much different than a domain name, though they’re very closely related.
As I discuss in the above article, a domain name is simply a name, registered via an authorized registrar. An A Record beneath the domain points to an IP address, and that IP address routes to some computer located somewhere in the world and connected to the internet.
This computer is your host. Also known as a server or web server, this machine is responsible for storing and serving your website files to people who visit your website.
Host computers (aka hosts) vary greatly in performance, speed, and versatility. Most websites’ hosts run Unix-based operating systems. Others may Windows and IIS, which stands for Internet Information Systems.
Windows based servers
A Windows server is simply a computer that runs a flavor of Microsoft Windows, ranging from Windows 98 to XP to Vista. The operating system (Windows) isn’t the one doing most of the work, though. IIS is actually responsible for accepting requests for a web page and serving responses for that web page. IIS is a web server software.
Unix based servers
On the other hand, the majority of host machines are Unix-based, and most often run a Linux operating system. Linux comes in many flavors, including some of these popular ones:
There of course more, but these operating systems are very commonly encountered.
Linux-based servers still run a core that’s based on an old (but very solid) operating system (OS) called Unix. You may encounter the term **nix* OS. This term applies to any OS that’s based on Unix, including Mac OS X, Linux, and others.
Most *nix servers run web server software called Apache. Apache is by far the most widely used web server software. Like Microsoft’s IIS, Apache is the one responsible for responding to requests for web pages.
How to get hosting
There are many companies that offer hosting, and if you’re searching, you’ll probably easily come across thousands. Many domain registrars additionally offer hosting services. Lots of these companies offer SSL certificates, email solutions, and other services.
Using one company to manage your domain names, hosting accounts, certificates, and other products is a great way to keep everything centralized and easy to find. Of course, there’s the risk that the company’s site goes down or goes out of business, but I think the benefit of keeping everything centralized is worth that risk.
While you’re shopping for a host, I highly recommend you check potential hosts on Host Jury, a great host review site! Check the host’s rating on Host Jury before you sign up!