Two building blocks are required to launch a website: a domain name and hosting. This guide explains what they are, how they differ, how they work together and which tools fit each layer.
What Is a Domain?
A domain name is your website's address on the internet. For example, veltstack.com is a domain name. Users type this address into their browser to reach your site. A domain is separate from hosting — you register the domain first, then connect it to a hosting service.
Domains are leased yearly through a registrar. Use Domain Search to check availability.
Think of domain and hosting in everyday terms
Like your home's street address; visitors type it in the browser.
It points them to the right hosting server — it does not host the site itself.
Like the building and everything inside; your site files live here.
Databases, images and email are all stored on the hosting server.
What Is Hosting?
Hosting is the server space where your site files live — HTML, CSS, images, databases. The domain sends visitors to the right address; hosting stores what's inside.
Evaluate hosting types against your project scale:
Shared Hosting
An economical start for WordPress and corporate sites. ixirhost packages include cPanel for file, database and email management in one panel.
VPS / Cloud
More resources and control for growing traffic or projects that need custom configuration.
Platform (Vercel)
Optimized for Next.js and static sites. Deploy via git push, automatic HTTPS and a global CDN. See Publishing on Vercel.
Single panel (ixirhost)
Domain registration, DNS, SSL and hosting from one provider; simpler management and support. Details: Why ixirhost?
How They Work Together
After buying a domain you point DNS records to your hosting server's IP address. Update A records or nameservers (NS) to connect the domain to hosting; once that's done, visitors who type your domain see the site on your host.
Practical tip
Buying domain and hosting from the same provider — for example ixirhost — simplifies DNS management. You can still connect different providers by updating A records or nameservers. For Next.js projects the domain can stay at ixirhost while deployment moves to Vercel; in that case you point nameservers to Vercel.
SSL is configured on the hosting or deploy platform so your site runs securely over https://.
ixirhost, cPanel and Vercel
These three tools are not competitors; each operates at a different layer:
- ixirhost: Manages infrastructure — domain registration, DNS, SSL and corporate email — in one panel.
- Vercel: The deploy platform where we ship Next.js and React code; the domain connects via DNS.
How to Buy a Domain
The domain purchase process is straightforward:
- Choose a domain namePick something short, easy to say and aligned with your brand. See our Choosing the Right Domain guide.
- Check availabilityUse Domain Search to see whether your name is free under extensions like .com, .com.tr or .net.
- Pick a registrarChoose a reliable provider with fair pricing and support. We use ixirhost in our projects.
- Complete purchase and plan renewalCreate an account and pay. Enable auto-renewal.
- Configure DNSPoint the domain to your hosting provider. Our migration guide helps with DNS updates.
Popular Domain Extensions
Extension choice directly affects brand perception. Compare common extensions below:
