Domain and Hosting in the Philippines: Should You Get Both From the Same Provider?

Domain and hosting in the Philippines are one of the most confusing first steps for anyone building a website.

You find two things to buy. A domain name from one place. Hosting from another. 

Nobody explains clearly whether they need to be separate or whether you can get both together.

Most articles explain what each one is, then say ‘you can do either.’ That does not help when you need to make an actual decision.

This article gives you the direct answer, what each one does, how they connect, and exactly when to keep them together or split them up.

What is a Domain Name ?

A domain name is your website’s address on the internet. Yourbusiness.com. Yourname.ph. Yourshop. Store.

When someone types that address into a browser, the internet needs to know which server to send them to. That routing information lives in the domain’s DNS records.

A domain registrar is the company you pay to register and maintain that address. They hold your registration in ICANN’s global database and renew it on your behalf each year.

The registrar does not host your website. They manage the address.

Common registrars in the Philippines: Truehost Philippines, GoDaddy, Namecheap, and domain.ph for .ph extensions.

Note: Your choice of registrar does not affect your site’s speed, security, or features. It only affects how easy it is to manage your domain settings and renewals.

What  is Web Hosting ?

Web hosting stores your website’s files on a server connected to the internet 24 hours a day.

HTML, images, your WordPress installation, your database, all of it lives on the hosting server.

When someone visits your domain, their browser connects to that server and loads your site.

Hosting affects your site’s speed, uptime, security, storage, and available tools, cPanel, email accounts, one-click WordPress, backups, and more.

Local hosting providers in the Philippines include Truehost Philippines, Sitepoint.ph, and ServerGalactic.

International providers like SiteGround and Hostinger are also used, typically billed in USD.

How Domain and Hosting Connect

This is the part most articles skip. It is also the part that explains why the same-versus-separate question matters.

Domain and hosting talk to each other through DNS. Specifically through nameserver records.

Your domain’s nameservers point to your hosting provider’s servers. 

When those nameservers point correctly, typing your domain into a browser loads your website.

Same provider: The connection configures automatically. You do not touch DNS at all.

Different providers: 

• You log into your registrar
• Find the DNS settings 
• Manually update the nameserver records to point to your host.

Five minutes once you know what you are doing. Potentially hours of troubleshooting on your first website if something is entered incorrectly.

The core difference: Not speed. Not security. Not price. Just DNS setup, automatic when together, manual when separate.

	Same Provider	Separate Providers
DNS setup	Automatic	Manual- update nameservers at registrar
Renewals to track	One account and renewal	Two accounts and renewal dates
Support when something breaks	One team, complete visibility	Two accounts, two renewal dates
Risk of accidental lapse	Lower, one account to monitor	Higher, can expire independently
Flexibility to switch hosts	Easy, update nameservers	Easy, update nameservers

When to Keep Domain and Hosting Together

For most Filipino individuals and small businesses, getting a domain and hosting from the same provider is the right call.

Zero DNS friction

Register the domain, sign up for hosting, done. Your site points in the right direction automatically. No nameserver records to look up on day one.

One renewal to manage

Domain and hosting renewals are the two most common reasons Filipino websites go offline unexpectedly. 

Someone forgot to renew one of them. One account, one renewal date removes half that risk.

One support relationship

When something breaks, the support team can see both your domain and your hosting. They have the whole picture. 

Split across two companies, each team checks if the problem is on the other side, and you end up in the middle.

Peso billing in one place

Local provider for both means everything bills in pesos from a single account, no USD charges on one card and peso charges on another.

When Separating Them Makes Sense

There are legitimate reasons to use a different registrar from your host. Check if any of these apply to you.

You found a significantly cheaper registrar for your specific extension

Domain pricing varies, especially for newer extensions (.store, .tech) and country-code domains.

If one registrar is materially more affordable for your exact extension, splitting makes financial sense.

You manage domains for multiple clients across multiple hosts

Agencies and web designers often centralise all client domains at one registrar while hosting live at various providers.

This is a professional workflow choice, not a technical requirement.

You want registrar redundancy

Some advanced users keep the domain at a separate registrar so a problem with their host.

A billing dispute, account suspension, or host going out of business, does not simultaneously take the domain offline.

You are migrating hosts and want to keep the domain stable

Keeping the domain at its current registrar while you set up the new host means you control the exact moment the switch happens.

If none of these applies to you: You are not in the category of users who benefit from separation. Keep them together and skip the complexity.

The One Trap to Avoid: Registrar Lock-In

Whether you use the same provider or separate ones, know this.

Some hosts make it easy to register a domain, but difficult to transfer it out later. High transfer fees.

Long lock periods. Confusing DNS interfaces are designed to discourage switching.

Make sure your provider supports standard domain transfers. EPP/auth codes for .com, .net, and .org. Standard transfer processes for .ph domains.

Truehost supports standard domain transfers in and out. Your domain stays portable no matter what you decide about hosting.

The most important principle: Own your domain outright and keep it transferable. Everything else is secondary to that.

What the Setup Looks Like at Truehost

If you decide to keep the domain and hosting together, here is exactly what that looks like with Truehost.

• Register your domain at truehost.ph/domains/, .com from around ₱549/year, .ph from ₱1,499/year
• Sign up for hosting at truehost.ph/hosting/,  cPanel Starter at ₱90/month (triennial) includes 30GB SSD, unlimited emails, LiteSpeed servers, and free SSL
• Domain and hosting link automatically, no manual DNS setup required
• Install WordPress in one click through Softaculous in cPanel
• Manage both renewals in one dashboard, one account, one billing relationship

Total year one cost: approximately ₱549 domain plus ₱1,080 hosting (₱90 x 12 months) = roughly ₱1,629.

Under ₱200 a month for a complete, professional website on local infrastructure with local support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a domain I already own with Truehost hosting?

Yes. Update the nameserver records at your current registrar to point to Truehost’s nameservers. 

Truehost support provides those nameserver addresses when you sign up. The change propagates within a few hours. 

Your domain stays at its current registrar, no transfer needed unless you want to consolidate.

What happens to my website if my domain expires?

Your site goes offline immediately. The domain stops pointing to your hosting server the moment it expires. 

Your hosting account and all your files stay intact. Only the domain stops working. 

This is precisely why keeping both at the same provider with the same renewal reminders reduces risk.

Is a .com or .ph domain better for a Philippine business?

Both work well. A .com is globally recognised, typically cheaper, and what most people type instinctively. 

A .ph signals local presence and suits businesses targeting exclusively Filipino customers. 

For most small businesses, .com is the practical default. If your preferred .com is taken, .ph is a strong alternative, not a fallback.

Does my registrar affect my SEO?

No. Google does not consider your registrar or hosting provider when ranking your site. SEO depends on content, speed, mobile-friendliness, backlinks, and technical configuration. 

The only hosting-related SEO factor is server speed and uptime, which is a hosting quality question, not a registrar question.

If I get both from Truehost and want to switch hosts later, is my domain stuck?

No. Your domain is always transferable. Either transfer it to another registrar or update your nameservers at Truehost to point to your new host.

Either option takes about 15 minutes of work plus a few hours of propagation. Truehost applies the standard EPP transfer process with no unusual restrictions.

The Bottom Line

A domain is your address. Hosting is where your website lives. They connect through DNS, and keeping them at the same provider makes that connection automatic.

For most Filipino individuals and small businesses, the same provider means less friction, lower renewal risk, and one support team that has the whole picture.

The reasons to separate them are real but specific. Agencies managing multiple clients. 

Significant price differences for particular extensions, deliberate redundancy strategies.

If none of those describes you, the simple setup is the proper setup. Get your domain and hosting in one place in the Philippines and focus on building your site.