What is website hosting

Lesson 2 of 12, 5 min

About this lesson

Summary

Hosting is the building where your website lives. Learn what it does and why it costs money.

Follow along

Steps

Think of hosting as a shop unit. Your website files sit inside it, ready for visitors.
A host is a computer that is switched on all day, every day, so your website is always open.
Hosting is a monthly or yearly cost, like rent.
There are three main types of hosting, called shared, managed and static. Each one suits a different kind of website.

In writing

In a few words

Hosting is where your website lives. Your website is a set of files, such as pages, pictures and text. Those files need to sit on a computer that is switched on all day and every day, so anyone can visit at any time. That computer is called a host, and you pay a small fee to rent space on it, a bit like renting a shop unit.

Words explained

Hosting: renting space on a computer so your website is always open.

Host: the company that looks after that computer for you.