Web Development
What is website hosting and what do I need?
Quick answer
Website hosting is the service that stores your site's files on a server and delivers them to visitors over the internet — without it, your site has nowhere to live. At a minimum you need hosting plus a domain name (your web address) and an SSL certificate for a secure https connection. The right type of hosting depends on how big and busy your site is.
There are a few common types. Shared hosting puts many small sites on one server and is cheap and fine for simple websites. VPS and cloud hosting (on platforms like AWS, Google Cloud or Vercel) give more power and scale with your traffic, suiting busier or custom-built sites. Managed WordPress hosting handles updates and backups for you. Modern static and JAMstack sites can often run on platforms like Vercel, Netlify or Cloudflare with generous free tiers.
Alongside hosting you need a domain name, registered separately and renewed yearly, and an SSL certificate (now usually free and automatic) so your site loads over https. It is also worth confirming you get regular backups, whether included or added on.
In India, basic shared hosting typically costs a few thousand rupees a year and a domain roughly ₹700–₹1,500 a year, while cloud hosting scales with usage. Whatever you choose, make sure the domain and hosting accounts are registered in your own name so you fully own and control them — never let an agency hold them hostage.
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