There are a lot of online services out there that allow you to register your domain, and it is easy to get confused when choosing which one to use yourself. Settle for nothing less than the best domain name registrar!
I want to recommend these five best domain name registrars to narrow down your choices and make the search easier.
These companies offer only the highest quality services and offer plenty of additional features that we are going to be breaking down today.
Why You Should Care About Your Domain Name?
Think of a domain name like a virtual address that allows people to access a specific website online. It replaces the long numeric IP address of the server that stores the website’s data. A domain name basically serves as an easier way for internet users to access a website.
There are two main parts of a domain name – the name of the website itself and a domain extension.
The former can be any combination of letters, numbers, or hyphens. Meanwhile, domain extensions are commonly predetermined, for example, .com, .net, .org, etc.
It is a crucial part of establishing your online presence.
First of all, it makes it easier for people to find you on the internet. Be it an online store, a blog, or a portfolio page, your site will have something that people can identify it by.
Secondly, it helps you stand out from the crowd. Once you have a domain name registered, no one else will be able to use it anymore, unless they use a different domain name extension.
In other words, your site will have a unique identity that you can use as the base of a strong brand.
Having said that, before you actually use a domain, you have to buy it first from a registrar. It is an accredited company with authorized permission to sell domains. In this article, I will reveal five of the best domain name registrars currently available.
What to Consider When Choosing a Domain Registrar?
Before I dive deeper into the list, there are several indicators you need to take into consideration when choosing what domain registrar to use:
- Price. Since it is difficult to determine the quality of a registrar just by its price, you can at least choose the one that suits your budget. Decide how much you are willing to pay for a domain, security features, and other notable costs.
- Convenience. Ensure that the company offers a simple payment process and allows you to manage your domain without breaking a sweat.
- Domain ownership. It is highly recommended to pick a registrar that gives you a flexible domain contract. The duration commonly varies from one to ten years.
- Additional features. Besides its domain service, does the company offer security options, hosting, customer support, and so on.
- Expiration policy. It would be great if you use a registrar that prevents you from losing your domain right away once it’s expired.
- Quality of service. You need to find out if a domain provider can really deliver what it promises. I suggest you read reviews from existing users to check their reputation.
Top 5 Domain Name Registrar You Should Know
1. Domain.com
Don’t let the simple name fool you. Domain.com is both a hosting provider and web design agency. Still, I would highly endorse this company as your registrar over anything else. It is reliable and has been known for its great customer support.
Their payment process is also convenient. Just enter your desired name, and dozens of results will pop up. You can directly set your contract duration and add some features on the same page.
All things considered, my favorite part of Domain.com is its price transparency. The extensions have no misleading discounts, and the cost of extra services are displayed upfront.
The Good
- Price transparency. The cost of any domain extensions will remain the same from the moment you buy it until it expires. There is also no first-year discount or hidden fee that you have to anticipate afterward.
- Multifunctional platform. You can use Domain.com as a hosting provider, a web design agency, a page builder, or an online marketing service.
The Bad
- Contract duration. Domain.com limits your ownership of the domain for up to five years.
The Verdict
I would recommend Domain.com to everyone who is looking for a registrar that offers transparent price and has excellent customer support.
However, while it has other notable features, such as hosting, these services are not exactly their strongest point.
2. Namecheap
If you haven’t been able to get the perfect domain, try using the Namecheap domain checker first. It has what is called Beast Mode – an advanced method that lets you search more in-depth and broader for available domain names.
Namecheap will also put forward additional features that you may be interested in, such as buying an SSL certificate, getting a hosting service, and private email registration.
Besides that, Namecheap also offers easy WordPress installation. It might not be for everyone, but WP users will definitely appreciate this option.
The Good
- Beast Mode. It helps you find the most fitting domain name and includes search filters such as price range, extension, premium domain, etc.
- WordPress friendly. Namecheap is well-tailored to suit WordPress customers.
The Bad
- Poor hosting service. Their hosting services are not that stellar due to rather poor uptime and slow load time.
The Verdict
Namecheap offers a complete domain search service. Once you find a suitable domain name for your website, you have the freedom to own it for up to 10 years.
On the downside, there are a few hidden expenses you have to deal with before you can pay for your domain, and their hosting services are not exactly up to par.
3. 1&1 IONOS
I must say that 1&1 IONOS is really suitable for beginners. Why? Some of the features that they offer are very attractive.
For instance, there is an exclusive personal consultant. That means, one agent will be assigned to assist you in managing your account and solving all related issues. It is super helpful, especially if you don’t have any experience in website management.
Furthermore, the initial price is surprisingly cheap. For someone who just started out, it can be really helpful since you don’t have to spend much money on your first try.
The Good
- Frequent sales. This registrar discounts many domain extensions. For example, at the time of writing, .com is priced at $1, though it is usually $15.
- Personal consultant. You will be provided with a single contact to be your personal assistant.
- Reliable web hosting. 1&1 IONOS hosting service is pretty powerful and feature-rich, not just a complimentary service to the registrar experience.
The Bad
- Rather pricey. Even though the domain can be very affordable for your first 12 months, the price, later on, is significantly higher than its competitors.
The Verdict
If you are new to this whole website management business, 1&1 IONOS is a perfect platform for you. It has an affordable initial price, and your personal consultant will guide every step of the way.
Furthermore, you can also rely on this company to handle your hosting, which makes it more convenient for you to manage your website.
4. DreamHost
As you might already know that, DreamHost’s main service is hosting and it is one of the few providers that WordPress affiliates themselves with. If you would like to have a more complete and synchronized experience, I recommended checking out what they have to offer.
However, putting their hosting prowess aside, DreamHost definitely deserves to be on this best domain registrar list. They offer free privacy protection, smooth domain transfers, and simple registration, which make DreamHost such an enticing option.
The Good
- Free privacy security. DreamHost provides you with free privacy protection. You can even get a free SSL if you decide to use their hosting services.
- Industry-leading hosting. Dreamhost is a reputable registrar and a great hosting provider. No wonder WordPress endorses it as one of their trusted services.
- Easy domain transfer. The whole process of transferring your domain from another registrar is simple. There is also a comprehensive guide to help you along.
The Bad
- Poor customer support. Its live support is only available at certain times of the day.
The Verdict
Are you planning to register a domain for your WordPress site? Then DreamHost is a complete package for you. It is a famous registrar as well as an industry-leading WordPress hosting provider.
The main disadvantages come from hidden price information and subpar customer support. That being said, you can still enjoy many benefits like free security features and simple domain transfers.
5. Name.com
Name.com gained huge popularity due to its unique bulk domain search and frequent discounts on many extensions. Moreover, for every successful registration, you will receive URL and email forwarding, an SSL certificate, and DNS management free of charge.
Nevertheless, it is not only good at being a registrar. Thousands of people have trusted this company as their hosting provider and page builder. Not to mention its useful email service, which is powered by G Suite.
The Good
- Extensive additional features. It offers plenty of highlights that can come in handy, like G Suite, SiteLock security, and a branded URL shortener.
- Comprehensive knowledge base. This registrar has prepared an in-depth knowledge base for domain-related issues so you can easily fix them by yourself.
The Bad
- Mediocre customer support. Unfortunately, Name.com has a weak reputation when it comes to customer support, leaving many of its users disappointed.
The Verdict
Despite being a rather expensive selection on this list and having below-average customer support, Name.com can still prove to be a serious registrar among its contenders.
What Name.com offers is a sophisticated domain search engine and attractive sales, and they do like to boast about their price transparency and additional useful features.
How to Register Your Domain Name?
Registering a domain name may differ a little on each platform but the process is generally similar. Here are the general steps:
- Go to the registrar’s website of your choice and look for the domain search page.
- Enter your desired domain name and extension to check its availability. If it’s already taken, you might want to try to search further or apply some filters.
- Once you find the right one, choose the contract duration along with any additional features you would like to have.
- Complete the registration form and proceed to checkout.
- Connect your website to your domain. To do that, you have to locate your name server details from the hosting provider and enter the information in your registrar.
It will be much more efficient if you use a registrar that doubles as a hosting provider to achieve a seamless process.
However, if you happen to register a domain using a different service from your hosting provider, you might want the registrar to hold your purchase and your domain name until your website is ready.
That’s a Wrap!
A domain plays an essential role in establishing your online presence. Not only does it function as a more convenient way for your users to reach your website, but it can also help you build a strong foundation for your brand.
That is why you should register your domain name alongside a company that you trust. Thankfully, these five best domain name registrars offer the most reliable services you can use right now.
- Domain.com – if you want a transparent pricing scheme and guaranteed customer support.
- Namecheap – it offers advanced domain search options and up to 10 years of contract ownership.
- 1&1 IONOS – the unique part about this service is that it provides personal assistance that should be helpful for those who are only starting out.
- DreamHost – it is a reliable registrar and a powerful hosting provider, especially for a WordPress site.
- Name.com – one of the best domain name registrars that include lots of useful additional features and offers frequent discounts.
Good luck and I hope that you will get the domain that is best for your website!
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