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Best domain name registrars for your next smart buying decision
When you are going to set up a website the most important part is to get a suitable domain name. The domain name is the website’s identity, your location on the internet and technically the individual IP only your site could have.
A domain name should be meaningful, short and memorable so that it can be remembered by people. It doesn’t mean that a long domain name would not work and won’t get indexed by the search engine crawlers. Honestly, they do not care how long your domain name is but it is only for us so that we can recognize a name easily rather trying to read it for a few seconds.
So selecting a domain name is quite easy these days. You can think of a name yourself or take the help of any random name generator or you could take the help of keyword tools to get an effective name.
Once you have completed the selection part it’s time to find the domain name whether it’s available or already taken by others. To do so you will need a tool called the “domain name registrar”. This tool will help you find the domain names with a suitable extension like .com,.,.org and many more.
There are many domain name registrars where you can purchase a unique domain name for your site. But while buying a domain you should be careful because it’s not all about registering a domain, it’s about managing, linking, protecting, tracking the status and so on.
So, in this list, we are adding ten + reliable domain registrars which will help you to find the best domain with affordable prices and all demanded tools for managing a domain.
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Best Domain Name Registrars:
#1. Google Domains
Google Domains is one of the newest players in the domain registrars game, started in 2015 and quickly grew as one of the best domain registrars.
Domain name price starts from just $9 and it has some of the fastest and most secure infrastructure.
What I liked the most is that for one price you get a lot of features included. When buying a domain name with google domains you get space for up to 100 subdomains to create without any additional cost.
Apart from domain registration you get Google’s 2 step verification, DNSSEC, and many other features for FREE:
#2. Name.com
Started in 2003, name.com built up it’s reputation, based in Denver, Colorado.
They don’t need to be introduced, affordable domain names and great community with honest support.
Why I love them so much?
If you remember when Godaddy voted for SOPA back in 2011, name was one of the anti-SOPA domain registrars, they support net neutrality and internet free speech.
#3. Namecheap
Namecheap is one of the leading domain registrars and hosting providers. Like Squrespace it provides an integrated SSL certificate for safe traffic.
This service manages millions of domains owned by millions of customers. You can see varieties of domain extensions ( .com, .net, org, etc) and apply automatic renewals.
Advanced DNS management and cost-effective plans are the primary strengths of Namecheap. Moreover, when you want to sell your domain name, you can just sell it on Namecheap’s marketplace. An easy way…
When you buy a domain, they provide you the best support in purchasing, linking and managing the domains. During selling or renewal, if you counter any difficulty, you can take help from the support team straight away.
The 3rd party domain transfer and inter transfers are really simple and effective. The process of domain transfer takes the usual time frame of 5-7 days and renewal is cheap as it should be. They use WhoisGuard for privacy protection to make your domain secure enough when it goes live. It also incorporates a high-performance PremiumDNS service that delivers 100% uptime performance.
Still, the country-code TLDs (.us, co, me) requires additional transfer requirement for domain registration. Namecheap is much more popular when you want to buy a domain using a debit card/ credit card or PayPal.
#4. Bluehost
Bluehost is a popular hosting giant trusted by many webmasters around the world. However, as part of web hosting services, they also provide domain registration services.
You can get multiple options for domain extensions. The search module is similar to other domain registrars. You should go to the domain search tool and type any name you want. In a few seconds, all the available options with suitable extensions will show up and you can pick your domain from it with privacy and protection (optional).
The service also ensures to give effective security policies such as the WHOIS directory and SSL. The domain transfer management is flexible, it will guide you with step by step procedure to transfer your domain to Bluehost account or from Bluehost account.
Like other domain registrars, it also provides auto-renewal domains that will automatically renew the domain when it is about to expire.
Domain privacy and protection will secure you from identity theft activities. It will notify you through email when any changes are observed while scanning the website by the domain registrar. You can change the DNS records across multiple domains.
All the aspects and its functions are simple and user-friendly with the control panel. The service provides an annual plan for registration of a domain. But make sure to choose a short domain name or you can use a keyword-based domain for better indexing on the search engine.
#5. Godaddy
Godaddy is a popular brand when it comes to domain name registrars. It is trusted over 19 million customers all around the world who are constantly managing their domains from Godaddy dashboard.
With the collection of simple and easy to use tools, you can easily connect to the domain name to the website, manage, forward and do a lot more with it. You can get almost all kinds of popular extensions at an affordable price tag.
Some of the featured domain extensions are (.info, .in, .com, club, world). However, these extensions are not limited only to these. Once you search for any name you will get a lot of naming variations with various options of extensions.
Nevertheless, some of the domains have special restrictions while purchasing them, you can purchase it with certain. When you complete a domain registration you will need to do email verification for security purposes. Upon completion of email verification, you can access your unique domain manager panel.
All the important options like DNS records, Domain information, domain enhancement, nameservers, and TLD will be available inside your managing dashboard.
You will get email addresses aliases, automatic domain renew option and domain transfer for effective experience with it and satisfaction.
They also provide domain protection which keeps your website safe for up to 12 months. That basically works on blocking the malicious transfer of domains. More than that you can list your domain for sale anytime you want and track the domain worth as well.
#6. Squarespace
Squarespace is another world’s most popular domain name registrar which focuses on functionality and clean management interface. Like Godaddy, Squarespace does provide all kinds of domain extensions. To get your required domain you will have to search for it and pick up one from the list of available domains.
The powerful domain tools of Squarespace allows you to edit the DNS, Link domain with self-hosted(hosted on Squarespace) sites and forward your URL.
Some of the popular features of this domain registrar are a wide range of domain name availability, quick domain transfer, easy to use interface, multiple emails and reasonable price.
Squarespace provides an SSL certificate during domain purchasing which is really necessary. SSL keeps your site traffic safe and transfers data in a secure route. The WHOIS security is also included for all the eligible domains.
The WHOIS protects your site against malware activities. While building your site it will display a maintenance page or under construction page. The service has partnered with G Suite by Google so you can get custom email addresses.
You can renew your domain name at the same rate of purchasing. Inter transfer of a domain from one Squarespace account to another is real quick. Moreover, the renewal of an almost expired domain is very much similar to an expired domain. The cost remains the same in this case.
#7. HostGator
No wonder, you have heard about HostGator, a powerful platform for Web hosting services. More than that, we also know it for an active domain registration portal where you can buy a domain individually or buy it with your web hosting.
The price is reasonable, you don’t have to think twice about spending more than required when you have purchased a domain from Hostgator. It provides annual plans for introductory offers as well as renewals. If you buy a 2-year plan then you will get a beneficial discount. Many additional domain extensions are available even if your site is for business purposes.
They guarantee you to protect your site from theft activities with some good security features. Your personal information will be protected with WHOIS protection. The maximum character limit of registering a domain name is 63 characters.
The service provides a transparent transfer module of domains to avoid issues. The DNS management system is as reliable as it should be + has some advanced settings for it.
You can easily set up the professional email addresses for your domain. The support team is not as effective as Namecheap but yes you will get a solution soon.
If you miss renewing the domain within the Renewal Grace period then the domain will be automatically deleted, so you should be careful when you an email notification from Hostgator.
Hostgator is a well-known hosting and domain name provider so people often choose to purchase domains from it.
#8. Dreamhost
Dreamhost is another cool domain name registrar. However, it primarily focuses on hosting services.
This domain registrar provides you tools for searching and registering domains, privacy protection, and domain transfer. It provides over 400 generic and country-specific TLDs.
They protect your privacy by using a WHOIS database. DreamHost’s Proxy Protection replaces your contact information with their contact information which is a good way of protecting all the domains.
The domain privacy doesn’t cost an additional amount. Moreover, you will have some good options like email forwarding and multiple email address for your domain name. Email spam and phishing are protected by using a dynamic proxy server.
The automatic domain renewal process is available. It offers multiple domain extensions options in affordable pricing. There are many popular TLDs provided with discounts such as .com, .net, info and many more. You can check it while searching for the domain.
They do provide domain managing dashboard with all the tools are activated. It has a suggestion tool to select effective domain for your site. Also, you can have a bunch of subdomains by purchasing any hosting plan.
Even if it is a hosting service, the tools, and features included make it a proper domain registrar.
#9. Hostinger.com
Hostinger is another all in one web service provider. It provides cheap hosting plans + domain name registration plans as well. The domain registration service is effective as other popular domain registration panel.
Along with Web hosting, cloud hosting, and VPS hosting, Hostinger has crafted a domain search tool where you can type, find and pick your domain with the most favorable extension.
As it offers cheap hosting services, the price of the domain names doesn’t go high. It gives the recommendations while selecting a domain name for your niche. Use their filter to choose your extensions or if you prefer a top-level domain scroll down to find them.
It uses WHOIS to keep your information private. The transfer of a domain is easy and quick. A domain name is free when you purchase a hosting plan.
You can create your desired email addresses inside the domain manager. The DNS record, DNSSEC, contact details, child name servers can be edited inside the manager.
If you have purchased a domain for a specific time then within that time you have the ability to sell it using any 3rd party marketplace.
The service gives auto-renewal option to renew your domain at regular intervals. There are no special requirements while registering a domain name.
#10. Domain.com
Domain.com is a good hosting provider and domain name registrar. It too has a website builder service. You can search domain, filter and select among a variety of domain extensions.
Domain name redirect (URL forwarding) tool is available inside the domain manager. You can forward email addresses under your domain and maintain control over DNS management. The child DNS record can be updated for some special reasons such as creating static websites.
While transferring a domain name you will need to fulfill some requirements such as domain should be already registered and valid by another registrar. Domain has to be registered before 60 days earlier. Domain should have unlocked status and valid authorization code.
They provide multiple TLDs for your domains from A to Z in affordable pricing. Your domain privacy will be maintained by the WHOIS database.
Premium domain is also available which can be sold in their marketplace. You will also have high-quality domains with popular extensions in domain.com’s market place.
Premium domains are quite costlier than regular domains but it will be in your price range. They accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express as well as PayPal.
#11. Bigrock
Bigrock is an Indian domain name registrar + hosting provider. It also gives clouds for business and manages the business mails.
You just have to complete a few steps to get a brand new domain. You can search, select any domain name of your choice and see the available domain extensions. Once you have completed the purchasing process you can access your orders.
You will get various TLDs at reasonably cheaper prices. It provides premium domains that have high SEO potential with instant credibility that ultimately help your site to stand high on the search engine.
The domain manager has multiple essential tools such as contact details, privacy protection, nameserver editor, a child name server, domain secret, theft protection and much more.
The service ensures the security of your identity and domain privacy by the WHOIS database. Recently they have added new more new extensions to give this domain name registrar a new direction. Hence, it is a great platform to buy and manage domains.
When it comes to pricing, you will always look more at low prices. Popular domain names are at low prices such as .com is available just in $5.6. Here, renew and transfer charges are lower, unlike other domain registrars. The payment options are Visa/Master, American Express, Discover and PayPal.
#12. Register
The register is the 10th best domain name registrars in this list that consists of many other services. Register incorporates web hosting, free logo design, and affiliate marketing.
It provides you free SSL certificate when you purchase a domain to ensure qualitative safe traffic. Moreover, you will find many website builder options which can be easily customized.
The domain search tool lets you choose any domain name and get affordable prices for various extensions available. You can also pre-register domain names so that you will get domain names of your choice.
There are many other services such as premium domains and domain appraisal. The service manages over 2 million domains and trusted by hundreds and thousands of customers.
You will get a discount if you transfer your domain to Register with another free one-year extension in just $12. Just in a few simple steps, your domain name will be transferred to Register.
For privacy, the service uses WHOIS privacy protection to seal your personal identity. The rates are much cheaper than other domain registrars. Even the popular extension .com is also available in $5.00 which costs the same as other extensions such as in, .org, etc.
#13. Enom
Started way back in the 1997, as of 2016, they have over 15 million domain names under their management. What i don’t like is the price of $13.95 for domain per year.
Final Words :
The domain registration is an important point while establishing a website. You can get almost all domain names and the search engine optimization is completely independent of the registrar but choosing a good registrar is important in terms of reliability, pricing, and support.
The above mentioned best domain name registrars provide multiple tools to configure your site properly while some of them provides your inbuilt website designer to quick start your site. Some of them offer you premium domains which is a plus point when it comes to SEO as those domains are powerful.
Again another important thing is to have ease in transferring domain whether it is outside or inside the registrar. If the transferring process is not efficient you may face a lot of problems, so having a reliable one is precious.
I would say pricing is another factor that you should look at while choosing a domain registrar. Pricing doesn’t only mean how many doses a domain name cost per registrar but it includes the methods of payments and most importantly the supported currency.
From this list, many people use Bluehost, Godaddy, Namecheap because they are the most reliable and popular domain name registrars. Also, you can get a free domain just by purchasing the plan of web hosting.
However, buying a domain from Bigrock or Register won’t let you feel bad because all these registrars are quite good and almost similar according to our experience.
Whichever you choose make sure it is comfortable with three main prospects reliability, pricing, and support system.
Cheers…..
