As the primary replacement for an in-house Web server, a hosting server facilitates Internet accessibility for one or more websites. To ensure website accessibility, a hosting server is always switched on and connected to the Internet.

A hosting server is the key component of a Web hosting service. It is most often built, delivered and managed by a hosting service provider and includes all components necessary for website operability. A complete hosting server is developed using the computing hardware, storage, operating system (OS), network connectivity and/or specialized Web hosting software.

Depending on the hosting service provider, a hosting server may be shared or dedicated. A shared hosting server hosts multiple websites simultaneously, whereas a dedicated hosting server is specifically allocated for one customer and its associated websites.