Best Domain Name Registrars in 2024
If you’re starting an online business or blog, you’re going to need a website to help promote your brand to the masses, which means you’ll need to buy a domain. Here’s our pick of the best domain name registrars:
- Competitive prices
- Add full domain privacy
- Easy setup - no tech skills needed
- Award-winning support
- Free Privacy Protection
- Domain Marketplace for Premium Domains
- Cheap domain prices
- Free domain transfers
- Pick from over 400 TLDs
- WHOIS Privacy included
- Easy to register & setup
- .com starts fro $7.99/yr
Before you build your website and buy hosting, you’re going to need to find and purchase a domain name which matches with your business. There are many ways to pick a domain name, from using free domain name generators to finding close matches to the brand you want to build.
But when it comes to buying a domain for your website, it can get confusing with all the mumbo jumbo tech jargon that goes with it.
Thankfully our pick of the best sites to buy domains offer great services and pricing without the added fluff.
Our Best Domain Providers
- Namecheap – cheapest domain registrar
- GoDaddy – best domain provider overall
- HostGator – best domain & hosting package
- Domain.com – best for premium domains
- DreamHost – best domain services
- Porkbun – cheap domains & great service
If you’re after an expired domain that already has a history of backlinks and some SEO value, then check out our best option to do just that and help boost your rankings.
1. Namecheap – cheapest domain registrar
As the name might suggest, Namecheap offers cheap domain names at one of the most competitive prices online.
- Free Privacy Protection
- Domain Marketplace for Premium Domains
- Cheap domain prices
- Free domain transfers
You’ll be able to ‘bring your ideas to life’ and explore their range of deals that often include free trials of many of the other services they provide, like CDN plans, VPN plans, and Email hosting.
Register a new domain, and you’ll get Free Privacy Protection, not just for a year but for the time you own the domain.
You can enjoy a 2-month free trial of their professional email services or get one month free trial of their VPN service. Plus, add extras like an SSL certificate, Web Hosting, and Premium DNS management for added fees.
Suppose you’re after a premium domain that’s already registered. In that case, you can take a look at Namecheap’s handy Domain Marketplace, which lets you choose from popular categories and price ranges to select a name that’s close to what you’re looking for but at a premium price.
And if you are done with a domain for a project that didn’t quite succeed, there’s also the chance to list it (or multiple domains) for sale on the marketplace, where Namecheap will take a 10% commission on the purchase price.
The Namecheap domain registrar does more than just a let you buy domains online but talking from personal experience, you’ll get a simple easy to use service which will remind you before your domains are set to expire. This ease of use ensures that you’re always in control of the domains you buy.
Plus, there’s always a promotion going on on many of their services to help you grab a great deal at some of the best domain prices.
Domain Pricing*: .com from £6.42 / .net from £7.93 / .org from £6.63
2. GoDaddy – best domain provider overall
If you’re after a domain company that has one of the most comprehensive lists of web addresses on the books then look no further than GoDaddy.
- Competitive prices
- Add full domain privacy
- Easy setup - no tech skills needed
- Award-winning support
A well-known provider of not only domains but also web hosting plans, including WP hosting, you’ll be able to search through millions of names to find the one that suits your business needs.
They offer all top level domains (.com, .org, .net, .co.uk), as well as adding the new extensions like .shop, .online, .co, .biz, and more to the list.
When it comes to domain services, they don’t just let you register domains. You can also transfer an existing domain you own to them and take advantage of their free basic WHOIS protection with each domain or purchase full privacy and protection.
They also offer a web domain auction where you can bid to buy pre-registered domains for sale and a free-to-use domain name generator if you need a little extra inspiration.
Much like other providers GoDaddy not only provides domains but is a web hosting provider with a website maker, website security, and marketing tools on offer.
You might be able to find some good packages here, but unlike others in our list of domain hosting services, they don’t always offer the best value for money.
Pricing*: .com £17.12 / .net £15.12 / .org £19.12
3. HostGator – best domain & hosting package
Focusing more on website hosting more than domain purchase, HostGator also let you register and transfer domains. Their .com starts from around $12.95 per year with auto-renewals, domain lock in place, all accessed from an easy to user dashboard.
- Pick from hundreds of TLDs
- Domain locking
- Privacy protection available
- Introductory prices lower than renewals
Much like with GoDaddy, you can add privacy protection to your website domain for an added fee, and you’ll get 24/7 support via live chat or their Twitter account if you need it. They also have a comprehensive Knowledge Base where you can search for answers to your questions.
What adds HostGator to this list is the fact that if you sign up for one of their shared hosting or WordPress hosting packages, you’ll also get a one-year free domain registration, which is often cheaper than just buying the domain. Thanks to their competitive introductory offers.
You don’t get all the fancy stuff like auctions or premium domain buying like you do with Namecheap and GoDaddy. Still, if it’s an all-in-one solution you are after to get a project off the ground quickly and cheaply, then HostGator is a good bet.
Not the best, but worth a look. Just remember the introductory price is usually significantly lower than the domain renewal price.
Pricing*: .com $12.95 / .net $12.95 / .org $12.95
4. Domain.com – best for premium domains
Domain.com helps to make your dream a reality by helping you pick the best domain name for your project.
- Search & buy premium domains
- Find or transfer domains
- .com from $8.99/ first year
- Latest domain extensions available
Like most domain name registrars, as soon as you visit the Domain.com site, you’ll be able to enter the domain you’re thinking of buying and see all the current options including domain extensions.
The prices shown for each extension are at the yearly rates, and you’ll need to pay an extra fee for privacy and protection, which can considerably increase the cost.
Focusing on small to medium businesses, Domain.com also offers other various domain services like domain transfer and the ability to buy premium domains.
Operating since 2000, they’ve extended their services beyond domains providing you with the option to buy a hosting plan, Email services, SSL certificates, or even use their Website Builder offering an all-around start to finish website service.
You’ll have access to 24/7 support via live chat, email, or phone, ready to answer any questions you might have.
Overall, Domain.com might be a little expensive compared to the competitors, but it offers a service that’s getting better with age.
Pricing*: .com from $8.99, .net from $12.99 with domain Privacy Protection from $8.99 per year.
5. DreamHost – best domain services
Another primarily web hosting service but who also offer domain services, DreamHost is top on our list as much like Namecheap they throw in free WHOIS Privacy Protection with every domain you buy or transfer.
- Pick from over 400 TLDs
- WHOIS Privacy included
- Easy to register & setup
- .com starts fro $7.99/yr
Their prices are competitive too. Starting at $7.99 per year for a .com with the option to choose from over 400 different domain extensions.
DreamHost’s shared hosting plans all come with a free domain name for a year on TLD including: .BLOG, .CLUB, .COM, .INFO, .NET, .ONLINE, .ORG , .SHOP, .TECH, .XYZ, .STORE, .DESIGN, .ME, .SITE, .ART.
DreamHost isn’t just a web hosting and domain name service. They offer the complete package of resources to get your project started.
You’ll find various web host plans, a website builder, email hosting, web design, digital marketing, and web management services to pick from.
Overall it’s a straightforward and popular solution.
Pricing*: .com $7.99 / .org $11.99 / .net $10.99
6. Porkbun – Cheap Domains with Great Service
Porkbun is a domain registrar that adds a little character to buying domains online. In fact, the name of their website is all based on their mascot called Porkbun, which you will see don many different forms and disguises as you search for domains to buy.
An ICANN accredited domain name registrar, Porkbun give you the option to purchase not only top-level domains like .com, .net and .org, but also a wide range of other domain extensions. Choose from hundreds of extensions ranging from .accountant to .zen to find the perfect match with your small business or domain name.
When you purchase a new domain name Porkbun throw in a load of freebies, including:
- Free WHOIS Privacy (unless domain extension doesn’t support it)
- Free SSL Certificate for your domain
- Free Site Builder trial
- Email Forwarding
- URL Forwarding
- Free Web Hosting Trial
- Free Email Hosting Trial
With competitive prices, Porkbun pricing comes in cheaper than many other domain name hosting providers including GoDaddy and Domain.com.
And even though you can find sales on many domain extensions, the Porkbun first year and renewal prices tend to match. This means you are not hit with any massive increases in domain renewal costs in the future; as an American company, domain prices are all in US$.
They also offer many other features, including:
- Website Builder
- Email Hosting
- Website Hosting
- SSL Certificates
- Experimental Handshake Domains
Porkbun is an all-around website for all your domain needs.
Pricing*: .com $9.13 / .org $10.72 / .net $10.56
Another way to buy domains online
If you’re looking to give your business a helping hand, then buying an expired domain might be the advantage you’re looking for.
Services like SpamZilla let you search through millions of pre-registered expired domains that have gone through Spam detection to weed out only the best options for your business ventures.
They analyze the website’s historical data, including backlinks, to make sure that you’re purchasing a domain that won’t hurt your rankings.
Their cleanliness score includes vitals such as domain age, redirects, anchor text, backlink history, and website analytics to help you pick the best option. Use over 70 filters to help you narrow down exactly what you’re looking for.
Whether it’s a previously high DA site or with links from popular sources like the Huffington Post, SpamZilla lets you do all of that.
It could land you with a helping hand at getting your business off the ground quicker, building traffic and rankings easier than when buying a new domain.
You can try SpamZilla for free to review 25 domains or search the millions of expired domains for a monthly $37 fee. The cost of any expired domain is added on top.
*Prices are subject to change. It’s always best to visit the websites for the latest up to date pricing.
Domain FAQs
What is a domain name?
A domain name is an easy-to-remember name associated with a physical IP address. It’s an alias for a string of numbers that make up an IP address, so whenever you type the domain name into your browser’s address bar, you get redirected to the right place that’s associated with the IP address.
What domain name extension is best?
The most common domain names are Top-Level Domain extensions like .com, .net, and .org. These are typically best for worldwide audiences, but if your target audience is local, say in the UK, for example, choosing a .co.uk extension might be more appropriate.
Of course, if you’re looking to protect your brand and business, buying multiple extensions is an excellent way to do that, as you can always redirect the others to your primary target extension.
How to pick a domain name?
The key to picking a good domain name is to keep it short and rememberable. Try not to use long names, hyphens, or changing numbers for letters to make it easier for people to enter it into the address bar.
Think about branding, and not necessarily about exact match keywords when choosing a domain name, as it’s better to build your business around a brand.
