To publish a website, you need either a static or a dynamic web server. A static web server, or stack, consists of a computer (hardware) with an HTTP server (software). We call it "static" because the server sends its hosted files as-is to your browser.
If you want to create and publish a website, you'll need access to a web server. The most convenient way to do this is through website hosts. Web hosting is a service that provides your website with server space to store its files, assets, and databases.