Domain vs hosting: what is the difference?

What a domain does

A domain is a name that people can read and remember. Computers use number addresses to find each other, and the domain name system links your name to the right number. That link is how a visitor typing your name ends up at your site.

The domain is also used for email, such as info@yourbusiness.pk. It is your identity online, so it should be registered in your own name. If you are still choosing one, try /domains/ to search any extension or /ideas/ for name ideas.

What hosting does

Hosting is a server that stays connected to the internet all day. It keeps your web pages, photos, forms and any shop software, and sends them to visitors on request.

Think of it like a shop. The domain is the signboard and address. Hosting is the building and shelves. A signboard with no building leads nowhere, and a building with no address is hard to find.

• Domain: the address, renewed for set terms, registered in your name
• Hosting: the storage and server, rented from a hosting company
• Website builder plans often bundle hosting, so check what yours includes

Why you need both

Without a domain, visitors would need a long technical address of numbers or a provider's sub-address. Without hosting, your domain has nothing to show.

Many Pakistani freelancers and small shops start with a social page and add a website later. When you do, secure the domain first so your name is safe, then pick hosting or a builder that suits your size. See /guides/ for beginner help and /domain-name-rules/ for what a valid name looks like.

Buying them separately

You can buy both from one company, or from two. Buying separately is common, and it keeps the name in your hands even if you change hosting later.

At SastiDomains we only deal with the domain side. We check availability live and register new domains in your own name through PKNIC or a registrar, and our marketplace lets owners sell existing names with payment held in escrow. You pay in rupees by bank transfer, Raast, JazzCash or Easypaisa. Start at /register-pk-domain/ or /buy-domain/.

Costs and rules for .pk names

For .pk and .com.pk, PKNIC fixes the registrant name at registration, so give the correct owner name at the start. The minimum term is two years. PKNIC's fee is Rs 2,100 per year for Pakistan-based registrants from 1 August 2026, and USD 15.99 per year for overseas ones.

Hosting is a separate bill from a separate company. See /pk-domain-price/ and /pricing/ for our domain figures, and /pk-vs-com-pk-vs-com/ to pick an extension.

Moving hosting without losing the domain

Your domain and your hosting are separate, so you can move the site and keep the name. Set up the new host first and copy your files. Then change the domain's DNS settings, usually the nameservers or address records, to point at the new host.

Keep the old hosting running until the new site works. Moving hosting does not move the domain. Changing the domain's registrar is a different job called a transfer. For generic names such as .com, ICANN's transfer policy lets a registrar deny a transfer requested within 60 days of registration, and the holder can ask for an authorisation code, which the registrar must supply or let them generate. For .pk names, see /pk-domain-transfer/.

Common questions