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The Best Domain Registrars Of October 2021

Amy Nichol Smith, Rob Watts

Contributor, Editor

Updated: Oct 13, 2021, 3:59pm

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Choosing the best domain registrar for your website is a bit more complicated than just looking for the lowest price. While cost is a huge factor, many registrars that offer low prices do not include privacy protection in the base rate—leaving your personal contact information publicly available in the global ICANN registry for anyone to access. In order to protect yourself, you need to factor in this service when selecting a registrar.

Some registrars wear multiple hats, allowing you to register a domain, host and design your website in an all-in-one package. Be sure to take your unique situation into consideration when selecting a service, and remember that introductory rates generally do not carry over when it’s time to renew. Forbes Advisor has reviewed the pricing, security settings and features of dozens of companies to bring you this list of the best domain registrars.

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The Best 10 Domain Name Registrars of 2021

NameCheap

Free WHOIS privacy

Yes

Learn More

Read our full review

Why We Picked It

NameCheap is one of the best domain name registrars because it offers low registration prices for top-level domain names (TLD). The popular .com extension costs $9.48 per year for your first term ($47.40 for five years), and renewal costs are $13.48 per year (with discounts for multiple year renewals). Other TLDs are a bit pricer: $12.98 for .net and .org, and $39.98 for .io.

Every domain registration gets free WHOIS privacy for as long as you use NameCheap as your registrar. NameCheap charges for a few extras, including DDoS protection and SSL certificates. It offers web hosting, VPNs, and email at a cost, also.

Who Should Use It: NameCheap is an ideal domain registrar for anyone who needs domain names. Its free domain privacy, fair registration fees and low renewal costs are why NameCheap is one of the best domain registrars.

Pros & Cons

Low registration prices

Fair renewal prices

Free Whois privacy

Hosting available

Low cost for SSL certificates

24/7 support via live chat

No phone support

DDoS protection costs extra

Domain.com

Free WHOIS privacy

No

Learn More

On Domain.com's Secure Website

Why We Picked It

Pricing for domains at Domain.com is a bit buried, but you can find a full list to make it easier for you to decide which extension is most affordable for you. The standard .com costs $8.99 for the first year and renews at $13.99 per year. Rather than get a discount for a longer term, you’re charged more: A .com domain costs $52.95 for five years.

Domain.com charges extra for domain privacy and DDoS protection, but it bundles those features in one price ($8.99 for the first year). You can get hosting, SSL certificates and email at an added cost. Other domains are a bit pricey at Domain.com: A .io extension costs $47.99 the first year ($60.99 renewal) and .shop is $34.99 (same for renewal).

Who Should Use It: You could do well with Domain.com for short-term website projects. You can only register a domain for five years at a time, and then you’ll be locked into a higher renewal cost.

Pros & Cons

Fair registration prices

Phone & live chat support available

Hosting available

Domain privacy costs extra

DDoS protection costs extra

Domain pricing is buried

Google Domains

Free WHOIS privacy

Yes

Why We Picked It

Google Domains is a straightforward domain registrar. Pricing is transparent and fair, and you can see how much you’ll pay before even going to your cart. Most popular extensions are $12 per year (.com, .net, .org, .us, .info), but .io is pricier at $60 per year. You get domain privacy for free, but there are no options for DDoS protection. In fact, the only other add-on is for Google’s Workspace suite. Also, Google Domains doesn’t offer nearly as many extensions as other registrars.

We like that Google Domains offers insights about your domain choice. For example, we chose a .com with the word “castle” in it, and Google Domains pointed out people might hear “kassel” and type it incorrectly. Registering a domain with Google Domains is simple and there are few upsells.

Who Should Use It: Google Domains is strictly a domain registrar (okay, email registrar, too), so this is best to use if you already know which web host you want to use.

Pros & Cons

Transparent pricing

Easy to use

Workspace addon available

Limited number of domain extensions available

No DDoS protection

.io extension is pricey

Dreamhost

Free WHOIS privacy

Yes

Why We Picked It

It’s a bit difficult to tell whether Dreamhost charges $7.99 for .com extensions in a perpetual promotion or if $15.99 is the regular price, so keep that in mind if you choose Dreamhost as your domain registrar. Most renewals are similar to the .com renewal cost of around $17.99 per year. You can get a .net for $10.99 ($16.99 renewal), .org for $11.99 ($15.99 renewal) and .io for $29.99 ($39.95 renewal). The .io price is fair compared to some of the other best domain name registrars.

Dreamhost is better known as a web host, so it’s no surprise to see an upsell in the checkout process to get hosting. You’ll get domain privacy for free, but there are no options to add on DDoS protection. Email hosting is available, as are domain transfers.

Who Should Use It: Dreamhost offers low-cost domain registration for the first year, but renewals are pricey. However, it could be an attractive option if you also plan on using Dreamhost for your web hosting.

Pros & Cons

Pricing list is easy to find

Free domain privacy

Fair pricing for .io extension

Pricey renewals

Only allows up to three years’ registration

No DDoS add-on

Hover

Free WHOIS privacy

Yes

Why We Picked It

Hover is primarily a domain registrar, but it also offers email. If you choose Hover for your domain registration, you’ll have to find a separate web host. Hover’s pricing is slightly above average for the industry, but it does offer free domain privacy. A .com extension costs $15.99, $13.99 for a .org, $17.49 for a .net and $49.99 for a .io. Renewal prices vary depending on which extension you choose.

Hover offers sales often on specific extensions, so you may be able to get a deal at regular prices. You can register a domain for up to 10 years, but there’s no discount for multiple years. Hover discounts bulk domain renewals, though. So, if you need multiple domains, you can save on 10 or more domains when you renew after the first year (discounts also apply to multi-year plans). For example, if you register 10 domains for two years each, the second year for each domain gets a discount.

Who Should Use It: Hover is a great choice for anyone who needs multiple domains, thanks to its discount for bulk domains.

Pros & Cons

Fair renewal pricing

Free domain privacy

Email available as an add-on

Phone and live chat support

Slightly expensive domains

No hosting available

GoDaddy

Free WHOIS privacy

Yes

Learn More

On GoDaddy's Secure Website

Why We Picked It

GoDaddy is one of the first big names in domains, so there’s an expectation for it to be one of the best domain name registrars. Over the years, it’s become more than it once was—now it offers web hosting, email, marketing tools and a website builder. It’s a one-stop shop for web services.

Pricing is a bit expensive with GoDaddy, even though it offers deep first-year discounts. A .com costs $18.99 regularly, .net is $19.99, .org is $20.99 and .io is $62.99, all with the same renewal prices. When you search for a domain name, GoDaddy shows you the results along with insights about your choice. And then you get to the upsells—and there are a lot with GoDaddy. Domain privacy costs $9.99 per year, and $29.99 for domain protection.

Who Should Use It: The best use case for GoDaddy is when you need an all-in-one domain registrar, web host and site builder. You’ll get a deep discount on your first term, but to make the best of it, you’ll have to commit to a long-term contract.

Pros & Cons

Deep discounts for first term

All-in-one web services shop

24/7 live chat and phone support

Expensive domain privacy

Expensive domain protection

Above-average regular prices for domains

Bluehost

Free WHOIS privacy

No

Learn More

On Bluehost's Secure Website

Why We Picked It

Bluehost is best known as a web host, but it also offers domain registration services. Pricing starts at $12.99 for .com (renews at $17.99), $14.99 for .net (renews at $18.99), $9.99 for .org (renews at $17.99) and $11.99 for .io (renews at $11.99). Its pricing is average for the first term, but renewals are a bit more expensive.

You can get everything you need from Bluehost to get started with a website, but everything comes at an added cost, including domain privacy. The best deal you can get with Bluehost is as a bundle, but as a domain registrar, you’ll pay higher prices.

Who Should Use It: If you’re looking to start a website and you’re not sure what your plans are for it after the first year, getting a bundle from Bluehost is a good choice to get a free domain name for the first year.

Pros & Cons

Web hosting bundles offer free domain name for first year

Web hosting available

Email available

24/7 phone and live chat support

Pricey renewals

No free domain privacy

Lots of added costs

HostGator

Free WHOIS privacy

No

Learn More

On HostGator's Secure Website

Why We Picked It

HostGator is more of a web host that also offers domain registration. In fact, as a domain registrar, it focuses on TLDs, such as .com, .store, .biz and .org. HostGator doesn’t offer premium domain extensions, like .io

Pricing is on the high end for domain registration. A .com, .net and .org are $17.99 per year, and renew at the same price. Domain privacy doesn’t come free and it’s also a bit expensive at $14.95 per year. You can often get a discount on your first year of domain registration, but it’s a small discount.

Who Should Use It: If you plan on sticking to the most popular domain name extensions and you need a web host, HostGator could be a good pick for you, but it is a bit expensive.

Pros & Cons

Web service bundles available

Discounts on first-year domain registration

24/7 phone and live chat support

Limited domain extensions

Expensive domain privacy

Above-average domain registration prices

Network Solutions

Free WHOIS privacy

No

Why We Picked It

Network Solutions has an advantage in the domain registrar industry because it’s a pioneer—it’s been around for more than 25 years. Perhaps that’s why its prices are so high. Single-year registration of a .com domain is $25, and it renews at $37.99 per year. It isn’t just the .com extension that’s pricey. A .net and .org are also $25 per year, and a .io is $79.99 per year.

You’ll have to pay extra for any addons at Network Solutions. You can have access to hosting, SSL certificates, email and marketing tools, all at added costs. One of the most frustrating things is that Network Solutions may offer a promotional service that’s free for the first month, and in the fine print is the cost you’ll pay after that. If you don’t remove it from your cart, you’re stuck paying extra fees.

Who Should Use It: You might want to choose Network Solutions if its longevity seems like insurance for your domain. It offers 100-year domain registration plans, and it’s the longest-living registrar, so unlikely to go out of business.

Pros & Cons

Register a domain for up to 100 years

Phone and live chat support

Oldest domain registrar around

Domains are unusually expensive

Expensive domain privacy addon

Expensive DDoS protection

Tricky promotions that end with surprise charges

BuyDomains

Free WHOIS privacy

N/A

Why We Picked It

BuyDomains is a unique type of domain registrar. It’s more like an auction site for former domains that have a high value. So, if you search for a domain name that’s available on other domain registrars, it won’t show up on BuyDomains, but similar domains that are for sale will. For example, we searched for “ghostlycastle.com” and a list of domains for sale popped up, including “castleonline.com” for $5,088.

For domain privacy and renewal, you’ll have to transfer your domain to a typical domain registrar after buying the one you want from BuyDomains.

Who Should Use It: BuyDomains is a great place to buy a domain if you’re looking for a premium name that was previously registered. You can find some good deals and excellent domain names for businesses.

Pros & Cons

Unique, hard-to-find domains available

No upsells or add-ons

Expensive domains

No domain privacy

No set pricing

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Methodology

Domain registrars need to do one specific thing: let you choose and register a domain name for your website. However, it helps when they also have options like DDoS protection and other security measures. We placed a heavy emphasis on price for this guide, as well as factors like free WHOIS protection. Domain registrar services should also provide help in connecting customer domains to websites. This can be done either by a knowledge base or with hands-on help from the customer support team.

What You Need to Know About Domain Registrars

A domain registrar is a service that “sells” domain names. When you register a domain name, you don’t really own it, rather you rent or lease it, which is why you have to renew your domain name every year or term. There are some add-on services you should know about before you choose a domain registrar.

Why WHOIS Privacy Is Important

Without going too in-depth to what ICANN and WHOIS are, suffice to say it’s the nonprofit corporation that is responsible for keeping the internet secure and the naming structure of websites as it is. It requires anyone who registers a domain to provide accurate identifiable contact information, including name, address, email and phone number. Not everyone is comfortable with that information being public.

Domain registrars have found a way to keep your info safe and still provide ICANN with the info they need. These domain privacy features replace your information with the registrar’s info, at least publicly. Anyone can look up who registered a domain name, so having domain privacy can reduce spam for you, and keep you safe.

What’s the Difference Between Domain Extensions?

Arguably, the most popular domain extension is .com, but other TLDs include .net, .org, .edu and .gov. There are literally hundreds more from which you can choose, and the less popular extensions are usually less expensive, with a few exceptions. The popularity of .io and .co has skyrocketed recently, so they’re pricier.

Some extensions are restricted and you can’t purchase them unless you meet certain requirements. Restricted extensions include .edu and .gov. Overall, all extensions work the same. The .com extension is preferable because it’s easy to remember.

Tips for Choosing a Domain Name

Because .com is so popular, you may have difficulty finding your business name available as a .com. You can try one of the more obscure extensions, such as .info, .store, .shop or any other of the hundreds available. If you’re set on getting a .com, though, consider using modifications on your business name.

Let’s assume “ghostlycastle.com” is not available, and then try these changes:

Add articles, such as “a” “the” or “an” (aghostlycastle.com, theghostlycastle.com)

Try adding another word to your domain (ghostlycastleexperience.com, myghostlycastle.com)

Possibly include a hyphen (ghostly-castle.com, the-ghostly-castle.com)

Disclaimer: It’s worth noting that many of the domain registrars we include in our list of the best domain name registrars are subsidiaries of Endurance International Group (EIG), including Bluehost, HostGator, Domain.com and BuyDomains. The fact that they’re all under one umbrella should not affect the service you receive for domain registration, but it’s good to know.

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Amy Nichol Smith

Contributor

Amy Nichol Smith has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and editor, writing on a range of topics, including tech products and services, the gaming industry, and small business. She has been featured in Tom's Guide, L.A. Times, Business.com, Reader's Digest, and Investopedia. Her favorite tech product is a tie between her Roomba and gaming PC.

Rob Watts

Editor

Rob is an SMB writer and editor based in New Jersey. Before joining Forbes Advisor, he was a content producer at Fit Small Business. In that role, he was responsible for writing, editing, and strategizing content geared toward small business owners. Before that, he worked at PCMag as a business analyst.

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