If you plan to create an online presence for your business, hobby, or writing, you’ll need both a domain name and website hosting. In this guide, we’ll explain what each is and how they work together.
In this guide
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Ask our AI assistantA domain name is your website’s address. When you create a site on WordPress.com, you automatically receive a free subdomain (e.g., yourgroovysite.wordpress.com). For a unique identity, you can add a custom domain name without the WordPress name in the address (e.g., yourgroovydomain.com).
A domain name is what appears in a browser’s address bar when someone visits your site. It’s also what you will share with people so they can access your website.
You can register a domain name on WordPress.com or connect or transfer a domain name you already own to your WordPress.com site. Learn all about domains here.
Web hosting is where all your website’s files, images, and content are stored. Without hosting, your website wouldn’t be accessible online. When you sign up for hosting, you’re giving your website a home, so visitors can find it by typing your domain name into their browser. Hosting is what makes your website “live” and available to the world.
You can host your site on WordPress.com and select a hosting plan that best suits your needs — WordPress.com is a hosting service and a website builder all in one. Learn all about hosting on WordPress.com.
A domain name is the address of your website, guiding people to your site when they type it into a browser. Hosting, on the other hand, is where all the files, images, and content of your site are stored.
You need both: the domain name to point to your site and website hosting to keep your content accessible. Though they work together, they are separate services.
On WordPress.com, you can purchase both. Our annual and multi-year hosting plans include a free domain name for the first year. After that, you’ll have two subscriptions: one for hosting and one for your domain name.
