Your domain is your address on the internet; your hosting is the space where your site’s files actually live. In Greece, a .gr typically costs €10–€30 per two-year term, and a serious hosting plan runs €60–€400 a year depending on whether you have a simple site or an e-shop.
They are the two cheapest parts of your digital presence — and the two that, if you lose them, take everything else with them.
Not sure what you are paying for, or to whom?
Request a free domain and hosting check and we will tell you what you have, where it sits, and what is missing.
Table of Contents
What is the difference between a domain and hosting?
Think of a physical shop. The domain is the address on the sign. The hosting is the premises itself.
| Domain | Hosting | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The name, e.g. yourbusiness.gr | Space on a server |
| What you pay | Annual or biennial registration | Annual or monthly subscription |
| If you stop paying | Someone else takes the name | The site goes offline |
| Transferable? | Yes, to another registrar | Yes, to another provider |
They can sit with different companies, and often do. That is fine, as long as you know where each one lives.
What does a domain cost?
Prices vary by registrar, and the renewal price often differs from the first-registration price. Watch for this.
| Extension | Typical cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
.gr | €10 – €30 per two years | Registration runs in two-year terms |
.com | €12 – €20 a year | Rising roughly 7% annually |
.eu | €8 – €15 a year | Useful if selling across the EU |
.ελ | Similar to .gr | Greek characters, mostly defensive |
The rule that saves money: the introductory offer is not the price you will pay. A .gr at €7 for the first two years can renew at €30. Ask for the renewal price before you commit.
What does hosting cost?
Here, the price difference reflects real resources rather than marketing.
| Type | Annual cost | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Shared | €40 – €120 | Brochure sites, blogs, low traffic |
| Managed WordPress | €120 – €400 | Professional sites needing speed and updates |
| VPS | €200 – €800 | E-shops with a catalogue, custom applications |
| Cloud / dedicated | €800 + | High volume, specialised requirements |
The €25-a-year plan exists and works — for a page of text. It will not carry an e-shop with 300 products and concurrent visitors during a sale.
If you are planning the whole budget, the rest of the costs are in our guides to website costs and e-shop costs.
What is changing in 2026 prices
Domain and hosting prices are rising this year, for technical rather than commercial reasons.
- Hardware: server manufacturers raised prices on the back of memory and NVMe storage costs.
- Software licensing: cPanel, used by most providers, announced an increase of around 10%.
- Energy: data centre cooling and operation cost more.
The practical takeaway: if a renewal is coming up, check whether locking in two or three years pays off. On a small site the difference is minor; on an e-shop with a VPS it is not.
How to choose the right name
A domain is one of the few decisions that is expensive to change later.
Five rules that work:
- It must survive being said on the phone. If you have to spell it out, it is too complicated.
- No hyphens or numbers. They get lost when spoken aloud.
- Keep it short. Up to 15 characters is comfortable.
- Match your business name as closely as possible — and your social handles.
- Avoid ambiguity in Latin script. Say it out loud to three people before registering.
For a Greek business with a local audience, .gr sends a clear signal of locality. If you plan to sell outside Greece, register the .com alongside it.
What a serious hosting plan must include
Do not compare on price and storage alone. These seven determine whether you will have problems.
| Feature | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Free SSL | Without it, browsers show a warning |
| Daily automatic backups | And one-click restore |
| Recent PHP version | Old versions are a security hole |
| Business email | On your own domain, not Gmail |
| Staging environment | Test changes without risking the live site |
| Support in your language | In an emergency, speed is what counts |
| Server location | Greece or Europe for a Greek audience |
Backups are the item everyone ignores until the day they matter. Ask to see how a restore works, not merely whether backups exist.
Want us to review your plan?
Tell us where you are hosted and we will tell you whether you are paying more or less than you need.
Whose name should it be in?
Yours. Always.
It is entirely normal for your developer or agency to administer them. It is not normal for them to be registered in that agency’s name.
Three things to confirm today:
- The domain registrar account uses your email, with your credentials.
- The hosting provider account, likewise.
- The domain’s contact details point to your business, not to a third party’s office.
If any of the three is wrong, request a transfer in writing. The topic is covered in detail in our guide on how to choose the right web developer.
How do I transfer a domain or hosting?
Both transfer, and usually without downtime if you follow the order.
For the domain:
- Unlock the domain at the current registrar.
- Request the transfer code (auth / EPP code).
- Start the transfer at the new registrar and confirm by email.
For hosting:
- Take a full copy of files and database.
- Set the site up at the new provider and test it before touching DNS.
- Change the DNS records and allow up to 24 hours for propagation.
- Keep the old account active for two weeks.
Most people skip the last step, then go hunting for emails that were left behind.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need hosting if I only have a Facebook page?
If you want your own website, yes. Without hosting there is no site — only a profile on a platform you do not control.
Can I own a domain with no website?
Yes, and it is often worth it. Secure the name now and use it later.
How quickly does a .gr activate?
Usually within a few hours. Names resembling a third party’s trademark may require review.
Is free hosting suitable for business use?
No. It typically carries adverts, no backups, no support, and often no custom domain.
How many email accounts can I have on my domain?
It depends on the plan, but even basic packages cover a small team. Business email on your own domain makes a visible difference.
The ten-minute checklist
- I know which registrar holds my domain and I have the credentials.
- My domain expires more than three months from now.
- Auto-renewal is switched on.
- I know where my site is hosted and what I pay per year.
- Valid SSL is active on every page.
- Daily backups exist and I know how to restore.
- My email runs on my own domain.
If any of these is “I don’t know”, that is the first thing to sort out.
Next step
Book a free 30-minute call with the team at The Dev Alley. We will review domain, hosting and email together and tell you what needs changing.
