Domain name and hosting, explained: how to buy a domain name, what it costs, what to avoid

You have a name for your business and you want it on the internet: yourshop.in, with an email to match. Then come the words: domain, hosting, DNS, SSL, registrar, renewal. And a ₹1 offer that seems too good to be true.

This guide explains a domain name and hosting in plain words: what each one is, how to buy a domain name in India, what both cost after the offer ends, and the mistakes that cost small businesses their own address.

Domain name and hosting: what is the difference?

Think of your website as a shop.

Part	What it is	Example	Paid
Domain name	The address people type	meenatailors.in	Every year
Hosting	The building where the site lives	A server at a hosting company	Every month or year
DNS	The signboard that points the address to the building	Set up at your registrar	Free
SSL	The padlock that keeps the connection private	https://	Free with most hosting

You can buy the domain and the hosting from the same company or from two different ones. Keeping the domain at a separate registrar makes it easier to change hosting later without touching your address.

How to buy a domain name in India

1. Pick the name. Short, easy to say on the phone, no hyphens, close to your business name. Add your town if the name is taken: meenatailorsmadurai.in.
2. Pick the ending. A .in tells people you are Indian and local; .com is global and widely known. Recognised schools and colleges can use edu.in or ac.in (see our school website guide).
3. Check it is free. Search on a registrar’s site. For .in, the registry’s own site lists the accredited registrars and their prices.
4. Buy from an accredited registrar. The .in registry (run by NIXI) does not sell names itself; you complete the registrar’s KYC with your own details.
5. Use your own name and email as the registrant, and keep the login safe.
6. Turn on auto-renew and add a card or reminder.

The person named as the registrant controls the domain. If a designer buys it in their own name, ask for it to be moved to yours in writing, today.

How much does a domain cost in India?

A .in or .com domain usually costs about ₹500 to ₹1,500 a year, depending on the registrar. Many registrars sell the first year cheaply. On Hostinger’s India domain page (checked 18 October 2026), .in showed ₹1 for the first year against ₹899, and .com ₹1 against ₹1,499. The offer is fine to take, as long as you plan for the normal price from year two.

Beware “premium” names priced in thousands, and add-ons you do not need: “SEO packages”, extra endings to “protect” your name. One good domain is enough for most small businesses.

What is web hosting, and how much does it cost?

Hosting is rented space on a server that is always on, so your site loads whenever someone opens it. For a small business site, shared hosting is enough: about ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 a year (Hostinger’s 2026 cost guide). Busy online shops need more and pay more.

The trap is the term and the renewal. On Hostinger’s India hosting page (checked 18 October 2026), a plan shown at ₹69 a month needs 48 months paid upfront and renews at ₹289 a month. That pattern is common across hosts.

Read the renewal line before the offer. The offer lasts one term; the renewal lasts as long as your business.

What to look for in hosting:

• Free SSL and daily or weekly backups.
• A data centre in or near India, so pages load fast here.
• Support you can reach, and the option to leave without fees.
• Email, if you want you@yourshop.in without a separate plan.

Who owns the domain? Mistakes to avoid

Take Meena, who runs a tailoring unit in Madurai (an example). Her first designer bought meenatailors.in in his own name and email. Two years later he stopped answering calls, the domain expired, and her site and email went down in the middle of the wedding season. Getting it back took weeks.

Avoid what happened to her:

1. Registrant = you. Check the registrant name and email in your registrar account (or ask the registrar).
2. You hold the logins. Your designer can be added as a user; the account stays yours.
3. Auto-renew on, with a card that will not expire before the renewal date.
4. Keep your email current on the domain account; renewal notices and transfer codes go there.
5. Move with the auth code. To change registrar, ask the current one for the transfer code. For .com and other generic domains, ICANN rules say it must be given within five days; a registrar may block a move in the first 60 days after registration or a transfer.

For the full cost of a site beyond the domain and hosting, read website cost in India. If you would rather hand all of this over, see our services; whoever sets it up, ask for the domain in your name.

Questions

What is the difference between a domain name and hosting?

The domain name is your website’s address, like yourshop.in. Hosting is the server space where the website’s files live. You need both: the domain points visitors to the hosting.

How do I buy a domain name in India?

Search for the name on an accredited registrar’s site, or on the .in registry’s site, which lists registrars and prices. Pick a registrar, complete its KYC with your own name and email, pay, and turn on auto-renew.

How much does a domain cost in India?

About ₹500 to ₹1,500 a year for a .in or .com, depending on the registrar. First-year offers can be as low as ₹1, but the renewal is charged at the normal price.

Can I buy a domain name permanently?

No. Domains are registered for a period, usually a year at a time, and must be renewed. Paying for several years at once and turning on auto-renew is the closest you get to owning it for good.

Can I get a domain name for free?

Some hosting plans include a free domain for the first year, and website builders offer free addresses that carry their own name. A domain of your own that you keep and renew costs about ₹500 to ₹1,500 a year.

Do I need separate hosting if I use a website builder?

No. Website builders include hosting in their plan. You still need a domain name, which some plans include for the first year.

What happens if my domain expires?

Your website and any email on that domain stop working. Most registrars give a short period to renew; after that, getting it back may cost a redemption fee, and if it is released, anyone can buy it.