What’s the Difference Between Web Hosting, Email Hosting, and Domain Hosting?
Web Hosting, Email Hosting, Domain Hosting: What’s What?
If you're setting up your online presence and finding all the tech terms a bit of a minefield, you're not alone.
I work with brilliant small business owners every day who ask things like:
“Do I need hosting if I use Squarespace?” or “What’s the difference between web hosting and domain hosting?”
So in this post, I’m breaking it all down - no jargon, no fluff - just a simple explanation of what each one is and how it fits into your setup.
Domain Hosting → Your Website’s Address
This is the name of your website - like yourbusiness.co.uk.
Think of it as the street address people type in to find you. You buy (or “register”) this from a domain registrar like Google Domains, GoDaddy, or 123 Reg.
A few key things to know:
Buying a domain doesn’t give you a website or email - it just gives you the name.
You own it for a year at a time (or longer), and you need to renew it to keep using it.
Web Hosting → Where Your Website Lives
This is the actual home of your website. It’s where all the files, images, and content are stored - and what makes your site show up when someone types in your domain.
If you're using a platform like Squarespace, the web hosting is already included in your subscription - no extra setup needed.
A few key things to know:
You always need web hosting for a website to exist online.
Some platforms bundle web hosting + a free domain (Squarespace does this in the first year).
Email Hosting → For Branded Email Like hello@yourdomain.com
If you want to send emails from a professional address instead of yourbusiness@gmail.com, you’ll need email hosting.
This is a separate service that powers your inbox. I usually recommend Google Workspace because it’s simple, familiar, and reliable - but there are other options like Zoho or Microsoft 365.
A few key things to know:
Your domain or website provider might offer email hosting, but it’s often very basic.
A dedicated email provider gives you better deliverability, control, and features.
Recap: The Hosting Trio
Here’s a simple way to think about the three types of hosting:
Do I Need All Three?
In most cases - yes.
But if you’re using a platform like Squarespace, the domain and web hosting are usually bundled. That means you just need to:
Register your domain (or connect an existing one)
Choose an email provider to manage your inbox
No need for juggling multiple platforms or piecing things together. It can all be set up cleanly and quickly - especially when you know what to look for.
Want to Avoid the Tech Juggle?
If figuring out domains, hosting, email, and all the moving parts is giving you a headache - I get it. I help small business owners like you set up everything from scratch or clean up what’s already there. We sort it all in a day so you can feel confident your website and systems are working beautifully behind the scenes.
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Hi I'm Angela
As a Squarespace web designer and digital systems expert I am passionate about keeping life (and work) as simple as possible.
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