Purchasing your site’s domain name is the first step of creating an online website. But do note that you are not actually buying the domain name for yourself; instead, you are renting it for a set period of time. Furthermore, all domains must be registered through a domain registrar and connected to it.
This is why we have put together a short list to help you find the right domain registrar for your website. But first…
Why Do You Need To Find The “Right” Domain Registrar?
If you are reading this, you probably knew that there are plenty of domain registrars in the market. So what’s the difference? And does it matter from where you get your domain? Well yes!
A domain registrar might offer domains at discounted prices, or have plans that allow you to get super cheap domain names if you rent it for a longer time period.
Similarly, certain domain providers also provide access to free features. Where one will give you a free SSL certificate, another might give you access to domain privacy protection.
And lastly, almost every domain registrar provide some form of web hosting solution. Although it is possible to get your domain from one registrar and host your website with another service provider – some people just don’t like the hassle. In that case, it is also important to consider the quality of hosting service (if any) provided by the company in question.
With all these in consideration, we have prepared a detailed list covering all the features and benefits of leading domain registrars so you can find the perfect one for your website. So without further ado, let’s get started:
Top Domain Registrars
1. Namecheap
For the first domain registrar on our list, we have Namecheap. As is obvious from the name, the company offers domains at extremely affordable prices. It’s also very popular with over 3 million users and 7 million actively managed domains.
Features:
- Apart from domain registration, it offers services like domain transfers, app integrations, SSL certifications, emails, and much more.
- Web hosting services provided with affordable plans for shared hosting, WordPress hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting, and even private email hosting.
- .com TLDs are available at $8.88 per year.
- Other TLDs like .life, .me, .co, and .online are also available at budget-friendly prices.
And much more.
2. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a well-established name in web hosting and domain registration and has been in the business since 1997. Over 17 million people use GoDaddy whereas the company manages over 73 million domain names for their users.
Features:
- Domain registration along with domain transfers, professional email service powered by Microsoft, web security tools, and much more.
- Web Hosting services also provided at an extremely affordable price point.
- A .com TLD costs $0.99 for the first year and $14.99/year then after.
- Privacy protection plans for businesses priced at $14.99/year per domain.
And much more.
3. Domain.com
Founded back in 2000, Domain.com is owned by the Endurance International Group. They specialize in domain names registration along with web hosting, SSL certificates, web design, and online marketing services.
Features:
- Hosting plans include shared hosting plans, VPS hosting, and WordPress hosting.
- Offers a free domain name along with unlimited disk space and SSL certificate with every hosting plan.
- Domains priced at $9.99/year for .com and .net TLDs.
And much more.
4. Name.com
Founded back in 2003 as a domain registrar, name.com has grown since considerably and now amassed a user-base of 320,000 customers with over 2 million domains.
Features:
- Domain registration, domain transfers, app integrations, SSL certificates, and much more.
- A few web hosting solutions.
- Free domain with every hosting plan.
- .com TLDs will cost you around $9.99/year.
And much more.
5. Bluehost Domains
Bluehost is one of the premier names in web hosting. Similar to Domain.com, the company is also owned by Endurance International Group. Currently, over 2 million websites are hosted using Bluehost servers.
Features:
- Offers a free domain with each hosting package.
- Without hosting, registering a domain will cost you $11.99/year.
- Offers one of the best and trusted web hosting services in the market.
- Access to WordPress hosting, shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and VPS hosting.
- Industry leading customer service.
And much more.
6. Dreamhost Domains
Dreamhost was founded back in 1997, and by now, the company has established itself as a well-known name is web hosting and domain name registrations.
Features:
- Free domain privacy, easy domain settings, and intuitive UI.
- A vast collection of domain name extensions.
- Hosting options include WordPress hosting, shared hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, as well as dedicated servers.
- Each hosting plan gives you a free domain.
- .com TLD prices start at $13.395 per year with any discount offer.
And much more.
7. Hover Domain
Hover is a Canada Based domain registrar known for their awesome user experience and transparent pricing, and impressive discounts when you make bulk purchases.
Features:
- Domain registration, domain transfers, webmail, and hundreds of awesome TLDs.
- Discounts on bulk domain purchases.
- Industry leading customer service.
- Free Whois.
- .com TLDs available at $12.99/year.
And much more.
8. Google Domains
Google Domain is the tech giants’ answer to the growing need of domain registrations. Their software is currently in beta stage.
Features:
- Offers private domain registration at zero extra cost.
- A custom email with G Suite.
- New TLDs.
- Access Google’s fast, secure and reliable infrastructure.
- .com TLDs will cost you $12/year.
- Offers many more unique TLDs.
And much more.
9. HostGator Domains
Another one of the popular web hosting services, HostGator is also owned by the Endurance International Group. As of 2013, the company has acquired over 400,000 customers and manages over 9 million domains.
Features:
- Primarily a web hosting provider.
- Web hosting solutions include cloud hosting, shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers, and much more.
- Each hosting plan comes with 1 free domain with $2.99/year as a renewal.
- .com TLD will cost you $12.95/year if you don’t host using HostGator.
- Other TLDs offered include .website, .club, .org, .net, .me, .biz, and many more. All are affordably priced.
And much more.
10. Ionos
Founded way back in 1988, Ionos is one of the oldest if not the oldest domain registrar in the market.
Features:
- Domain registration, domain transfers, web hosting services, SSL certifications, website builders, and much more.
- Hosting service includes managed hosting, WordPress hosting, shared hosting, and VPS hosting.
- Email marketing and online marketing tools.
- TLDs are available at super cheap prices: $0.99/year for .com TLDs
And much more.
11. Register.com
Register.com was founded back in 1994 and now manages over 2.5 million domain names worldwide.
Features:
- Domain registrations, domain transfers, SSL certifications, email services, online marketing tools, and much more.
- Online marketing tools including SEO tools, PPC tools, and Facebook Ads tools.
- Web hosting options also available.
- Comparatively, affordable domain prices starting at $5/year for a .com TLD.
And much more.
12. InMotionHosting Domains
InMotionHosting is one of the popular web hosting companies currently in the market. In respect to domain registration, the company manages around 300,000 domains.
Features:
- Known as a web hosting powerhouse with super fast servers and awesome uptime.
- Hosting options include web hosting, shared hosting, VPS, reseller, and WordPress.
- A free domain with every hosting plan.
- .com TLDs sold at $14.99/year.
- You can also purchase .net, .org, .info, .biz, and .us TLDs at similar prices.
And much more.
13. Namesilo Domains
Namesilo is a relatively new domain registrar in the market with its inception back in 2009. In that time, the company has become quite popular among large portfolios.
Features:
- ICANN-accredited.
- Accepts Bitcoin payments.
- Tons of freebies with each domain registration giving you access to a domain defender, whois privacy, free parking, DNS tools, portfolio management, and so on.
- Extremely affordable with maximum domains costing below $10.
- .com TLDs will cost $5.99 for the first year and $8.99/year thereafter.
And much more.
14. Enom Domains
Enom is an ICANN-accredited domain registrar in business since 1997. They are one of the world’s largest domain name resellers.
Features:
- Services including domain registration, domain transfers, web hosting, web security, SSL certification, and much more.
- Hosting services include cloud hosting, web hosting, and DNS hosting.
- Extended TLD selection.
- A sophisticated dashboard for better UI and UX.
- .com TLDs available at $13.95/year.
And much more.
15. OVH Domains
OVH is one of the biggest domain registrars centered in the UK, operating over 20 data centers, spread across 17 countries, with 260,000 active servers managing over 35 million domains.
Features:
- ICANN accredited since 1999.
- Accepts Bitcoin payments.
- Transparent pricing.
- Many exotic TLDs are available at super low prices.
- .com TLDs start at $6.25 for the first year, thereafter $9.99/year.
And much more.
In Conclusion
So these were our picks for the top 15 domain registrars in the market. We hope you found this read to be helpful and that you found something that resonates with your site’s goal, budget, and other necessities.
Meanwhile, experienced users who are reading this are welcome to share their take on any of the domain registrars mentioned on the list. Your informative insight will be extremely helpful to your fellow readers as finding the right domain registrar is at the base of building your website.
Now you may also want to learn how to choose a perfect domain name for your website.