This is a great question! Especially since there are hundreds of domain registrars out there.
For the most part, registrars offer the same basic service
- Domain registration. This gives you your .com, .net, or other TLD (the domain ending). The standard choice is to renew annually, or you can prepay multiple years. Most registrars offer an Auto-Renew option, which is a major convenience so you don’t lose your domain name.
- WHOIS contact information. You enter public contact information called WHOIS, and most registrars have an option to make it private so bots can’t scrape your information as easily.
- Nameservers. You choose your nameservers, which are where your DNS records are hosted. DNS records are like an old phone book for your domain name (e.g. mail goes to this server, website traffic goes to that server, etc.).
Those are the basic services most domain registration companies provide. Since most charge around $20 per year, give or take a few dollars, it’s not critically important which company you choose.
Red flags to avoid when choosing a domain registrar
- Annual renewal prices over $25 per year (unless you need a special domain ending, such as .build, .lawyer or .realtor, which can cost more annually).
- A company with a poor reputation or one you’ve never heard of.
- An additional fee for private registration. This should be free and included in your renewal.
Which companies do I recommend?
Previously, I was very happy with Google Domains, but in 2024 Google transitioned its customer domains to Squarespace. I don’t feel registering a domain name through Squarespace is wise if you aren’t using the Squarespace website builder and hosting services.
As of 2024, my current recommendations are these 2 companies:
- Namecheap. Founded in 2000, they consider themselves “the world’s second-largest domain registrar.” Their domain services are honest and straightforward, and they have solid security practices to safeguard your account. Transfers to them were simple, and their prices are very competitive.
- GoDaddy. They’ve been around since 1997, they’re based in the USA, and they make creating an account and registering a domain name easy. However, their checkout is plagued with unnecessary up-charges, they’ve been accused of unethical marketing practices, and their economy hosting packages are very low quality to run a business on.
Should I switch my domain name?
In general, no. If you’re paying a decent price (under $25 per year per domain) and haven’t experienced terrible customer service, keep your domain where it is. I also advocate keeping all of your domains under the same roof, so you only have one place to check once or twice a year to review your billing and auto-renewals.
What if I do want to move my domain name?
Moving a domain name is actually easier than people think. ICANN (the domain authority) has standardized the process. Usually, you just need 2 things:
- The domain in an unlocked state (usually achieved with one click).
- The auth code (authorization code), which can typically be found in your domain dashboard.
That’s usually all you need to move a domain name from one registrar to another. Once the transfer is initiated, the domain owner’s email address (listed in the WHOIS record) receives a transfer link to accept or reject the transfer. Once it’s accepted, the transfer completes. Typically a pretty straightforward process!
Actionable tip: unhappy with your current domain registrar, or looking to purchase a new domain name? Consider Namecheap. I’m very happy with their services, and they have a solid reputation in the website design industry.
About the author
Leighton Smith is Pioneer Media’s website designer, web developer and webmaster, based in East Tennessee. As a solopreneur, he is each client’s one point of contact and has built hundreds of websites since learning to code in 2006.
