What is hosting, what is a domain, and why hosting is free with us

“The site is ready, but you need hosting and a domain.” For someone who does not deal with this, the sentence sounds like an extra fee for something vague. Here is what the two words mean, what they usually cost and why we decided to make hosting a gift.

The domain is the address

The domain is the name people type into the browser: your-business.com or .co.uk. It is rented yearly from a registrar, usually for €15–25 a year depending on the ending. Important: the domain must be registered in your name or your company's name, never the agency's. It is your brand on the internet and it must belong to you.

Hosting is where the website lives

A website is files: texts, photos, code. They have to sit on a computer that runs 24 hours a day and is connected to the internet, so that anyone can open them. That computer is called a server, and the service of keeping your files there is called hosting. It is usually paid monthly or yearly: from €3–5 a month for the simplest option to tens of euros for busier sites.

The domain is the sign with the address. Hosting is the building. The website is what is inside.

Why hosting is free with us

The websites we build are made the modern way: they are fast, light and do not need a heavy server with a database for every page load. So we host them on a modern platform where the cost of one business website is so small that charging for it makes no sense. Instead of sending you a €5 invoice every month and wasting both our time, we include it in the build price once and for all.

• No monthly fees for a server.
• Fast loading worldwide, because the site is served from a network of servers close to the visitor.
• Security: HTTPS certificate, automatic updates, no plugins that need patching.
• No catch. The domain stays yours, the code is yours. If you ever decide to move the site elsewhere, you get all the files.

What you still pay

Only the domain, around €15–25 a year, directly to the registrar, in your name. If the site has specific needs such as sending thousands of emails or taking online payments, those services have their own pricing, which we discuss upfront and write into the quote. No surprises after launch, a principle we also described in how to choose a web agency.

What happens to your current hosting

If you already have a website and pay for hosting you use for nothing else, you can cancel it once the new site is live. We help with moving the domain and with the settings so there is no downtime. Just do not cancel the old hosting before the new site is working.