Hostname vs Domain Name: What’s the Difference? [With Example]

Hostnames and domain names – even if you don’t know the difference (yet!), one thing is for sure:

https://142.250.279.1174

…is not as easy to remember as:

google.com

…yet as far as a computer is concerned, they’re both the same thing, and typing either of them into your browser’s address bar will take you to the right page.

The thing is, as humans we don’t find it too easy to remember long numbers.

Many years ago those of us of a certain age remembered dozens of phone numbers off by heart. But these days, who needs to even remember phone numbers, when you can just click someone’s name, or profile picture?

Hostnames and domain names are a little like that – a way for us carbon-based lifeforms to remember and recognise places we want to go on the web more easily than using long strings of meaningless numbers.

We can leave the strings of numbers to our silicon-based overlords! It’s what they do best, after all.

But although we might prefer to enter a hostname or domain name, that still needs to be converted into the underlying number (just as clicking on the photo of your Great Auntie Mable will result in your phone converting that request into her phone number, with dialing code).

In this post, we will take a look at the two methods used by computers to convert hostnames and domain names to and from IP addresses – the strings of numbers like the example above.

We will also discuss the pros and cons of both hostnames and domain names to help you decide which one is right for you.

Let’s get started, carbon-based lifeforms!

What are Host Names?

A hostname is a human-readable label assigned to a device on a network, and it serves as a more user-friendly alternative to IP addresses, allowing easier identification and communication between devices.

A hostname is local to your computer, and so you can set it to pretty much anything you want.

Yes, you could give a hostname to your computer such as ‘Johns-Main-Computer’, or ‘Sara-Laptop-New’, or even ‘PC-Next-To-Cat-Bed’.

Just as more than two people can have the same name, more than two computers can have the same hostname as well.

In case you have two computers next to the cat bed.

You might have already configured a hostname without knowing it. When you set up a new computer or deploy a new server in the cloud, you are asked to provide a name for this computer – this is the hostname.

Hostnames are not just limited to computers. Phones, IoT devices such as security cameras, headphones, refrigerator, and lightbulbs – all show a name in their respective interface – this is their hostname.

Tip: Read our post to learn How to Set or Change System Hostname in Linux.

Hostnames can take various forms depending on the context and network setup. Here are some examples:

1. Simple hostnames:
   • webserver01
   • database-master
   • loadbalancer
2. Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs):
   • www.example.com
   • mail.google.com
   • api.github.com
3. Internal hostnames:
   • jenkins.internal
   • monitoring.corp.local
   • git.dev.company

How To Check Hostname on Linux

If you are using Linux, it is extremely easy to check the hostname of your computer using the command line.

Just type in hostname in the terminal and it will show you your hostname:

Suggested read: What is DNS & How Does It Work? Everything You Need to Know. 

Advantages of Hostnames

There are several reasons why people use hostnames on their devices:

1. Human-readable: Hostnames are easier to remember and use than IP addresses, making system administration more intuitive.
2. Flexibility: Hostnames can be changed without altering the underlying IP address, allowing for more flexible network management.
3. Abstraction: They provide a layer of abstraction between the network infrastructure and the services running on it, making it easier to move services between different physical or virtual machines.
4. Security: Hostnames can obscure the actual network structure, potentially improving security by not exposing IP addresses directly.
5. Integration with DNS: Hostnames integrate seamlessly with DNS, enabling automatic resolution to IP addresses.

Drawbacks of Hostnames

While there aren’t many drawbacks, there are a few things that you should be aware of:

1. Maintenance overhead: In large networks, maintaining and updating hostname records can become complex and time-consuming.
2. Potential for conflicts: In environments without proper management, duplicate hostnames can cause conflicts and connectivity issues.
3. Performance impact: Resolving hostnames to IP addresses introduces a small latency compared to using IP addresses directly.

Are Hostnames and Usernames The Same on Linux?

No, the hostname and username are not the same on Linux systems. They serve different purposes:

Aspect	Hostname	Username
Definition	Name assigned to the entire Linux machine or system	Name associated with a specific user account on the Linux system
Purpose	Identifies the device on a network	Identifies individual users who can log in to and use the system
Scope	System-wide	User-specific
Uniqueness	One per system	Multiple can exist on a single system
Viewing Command	hostname	whoami (for current user) or cat /etc/passwd (for all users)
Setting/Changing	Usually set during system installation or by system administrators	Created when adding new users, can be changed with usermod command
Storage Location	Typically in /etc/hostname	User information stored in /etc/passwd
Used For	Network identification, system configuration	User authentication, file ownership, access control
Impact of Change	Affects entire system and potentially network configuration	Only affects the specific user account
Examples	ubuntu-server, dev-machine-01, webserver-prod	john, alice, admin, root
Relation to Login	Not directly used for login (except in network authentication)	Used to log in to the system
Relation to Home Directory	No direct relation	Each username typically has an associated home directory (e.g., /home/username)

What are Domain Names?

Similar to a hostname, a domain name is a human-readable address used to identify and locate specific websites or resources on the internet.

However, there is one key distinction – they are unique.

Only one person can have access to one domain name at a time, and this access is managed using domain registrars who charge a yearly fee for this service.

Domain names serve as a user-friendly alternative to IP addresses by providing a memorable and meaningful way to access online resources. They are a crucial component of the Domain Name System (DNS), which translates domain names into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the network.

While almost anything can be a hostname, there are certain rules that you must follow for registering a domain name.

You must pick from one of the existing Top-Level Domains (TLDs)

Top-Level Domains (TLDs) are the extensions at the end of website addresses, such as .com, or .gov.

Only the extremely large companies with very deep pockets such as Canon or CERN have the resources to make their own TLD – the rest of us must use one of the publicly available TLDs.

There are many TLDs available for you to choose from, including:

1. Common TLDs: .com, .org, .net
2. Newer TLDs: .app, .blog, .shop, .io
3. Country Code TLDs (ccTLDs): .us (United States), .uk (United Kingdom), .de (Germany)
4. Sponsored TLDs (sTLDs): .edu (educational institutions), .gov (U.S. government)
5. Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs): münchen.de (German), 例子.中国 (Chinese), مثال.مصر (Arabic), उदाहरण.भारत (Hindi), and many more.

You must follow the structure and syntax for your TLD

When you use a domain name, you are limited by the specifications set by your TLD registrar. While these restrictions vary, usually you must follow the following guidelines:

1. Length: A domain name can be up to 253 characters long, including the TLD.
2. Labels: Each part separated by dots is called a label, and can be up to 63 characters long.
3. Characters:
   • Use only letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and hyphens (-).
   • Domain names are case-insensitive.
   • Cannot start or end with a hyphen.
   • Cannot have two consecutive hyphens, except for Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) using Punycode.
   • Some TLDs (but not all) allow using emoticons such as 🎉 💀 💚 in the domain name

Suggested read: How To Speed Up DNS Propagation | The Ultimate Guide 

Advantages of Domain Names

We see domain names everywhere, and here’s why people love them so much:

1. User-friendly: Domain names are easy to remember and type, making it simple for users to access websites and online services.
2. Branding: They provide a powerful branding tool, allowing businesses and individuals to create a unique online identity.
3. Flexibility: Domain names can be pointed to different IP addresses or services, allowing for easy migration or load balancing of web services.
4. Email functionality: Domain names enable the creation of custom email addresses, enhancing professional communication and brand consistency.
5. SEO benefits: A well-chosen domain name can improve search engine optimization and visibility online.

Suggested read: How To Flush DNS Cache — A Full Guide 

Drawbacks of Domain Names

Using a domain name is not all sunshine and rainbows – let’s see why:

1. Cost: Domain names require registration and renewal fees, which can be significant for premium or highly sought-after names.
2. Availability: Many desirable domain names are already taken, limiting choices for new websites or businesses. Although most domains cost ~$10/year some people end up paying thousands of dollars just for acquiring the domain. In July 2024, an AI company spent $1,800,000 just to acquire a domain name for their website.
3. Management overhead: There is a reason why nixCraft has posted a haiku about DNS. Maintaining and renewing domain names requires ongoing attention and administration – and it can be challenging. Even big tech companies such as Meta struggle with DNS.
4. Security concerns: Domain names can be targets for hijacking or spoofing attacks, requiring additional security measures. It is an old protocol which was developed at a time when security was not as important because very few people had access to the internet.
5. Dependency on registrars: The availability and control of a domain name depends on the reliability and policies of domain registrars. Even the tech giants such as Google forget to renew their domain names, and if you forget to renew your domain, someone else might snatch it and you may lose it forever.

Suggested read: Cloudflare DNS for RunCloud (Security & Performance) 

Hostname vs Domain Name – Comparison Table

Aspect	Hostname	Domain Name
Definition	A label assigned to a device on a network	A human-readable address for locating and identifying computer services and devices on the internet
Primary Purpose	Identify specific devices within a network	Provide a memorable address for websites and online services
Scope	Local to a network or organization	Global across the entire internet
Uniqueness	Must be unique within a network	Must be globally unique
Format	Can be simple labels (e.g., webserver01)	Hierarchical structure (e.g., www.example.com)
Resolution	Typically resolved to IP addresses via local DNS or hosts file	Resolved to IP addresses via the global DNS system
Registration	Usually not required; set by network administrators	Requires registration with a domain registrar
Cost	Generally free to assign	Involves registration and renewal fees
Length Restrictions	Typically limited to 63 characters per label	Up to 253 characters total, including dots
Allowed Characters	Letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), hyphens (-)	Letters, numbers, hyphens, and dots (for separation)
Subdomains	Can be part of a domain (e.g., host.example.com)	Can have multiple levels (e.g., sub.example.com)
Use in URLs	Not typically used in URLs	Forms the base of URLs (e.g., https://www.example.com)
Email Addresses	Not used in email addresses	Forms the part after @ in email addresses
Management	Managed by local network administrators	Managed through domain registrars and DNS providers
Changes	Can be changed easily within the local network	Changes propagate through the global DNS system (takes time)
Security Implications	Part of internal network security	Subject to various internet-wide security concerns (e.g., domain hijacking)
Examples	webserver01, database-master, localhost	google.com, github.io, www.cam.ac.uk

Suggested read: 3 Ways to Fix Too many Authentication Failures SSH Root? [SOLVED] 

Conclusion

When hosting a website, just setting the domain name is not enough – you must also run and maintain a server.

This can be difficult to manage if you are not used to working with a command line interface.

Luckily, RunCloud provides a fully-functional server management platform that can help you deploy and manage your websites with ease.

Start using RunCloud today!

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