The most common domain mistake for website owners: buying a domain from the same company that hosts their website. It feels convenient. It costs more and causes problems later.
Why separating registrar and host is the right move
1. Pricing
Domain registrars are not created equal, and all-in-one providers consistently charge more:
| Provider | .com renewal | Privacy |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare (registrar only) | $10.44/yr | Free |
| Namecheap (registrar only) | £10.88/yr | Free |
| GoDaddy (all-in-one) | £21.99/yr | Extra |
| Ionos (all-in-one) | ~£12/yr | Extra |
If you register your .com with GoDaddy alongside their hosting, you’re overpaying by £10–15/year on the domain alone. Over 10 years: £100–150 wasted on domain markup alone.
2. Switching freedom
The most painful situation in web hosting: you want to move to a better or cheaper host, but your domain is registered with your current host. Now you either: a) Transfer the domain (60-day ICANN lock applies your move is delayed) b) Update nameservers at the old registrar to point to the new host (works, but the old registrar is still involved) c) Stay because the friction is too high
With a separate registrar, switching hosts is 5 minutes of work: log into your registrar, update nameservers to the new host, wait for propagation. Done. Your domain is unaffected.
3. Business continuity
Hosting companies go out of business, get acquired, or change pricing. Domain registrars are a more stable, less competitive business with longer holding periods. When a hosting company folds, you want your domain safely held at an independent registrar that you can immediately point elsewhere.
How to set up the correct structure
Step 1: Register your domain at a specialist registrar (Namecheap, Porkbun, or Cloudflare).
Step 2: Sign up for hosting separately (SiteGround, Kinsta, Hostinger, Digital Ocean, etc.).
Step 3: The host gives you nameserver addresses (typically two: ns1.hostname.com, ns2.hostname.com).
Step 4: Log into your registrar, go to DNS settings, update nameservers to the addresses your host provided.
Step 5: Wait 24–48 hours for DNS propagation. Your domain now points to your host.
Your domain is held at a cheap, honest registrar. Your hosting is with whoever provides the best combination of speed, support, and price for your site. You can switch either without affecting the other.
When the all-in-one approach is acceptable
Absolute beginner building their first website: If you’re using Squarespace (which includes hosting and domain in one subscription), Shopify (same), or Wix domain and hosting bundled in one managed product is fine. These platforms’ registrar fees are embedded in the subscription and not separately visible. The premium is the cost of the managed experience.
The all-in-one to avoid: a GoDaddy domain + GoDaddy WordPress hosting combo where both components are overpriced individually and you’re locked into one vendor for both.
See also: Domain renewal trap explained · What are nameservers? · Cloudflare Registrar vs Namecheap