In today’s article, you’ll find a clear comparison of the best domain name registration companies. They’re well-known services with millions of hosted domains, furthermore, every company has its own pricing model and features.
In the end, you’ll be able to select the right domain name provider for your website or business. Also, you can save money by comparing these companies based on prices and, especially, for the renewal cost.
To compare domain name registrars, you need to have some experience with each company. Indeed, some providers are good while others are bad with lots of complaints and negative reviews. Personally, I’ve used and still use all the following services, and that’s what helped me to have a clear opinion about each service and their customer support.
The following are not all the domain registration companies, but the best of them. So, you don’t have to look elsewhere if you really want to save time and money Besides that, these organizations have powerful DNS and domain control panels to manage everything and add records like CNAME, TXT, changing IP address, etc…
Domain name registration prices compared
The cost of the domain name is not only the first price you pay in the first year or so. Every domain name needs renewal and that’s what many beginners neglect. The following domain name registrar’s cost comparison will make things easier for you to choose a good provider.
Please note that I used the “.com” domains as they’re the most popular. It’s the best domain extension and the comparison will be easy with it.
| Details / Provider | NameCheap | GoDaddy | 123 Reg | Domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ".com" price | $8.88 | $11.99 | $2.67 | $8.99 |
| ".com" renewal cost | $12.98 | $14.99 | $19.62 | $13.99 |
| ".com" transfer cost | $8.58 | $7.99 | $14.71 | $9.99 |
| Customer support | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Control panel | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Domain Whois privacy | Free | $9.99 | $7.35 | $8.99 |
| Discount | Go to NameCheap | Go to GoDaddy | Go to 123 Reg | Go to Domain |
Using the above domain comparison table, you can see that NameCheap and GoDaddy offer better value offers. 123 Reg is the most expensive and I don’t know why they have such high domain prices and even renewals.
On the other hand, if we compare the control panels, we will find that NameCheap has the best one. The control panel is easy to use and well-organized, unlike the GoDaddy control panel that may look confusing for beginners, but once you’re it, it’s advanced and better.
Now, when it comes to the domain name renewal cost comparison, there will be one winner, it’s the Domain company that has the lowest price.
Domain name registration services compared
1. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is the world’s largest domain registrar company with all services and tools you need for a website or online store. GoDaddy is a giant company with millions of hosted domains and they offer all the old extensions, and the new ones as well like “.reviews”, “tips”, “website” and more.
GoDaddy offers web hosting along with the domain names, however, they are known originally as a domain name registrar company and the cost of a domain with this provider starts at $11.99 per year. However, the renewal prices of GoDaddy are not cheap at all, it costs $14.99 and that’s a bad signal for people who want to save money, but keep in mind that there is a 30% discount when you register or transfer domain names in bulk and that’s better.
For customer support, GoDaddy offers support by phone, live chat, and also emails and tickets. Unfortunately, they have lots of customers compared to other companies, and it looks like their customer support department is not able to solve all the problems and you may wait longer than expected to get a response through the phone.
That being said, GoDaddy is a good company to start a website with and register a domain for small businesses. There is everything you need in one place, such as business emails, Microsoft Office 365, website builder, hosting, SSL, and even web design.
2. NameCheap
NameCheap is one of the best places to buy domain names for thousands of bloggers, webmasters, and business owners. But also, it’s the greatest domain marketplace where internet marketers and investors find great deals. They have a marketplace where anyone can list domains and sell them. Also, you can buy domain names.
NameCheap offers domain name registration and web hosting services in the same place. They offer hundreds of domain extensions. But also, they have web hosting packages for shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and even email hosting.
NameCheap lets you register a generic top-level domain (gTLD) such as:
- .com
- .org
- .net
Besides that, the company lets you register a country code top-level domain (ccTLD) such as:
- .us
- .ca
- .uk
- .au
The list of these domain databases can be found on the official IANA (Internet Assigned Number Authority) page.
NameCheap is one of the most secure domain registrars and web hosting services with 100% uptime guaranteed. That’s good enough to know that they have a strong infrastructure with amazing network uptime and availability.
3. BuyDomains
With this premium quality domain name marketplace, it will be easier to find a domain for businesses that’s memorable, short, and hard to get. In other words, if you find that the domain name you’re looking for is already taken, then probably, you’ll find it for sale on this website. In reality, investors buy well-known names and list them for sale because they know people will need them one day.
Some of these domains cost thousands of dollars because they’re so attractive and short, so, make sure you browse what they have to sell as a name and don’t just buy one because it’s expensive. Instead, ask yourself what you need as a domain, avoid domains that are lengthy, 2 words as maximum length, is the best thing here, and avoid domain with numbers, hyphens, and complications.
For pricing, it depends on many factors and there is no fixed price for any domains, some cost hunters of dollars while others may be listed for sale with $100K or more for sale. That’s because some names have millions of searches each month in Google or Bing, and building a website based on them may make a big profit if everything is professional and well-researched of course.
4. 123 Reg
123 Reg is a UK domain registrar, you can buy cheap domains with less money compared to other providers. In addition, this is a web hosting provider with servers in the UK. So, only use it if your site visits will come from Europe or the United Kingdom, that’s better for your web traffic as the page loading time will be faster.
This domain name reseller has good uptime, fast servers, and certified business. So, you can count on their support and server configurations.
I found this the best option for those who want to purchase a domain name in Europe, the site gets better DNS and no downtime. Keep in mind that downtimes happen, especially with online stores and e-commerce websites. When you minimize the risk of downtimes, your website will be available better and your visitors will reach your products anytime they want.
For that reason, it’s recommended to check your domain name registrar uptime before anything. Read their terms of service if you want. Thus, you’ll find the details of their uptime, downtimes, and scheduled maintenance information.
5. Domain
Domain is another domain name registrar with competitive prices, especially for the new domain purchases. They buy Top Level Domain names, and Country Code domains, Nevertheless, they don’t show all their domain prices.
The domain name price list can be helpful for all of us to know the cost of each domain extension before going to their checkout page. In addition to the domain name search page, you can use the premium domain tool and find a great one. Furthermore, there is an advanced DNS, SSL for your site, and of course email accounts with forwarders if you want.
Where to buy domain names?
Domain names can be found on different websites and marketplaces. Actually, there are hundreds of companies, but the problem is the quality of their services.
That includes the DNS, the control panel, and the customer support of course. That’s why coming up with a shortlist of companies is the best way to choose a cheap domain name registration with fast DNS.
NameCheap is the best-recommended service to register domain names. They have all the tools and they offer better uptime and of course, it’s an affordable domain name registration service.
What’s the right service to choose from?
If you’re looking for affordable domain registration, then, I recommend going with NameCheap, as they are a trusted service with amazing features. Their renewal price is the cheapest among the other companies. Of course, that will save you money in the long term, especially if you have lots of domain names.
On the other hand, if you need an all-in-one solution for the eCommerce website, then, register your domain with GoDaddy and you’ll have good offers, tools, and features.
Powerful DNS
Unlike the regular domain name providers, NameCheap offers both, free and premium DNS. That means a lot in terms of speed and uptime these days. With over 2 million hosted domains, NameCheap has the experience and the resources to make your domain available all the time.
Free and premium DNS
NameCheap offers a free powerful DNS. In other words, you can use their DNS for any domain name even if it’s registered elsewhere. That will speed up the domain name when people visit it from different locations. Also, their great DNS management tool lets you add different types of domain records including the following ones:
- A
- AAAA
- CNAME
- NS
- TXT
- MX
- SRV
These records can be used when you want to verify the domain or the website ownership, you’ll need these records later. Also, you can create your own domain name servers to customize everything. That’s only an option that you can use when needed.
Affordable domain names
Another reason for choosing NameCheap is their affordable domains. Indeed, you pay cheaper than the other providers like Name. Also, you get a cheap domain renewal and transfer price. With only $10.69, you can buy your own domain, and renew it at the same price. Best of all, you get free extras, such as domain email forwarding, DNS backup, SSL, and more.
Domain marketplace
The domain marketplace is not only for those who sell and buy domains but also, for individuals. Anyone can search and purchase his own domain through NameCheap’s domain marketplace.
It’s a trusted place to find high-quality domains with a good background, and even with links. But please, make sure to investigate the domain before purchasing it to avoid scammers.
Powerful domain SSL certificates
Here is a great deal with this domain name registration service, they offer low-cost SSL certificates.
But wait, they are not any certificates, but the Comodo SSL certificates. They are the best SSL in the world with strong encryption and security for your domain.
The positive SSL costs $1.99 for the first year with NameCheap. Really, it’s a cheap price if you know that the original certificate costs around $40 per year.
Conclusion
No matter what website you want to build, and what business you want to run online, the domain name makes a huge impact on your online presence.
If you choose the right domain name registration service, everything will be ok. However, you need to take care of your domain name, make automatic renewal “ON” and protect your domain from unauthorized transfers. That’s all offered by the above providers, and they are the best domain name registrars that work.
