A domain name is usually the first thing to buy when planning to take your business online; the choice of a domain registrar can affect your business’s longevity. If like us, you are a web developer, a freelancer, or a niche blogger, you must have been faced with the challenges of choosing a domain name registrar that cares more about your business than its profit.
A few hours ago, we published the list of Top Best and Worst Web Hosting Companies and thought it wise to do the same thing for domain name registrars since we’ve used a lot of them and can confidently share our experiences as well as give a perspicacious verdict based on –
- Customer support
- Security
- User-friendliness and ease of cancellation
- Upselling and cross-selling techniques
- Hidden fees and other negative marketing tactics
The Best Domain Name Registrars
We’ll like to start with the best domain name registration companies as they should matter to you first before the average and worst domain registrars.
1. NameSilo
NameSilo made us realize that there are still honest companies that value its client more than profit. They are focused on selling and protecting your domain name than they are with upselling or cross-selling one useless add-on to you as some other domain registrars do.
At Namesilo, there’s neither a hidden fee, transfer and renewal charges nor minimum orders, bait, and other negative tactics most registrars use to hoodwink users to their services.
Namesilo does not sell domain names at $1 and then renews at $16. All premium add-on such as domain defender, free whois privacy, free domain parking, email forwarding, and registry lock comes for free. With a Namesilo account, you’ll get a free –
- Lifetime WHOIS Privacy
- Email Forwarding
- Domain Name Parking (You earn 100%)
- Domain Defender Protection
- DNS Management Tools
- Custom WHOIS Records
- Domain Forwarding
- Portfolio Management (with a plethora of templates)
- Registry Lock and
- Sub-Account Tools
We have written a review of NameSilo here; you can read about them from there or visit their official homepage for more. Using the NameSilo coupon code “silorocks15” (without the quotes) will remove a dollar (1USD) from your total order.
2. Name Cheap
NameCheap is another domain name registrar that served us well enough to be listed among one of the best domain name registration companies to trust. Their interface is worth it; their support (for domain) is excellent and knowledgeable enough to attend to every domain name-related technicalities.
They have lots of TLD support, including the .xyz extension. We’ve used their services long before deciding to go with NameSilo.
One great feature we appreciate from the guys at NameCheap is the ease of payments and services’ cancellation. You can add as many funds as possible to your Namecheap wallet and use them to renew and purchase new services.
It is super easy to make a budget plan for your domain and businesses with the Namecheap wallet function. Real human answer troubles tickets at Namecheap, and customer support is never treated with negligence.
NameCheap Promotions: Just like other top domain registration companies, Namecheap does have promotional prices for new users and old customers alike from time to time. There is the DOMBLOOM coupon code that lets one buy top-level domain names (TLD) at a discounted rate.
One of their best promotion is the one that lets you buy a full-year NameCheap value hosting server for less than $10, and you can host up to three (3) websites on it.
3. Google Domains
Even though support is usually a major issue with most mainstream services providers (such as Yahoo small business, EIG, and co), Google domains are surprisingly different.
Just like Namesilo, they added 100% free Whois privacy, 100 email forward aliases, zero Upselling, and 24 hours customer support.
With Google Domains, you’ll have the chance to use a highly intuitive domain management dashboard with zero ads, zero distractions, and zero upselling/cross-selling tactics.
There’s a $12 flat pricing for domains bought from Google domains, and this is without any hidden charges. You can see more from their official website at google.com/domains.
4. IwantMyName
iwantmyname came highly recommended by friends and colleagues in the industry, so we decided to give them a shot for some of our recent projects.
Namesilo (as stated above) is usually our most-preferred choice for buying simple domain names, but their TLDs support is limited.
This normally gives us the room to try out other domain name companies when signing up for domains with country code domain extensions (ccTLDs).
IwantMyName has served us so well and does have one of the simplest management dashboards so far. Their billing/sign-up process is straight-forward, with zero cross-selling/up-selling.
There’s the pre-configured DNS tool that lets you install blogger, Weebly, Wix, Tumblr, Squarespace, Google apps, TypePad, and other popular services in seconds. This tool comes for free and works well with all popular services on the web.
Their support team is responsive, and like Namesilo, they offer completely free Whois privacy protection for all top-level domains (TLDs).
The only down-side with IwantMyName domain services is in pricing and (maybe) their ICANN accreditation status. We paid as much as $19 for a ccTLD. This is about $8 more than what’s obtainable at most popular registrars.
Such amount can be traded for top-notched support and fast DNS servers on a single domain name purchase but can become too pricey for bulk domain orders.
In all, I-want-my-name is an excellent place to buy your domain names if pricing is not the sole driving force. You can key-in to their services by using the domain search bar at their official website.
The Average Domain Name Registrars
The domain registrars listed here aren’t bad at all; they just didn’t cut into the ones we could list in the best category. We’ve had one dissatisfaction or the other with them and will recommend any other one from the top before coming to them.
Name.com
Name.com is just as good as name cheap. Like what we like and appreciate, they do not use bait and switch tactics as most greedy domain registrars do. We have had all-around great experiences with name.com services and recommend the same to clients and developers alike.
Their prices aren’t just fair enough but are also very transparent, unlike some domain registrars that will sell a domain for cheap and renew at ridiculous prices.
With a name.com domain name, you can transfer your domain name to another registrar (like we transferred to Namesilo) in a short while without waiting for ages to get the EPP code for transfer. We already made a short review of their services; you can read it up from here.
Domain.com
domain.com hosted about three domain names for us and really served well; we weren’t that much impressed with their support team handling of technical issues but can vouch for their response time.
Their interface is user-friendly enough that a novice user will blink an eye in awe. They neither offer free Whois privacy nor domain protection but do for domain forwarding and custom DNS.
Warning: Domain.com DNS update is extremely slow and disappointing, except you opt-in to their premium DNS extras. The last two experiences I had while trying to set up a custom domain name mapping for squarespace.com services were so bad that I have to source for an external DNS service to map them correctly.
Enom Central
enom is no mean name in domain name registration services and powers the majority of domain name resellers. We’ve used them in the past and can tell their support is really top-notched and answers technical questions like a pro.
Their dashboard might seem complicated at first, but it provides access to tools and DIY guides needed to make the best out of your domain name.
Dotster
We’ve only had to contact dotster support team once and were not that much impressed with it, but their services are really great and worthy of a recommendation.
With a domain at dotster, you’ll get custom DNS management tools, domain forwarding, and sundry. Even though they do not offer free whois privacy and formidable domain protection tools, their services are great overall.
Dynadot
In Dynadot, there is the domain auction for expired domains and a support team that really cares for the clients. Our experience with Dynadot isn’t as great as it is with Namesilo and Namecheap but wasn’t as annoying as the ones below.
Below Average Registrars
They just didn’t make the cut for us; Upselling and cross-selling techniques are not frowned at here; to them, it is all part of the game and makes them masters at the game of greedy marketing techniques.
Their support is usually not the best for technical challenges and is better off avoided.
The Worst Domain Name Registrars
We have had the worst domain name registrars and web hosting provider in these two and can not recommend them to someone else.
From their bait and switch method, tedious cancellation process to aggressive Upselling and cross-selling techniques, these two companies have decided to shun all ethics and standard practices.
Searching for a good name that’s available in Godaddy should be snapped ASAP, else the domain name will be gone forever or will be listed at a ridiculous amount (in the name of ‘premium domain name’).
A peep into the Pennsylvania State Attorney General office Chester Pa, USA: has in quantum- customer complaints regarding 1and1 shady practices/services.
I fell for 1and1 services in the first place due to their aggressive promotion for a 1st-year domain name and hosting services. It blinded my eyes from looking around the internet for honest reviews from real users of their services.
Of course, there are many painful complaints from real users of the 1and1 domain and hosting services that would have deterred me from patronizing them.
Attempting to transfer a service from 1and1 is typically not straightforward, so you must prepare to read tons of tutorials when making plans to move away from them.
In the Worst case scenario, they will continue billing your credit card for a difficult-to-cancel service, even after getting in touch with their (‘never-interested-in-resolving-issues’) customer support.
Update: Godaddy has improved in their domain name services but will still bug you with their hosting and services’ up-selling that most-times pushes one to buy something he’s really not interested in.
We’ll remove them from this worst section for domain name registrars as soon as they improve their aggressive cross-selling tactics.
What More?
This is our submission and meant to serve as a guide and not a sanction; you will not lose your domain name to any of the listed providers except when not renewed on time.
Recall that the domain name registrars used, grouped, and shared in this list is: –
- NameSilo
- NameCheap
- Google Domains
- iwantmyname
- Name.com
- Domain.com
- Enom Central
- Dotster
- Dynadot
- Register.com
- Yahoo Small Business
- Network Solutions
- Godaddy and
- 1and1
We can afford to use even the worst domain name registrars in our list because we are used to all the technicalities associated with domain name setup.
NameSilo provides the best support and domain security – that we can assure you. You can improve on this list by sharing your experiences on the best domain registrars or worst domain name registrars based on your review. Remember to choose wisely as – the domain name registrar used would play a significant role in your business success.
Top Domain Registrars: My Experiences & Recommendations
Obasi Miracle’s review of domain registrars highlights the best choices for your business. NameSilo and NameCheap stand out for their transparency, excellent customer support, and user-friendly services. Avoid hidden fees and upselling tactics by choosing wisely.
The fact is that Namecheap is one of the favorite registrars for scammers. The ‘proof is in the pudding’ as the old saying goes and nearly 90% of the scams being perpetrated by using domains are ones registered through Namecheap. A simple whois lookup confirms this fact. While they maintain an abuse email address, reporting offending domains results in zero action as the domains continue to operate their scams unhindered. As cw put it, there seems to be no accountability for the registrars in even enforcing their own rules and regulations. They protect the domain owners behind a privacy service so you can’t even find out who is scamming you without some kind of court order. Most of those being targeted by the registrar enabled and protected cybercriminals cannot afford the attorney costs to obtain the court order. Just like social media is virtually unaccountable for users posts, it would seem that registrars are also under this dangerous protective umbrella of zero accountability. They do nothing to stop the crimes they’re enabling and it’s apparently never discussed by the authorities it should be. It’s time registrars start being held accountable for the crimes they’re enabling and doing nothing to stop.
I had a really great experience with Namecheap. I also like 101domains. I got a .ai domain from them for cheap,
https://www.101domain.com/ai.htm
I think they have the most domain extensions I’ve found online
Try again-I would like to see an article on how well these implement their anti spam policies,
I would like to see an article on ehics in regards to their spam policies.I would like to see Government intervention in the isps/domain hosters by way of regular auditing..Clearly,they cant Police themselves,hence spam is out of control.When challenged as a spam hoster,they duck for cover.Disgraceful.
I agree with your review. But one thing most of the reviews I have read online usually based it on both their hosting services along domain registration, which I feel is wrong. Imagine some people naming web hosting companies as top domain registrars just because they also host domains.
Namesilo offers better services but they are not as popular as the rest. Godaddy still remains the topmost as they are the largest domain name registrars.
I blog about domains at DomainDome.
NameSilo is the WORST at taking down fraudulent domains. If you report criminal activity on domains in their purview, they will cry, “But we’re not the hoster! We’re not the hoster!”
They also have the worst customer service I have ever encountered. It’s virtually non-existent. Avoid at all costs!
Namesilo do not have hosting functionalities at the moment, so it’s best to report DMCA concerns to the hosting company. Haven’t had a negative experience with their tech support yet. Thanks for dropping by to share your personal experience with Namesilo domain services.
namesilo is not listed on the approved registrar list at internic.net, shouldn’t they be removed. I didn’t check the rest of the list.
NameSilo is an accredited domain name registrar. You can verify from https://www.icann.org/registrar-reports/accreditation-qualified-list.html
The worst is no doubt 1and1, it took me 4 years to be able to leave them, and I still hade to pay for 2 more years!
That’s quite disheartening Ksenia,
I’m sorry about such sad experience and hopes you’re enjoying your current registrar?
Um! if Godaddy is the worst domain registrar then why it is managing more than 61 million domains. It may be worst in web hosting but its best for domain registration. Don’t lay on bad reviews of Godaddy is also cheap and best.
Godaddy is obviously one of the earliest domain registrar and spends million of dollars in various promotion annually. Their huge acquisition in the past has also placed them in a better position for such.
But in all, our post isn’t trying to discourage anyone from using them but to create a pointer to our best experiences for domain registrars when support and value-for-money is the priority.
Obasi Miracle Sir Do a Review About : Porkbun.com
please It needs to Be Reviewed because it’s getting in so much +1 and -1 Confusions.
And only you Can Bring the truth ABout it !
i would diffidently recommend —-NameSilo.com—- i have 100s of domains registered with almost all well known Registrars but till now i can just recommend only— NameSilo —one more thing is you don’t need to worry about the design and the look of the website as this is not important if you get speed and tones of functionalities for FREE. so think about it.
they have more than 500k domains under their Management so it is very much safe for companies and NameBranding.
i am not working with them or have any personal contact with anyone working in NameSilo, and i live in Dubai.
Thanks for sharing your opinion about Namesilo Amine,
Do have a lovely week-end already.
I too lost a domain name from NameCheap because of the faulty autorenew and they didn’t contact me as the technical and admin contact. The update website, is very slow and sometimes doesn’t work well in different browsers. I’m in the process of looking for another hosting and domain provider. Stay away from GoDaddy by the way.
Thanks for the feedback Jeff,
Even though I haven’t had such negative issues with Namecheap except for their hosting services, it is worth looking into since more than a person is already experiencing similar problems.
I will get in touch with some members of our editorial team to see if this is a bug. If it is, I’d have to get in touch with Namecheap support about it and then demote them from a-top our list of best domain name registrars.
We do not particularly recommend their hosting services but would advice you look through our top 5 list here to see what meets your business requirement.
Hey, Obasi. I’m the CTO for a relatively new Registrar (Porkbun.com) and was the original developer for what became Name.com and was one of the first developers at Doster as well. First, great article and I think your picks are pretty spot on although I do have a bias toward Name.com since it used to be my baby. I’d love to talk to you about a few things via email if you wouldn’t mind. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing your ideas Owen, you can get in touch with us anytime from the contact page or use adminat(ourdomain.com) to talk to me personally.
Dynadot is the worst service I’ve had, I have proof of their abuse and fraud
Thanks for notifying us about that LG, I’ll be extremely ecstatic if you could please spare some few more minutes to share your experiences with us in details. Thanks again for your time
Everything about 1&1 can be extremely frustrating at times Jerome,
But then, you can transfer out your domain name after two months by disabling the domain lock and giving your new registrar the EPP code to effect the transfer.
Namesilo would normally give a year extra for transferred domains.
1&1 IS THE WORST! After applying for a domain (which supposedly includes WhoIs Privacy), I got a crap load of spam. Literally 50 emails every day! On top of that, their contract and customer service sucks. No refunds and you can’t deregister your domain, you have to wait until it expires. I only wish I’d seen your article sooner.
I must say I not surprised to see Namecheap in the first list, however after many years as a customer, I just lost two domains because their autorenew functionality does not work reliably. I can no longer recommend Namecheap. On top of this, it was damn hard to find a phone number … many other registrars give you phone number access… essential when you need to talk to a person on critical issues.
I came here looking for a registrar other than my current Namecheap. I am in the process of losing two of my domains through Namecheap as their Autorenew function is faulty. Clearly, I cannot recommend Namecheap. However thanks to this article, I will take a good look at Name.com and Namesilo. Namesilo seems to have a pretty good api and unlike Namecheap, they are not re-sellers and they also publish their full contact info (telephone number)in case of problems like I had.
Thanks for dropping by KKC,
We use Namesilo and can easily recommend their services to anyone else.
Do have a lovely week ahead
Name.com is owned by NameCheap! And ENOM owns both of these companies! -So all 3 are owned by same company.
It’s all a mess to be honest. I’m having trouble with NameCheap after working with them for 9 years now. They only register my domain name and said I had fraud trouble? Fraud by whom? Me? I don’t think so. Got a “help ticket” and haven’t heard from them in 48 hours….. great customer service.
I guess I’ll real time chat with another Namecheap agent and get nowhere again today.
Thanks for sharing your opinion about RoseHosting Andy,
Do have a super-splendid weekend
I registered my domain names with ‘Rosehosting’ and I am hosting my sites with them. They have world-class service and I think they are the best. Nice overview by the way.
Best: Gandi
Worst: Godaddy and Easily
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us Olivia
nice review obasi. i started with godaddy. pagespeed insights always suggested to reduce server response time. goddady is expensive too. it costed me $100+/yr now i’m using cheapdomaina at half a price.
Thanks for your comments Anon, we’ll look forward to that in the coming days
Ummm … you’ve missed the total disaster that is Moniker ….. just do a little Google search …. try ‘The new Moniker – love it or hate it?’ ….
And let’s not forget Whois, Or should it be called “Whatis”