Due to their similarities, users frequently mix up hostnames with domain names. One is that both of them are essential parts of the DNS (domain name system). Both hostname vs domain name are also simple substitutes for intricate Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.
In web development, however, a domain name and hostname serve quite distinct purposes. The latter is concerned with the technical aspects; the former deals with website branding.
Have you ever thought about the difference between host name and domain name? Both of these contribute to your web address’s functionality. How, therefore, can entering that string of characters into an address bar lead to the appropriate online location?
Keep reading and exploring to learn which one you must choose between hostname or domain name. We will also discuss the main difference between host name and domain name in 2025.
Table of Contents
Hostname vs Domain Name: Definitions
Before getting into the difference between host name and domain name, let’s first understand the definitions of both terms.
What is a Hostname?
A device connected to a local network or the Internet is assigned a human-readable label, known as its hostname. By serving as a more approachable substitute for networking IP addresses, this name facilitates communication and identification among various devices on the same network. Any hostname, such as “DELL-Computer” or “House-Printer1,” can be assigned to a device.
Office settings and other large companies benefit greatly from hostnames. For instance, two of the 200 printers in your organization are not responding. Network managers can instantly identify which two printers are not responding by using hostnames, ensuring prompt troubleshooting and minimal downtime.
Hostnames provide a human-readable identifier for devices; hence, they are critical in network management, unlike numeric IP addresses that can be difficult to recall. For instance, “data” is the hostname in the hostname `data.example.com`, which designates a particular resource or device inside the “example.com” domain. That is why you must know the hostname vs domain name differences in 2025.
You can use the same hostname across several devices. In bigger networks, it’s crucial to manage or adjust such parameters to prevent confusion, even if this could be useful in some situations. In order to identify themselves on a network, devices such as PCs and Internet of Things devices like phones, security cameras, and even smart lightbulbs utilize hostnames. The hostname is the name you give a new device when you set it up, such as a computer or smart refrigerator.
What is a Domain Name?
A domain name is the one you type into a web browser to visit a website. For the complex numerical IP addresses computers use for online communication, it serves as a simple-to-recall replacement.
The Domain Name System (DNS), which acts as an online phone book, enables this conversion from domain name to IP address. By using memorable names rather than numeric values, private DNS servers allow you to visit websites by managing a domain name registry with their corresponding IP addresses. This method makes sure that people can navigate the Internet easily and effectively.
Unlike IP addresses, which are just a series of digits that only a genius could decipher, domain names are supposed to be recognizable to people. Conversely, IP addresses are used by computers connected to a network to identify and connect with one another.
The Temok site, for instance, has the IP address 216.198.79.1. When you wish to register your .com domain name, it’s somewhat difficult to remember. Something designed for people, like Temok.com, is much easier to remember.
Hostname vs Domain Name: Key Differences
Although both hostname vs domain name are crucial for designating websites and gadgets, these names have quite distinct structures and functions. The primary distinctions between a hostname and domain name are broken down as follows:
Hostname
A hostname, such as “webserver1,” designates a particular device within a local network, as we have already discussed. On the other hand, a domain name is the online address of a website.
Typically, a hostname consists of one name or a few phrases that describe the local host. A local DNS server that keeps mappings of often-used hostnames or host files, which are text files that manually map hostnames to IP addresses, is are common way for resolution—the process of turning a name into an IP address—to take place locally on your device or network.
Administrators assign and control hostnames locally within a network. They are mostly popular for device identification and communication within internal networks.
Domain Name
Labels are separated by dots in a hierarchical structure when registering a domain name. This is the main hostname vs domain name difference. From left to right, it consists of a TLD that indicates its category, an SLD, and an optional subdomain. The global DNS usually resolves domain name issues.
Your device makes communication with the DNS server it has set up. To determine if it already contains the IP address for a domain name, the DNS server looks through its cache. If it does, it gives your device its IP address.
The DNS server initiates a recursive search by querying other DNS servers on the Internet until it locates the allocated name server for the precise domain name if it does not already have the answer in its cache. The asking server receives the IP address from the name server, caches the data, and then returns it to your browser. Users can now access the website when the web browser receives the IP address.
They require payment and renewal in order for you to purchase the name, and they must have a registration through a domain provider such as Temok.com. Providing an address for websites to be seen and accessed online is their main function.
Also Read: How To Find Domain Name Owner in 3 Effective Ways
How a Hostname and Domain Name Work Together?
Although a domain name and a hostname have different functions for your company, they can cooperate in network addressing. This is how they go about it:
Fully Qualified Domain Names – FQDNs
A Fully Qualified Domain Name is a combination of a hostname with a domain name when the hostname has to become uniquely identifiable inside the larger Internet Domain Name System. This gives the full address of a particular device or service, such as “mail.example.com.” That is the main reason why hostname vs domain name work together.
Subdomains
Alternatively, one could add hostnames as subdomains inside a larger domain hierarchy. This allows for additional classification of a website or group. For example, “server1.my.company.com” uses “server1” as the hostname inside the “my” subdomain of the main domain “company.com.”
Local to Global Resolution
Your device initially determines if a resource is a local hostname before attempting to connect to it by name. It considers the name as a domain name and does a DNS query on the Internet to resolve it if it cannot be located locally using host files or a local DNS server.
Reverse DNS Lookups
Although names are usually mapped to IP addresses by hostnames and domain names, reverse DNS lookups are also possible. This makes it possible to convert an IP address back to a domain name (for public identification) or hostname (for local identification).
Setting Up a Network
Devices may have an FQDN for internet connectivity and a hostname for internal network identification. For example, a web server may be known on the local network as “yourwebserver,” yet on the Internet it may be accessed by the public as “www.yourwebsite.com.”
Systems for Email
Usernames and domain names work together in email addresses ([email protected]). Nevertheless, the email servers also have hostnames like mail.yoursite.com that function similarly to web servers within the domain.
Also Read: How To Make Money By Flipping Domain Names?
Hostname or Domain Name: Which One To Choose?
Hostname vs domain name has different but equally important functions in network administration and Internet architecture. Multiple devices can exist under the same domain since a hostname allows a device to be uniquely identified inside a network. Network management and organization need this, especially in bigger settings.
A domain name, on the other hand, functions as a human-readable address that produces websites and the resources, such as hostnames and subdomains, easily accessible.
Because they give people an easy method to browse the web without having to know numerical IP addresses, domain names are essential for branding and online accessibility. Hostnames and domain names work together to make networks and the Internet more effective and user-friendly.
Conclusion
Despite their apparent similarity, hostname vs domain name have different functions in web development and network administration.
In order to facilitate troubleshooting, hostnames are mostly popular to identify devices inside a network or the larger Internet. Conversely, domain names serve as a convenient means of accessing websites on the Internet. Furthermore, by offering a comprehensive and distinct address for online resources, FQDNs combine the two. In this blog, you have learned the hostname definition, hostname meaning, and the difference between host name and domain name.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What Is An Example Of A Hostname?
Examples include mail.google.com, www.example.com, or even more straightforward names like server1 or my-computer in a local network.
What Is The Difference Between A Domain And A Host?
Domain names mainly provide a web address, and hosting stores website files. You may customize your online appearance by investigating several premium domains and hosting choices, including shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting.
Is DNS The Same As Hostname?
No, a hostname and DNS (Domain Name System) are not the same thing. In order for computers on a network to recognize one another, DNS converts human-readable domain names—such as google.com—into numeric IP addresses. A hostname is a unique name that a system gives to a networking computer or device.
What Is The Difference Between Hostname And Fully Qualified Domain Name?
The fully qualified domain name consists of the hostname plus the domain name after it. The hostname is just the machine name.