What is a domain name?
A domain name is the readable address of your business online, such as yourbrand.pk or yourbrand.com. It is not your website or your hosting. It is the name that DNS turns into the numeric address of the server where your site or email lives.
Domain, website, URL and hosting are four different things
People often mix these up. Think of a shop. The domain is the shop's name on the signboard. The website is what customers see inside. Hosting is the rented building that holds it all. The URL is the full instruction for reaching one particular shelf.
So a domain can exist with no website at all. You can also change your hosting company without changing your domain. This is why it matters who holds the domain: if a developer registers the name in their own account, the name is theirs, not yours.
- Domain: yourbrand.pk
- URL: https://www.yourbrand.pk/contact, one exact page
- Website: the pages and images themselves
- Hosting: the computer that stores and serves them
How DNS turns a name into a server address
Computers find each other with numbers called IP addresses. People remember names. The Domain Name System, or DNS, links the two.
When someone types your domain, their device asks DNS where it points. DNS answers with the server's address, and the browser connects. This happens in the background.
The settings that tell DNS where to point are called DNS records. You edit them at your domain's control panel. If you move hosting, you usually change these records, not the domain itself.
Registry, registrar and registrant
Three roles appear in every domain. The registry keeps the master list for an extension. For .pk, that body is PKNIC, which IANA lists as the manager of the .pk country-code domain. For .com, a different registry runs the list.
A registrar is a company that sells domains to the public and sets its own prices. The registrant is you, the person or company who holds the name. The registrant must keep contact details correct.
We are neither a registry nor a registrar. We are a small Pakistani company that helps you buy, sell and register names. For .pk we file through PKNIC or a registrar, in your own name.
.pk and .com in practice
Take yourbrand.pk and yourbrand.com. They are two separate domains. Owning one gives you no claim on the other. A Lahore tailor might choose .pk to show a Pakistani base. An exporter selling abroad might prefer .com.
For .pk and .com.pk, PKNIC fixes the registrant name at registration, so the name you give must be right. 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.
Compare the options on /pk-vs-com-pk-vs-com/ or read about /pk-domain/ and /com-domain/ before you decide.
What to do before you choose a name
Keep it short, easy to say aloud, and free of confusing spellings. Check that the name is not too close to another business. Our /domain-name-rules/ page lists what is allowed, and /domain-name-ideas-pakistan/ can spark options.
Then check availability. Our /domains/ page searches live across extensions. If the name you want is already owned, browse the marketplace at /#browse, where owners sell existing domains and payment is held in escrow.
Always register in your own name, not your developer's or cousin's. The registrant is the owner in the record.
How we register a domain for you
Search your name on /domains/, then place an order on /order/. We register new domains in the customer's own name through PKNIC or a registrar. You pay in rupees by bank transfer, Raast, JazzCash or Easypaisa, and we handle sales on WhatsApp.
We aim to file the same working day the payment arrives. Unpaid orders cancel after 48 hours. If a name is taken before we file, you get a full refund.
See current rates on /pricing/ and /pk-domain-price/. Beginners can also read /guides/ for more plain-English help.
Common questions
Is a domain name the same as a website?
No. A domain is the address. A website is the content at that address, and it needs hosting. You can own a domain with no website yet.
Do I need hosting to buy a domain?
No. You can register a domain on its own and add hosting later. Hosting is only needed when you want to run a site or some email services.
Who owns a .pk domain?
The registrant named at registration. PKNIC fixes that name for .pk and .com.pk, so give your own or your company's name correctly.
How long can I register a .pk domain for?
The minimum is two years. PKNIC charges in two-year periods and allows payment for up to ten years.
What is the difference between .pk and .com?
.pk is Pakistan's country-code extension run by PKNIC. .com is a general extension with its own registry. They are separate names, so owning one does not give you the other.