10 Best Domain Registrars Based on 2025 Data and Expert Opinion

There are currently more than 2,800 domain registrars on the internet who are ready to sell you a domain name. ¹ But depending on where you look, the price of yourwebsite.com can vary drastically from one registrar to another. Plus first-year promo prices often differ from renewal rates. On top of that, there are other considerations like whether or not the registrar includes email hosting or if they let you use your own nameservers.

To save you time, I’ve distilled hours of research into a list of ten domain registrars worthy of your consideration.

Whether you’re launching your first website, looking to get into the domain name business, or simply looking for a place to buy a domain so that you can have your own custom email address – you’ll find a solution here.

Brief overview of .com prices for 2025

Most people searching for a domain want a .com TLDA TLD (top-level domain) is the final part of a domain name that comes after the last dot in a URL, such as .com, .org, or .edu., which means that statistically speaking, there’s a decent chance that you’re also looking for a good deal on .com(s). So, before I get into the heavier analysis of each registrar, here’s a quick table that shows what you can expect to pay for a .com domain over the course of one, three, and ten years.

Top three quickie recommendations 🥇🥈🥉

If you’re in a super hurry and want a TL;DR, then here you are:

Best domain registrars compared IN DETAIL

1. GoDaddy

• TLDs offered: ~550
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ✅
• Web hosting available: ✅ shared, WordPress, VPS, reseller
• Free Email: ❌ starts from $23.88 in the first year (renews at $95.88)
• Best for: beginners who feel intimidated at the thought of starting a website and who don’t mind paying higher prices over the long term in exchange for easy-to-use website building tools

You can’t have a list of the top domain registrars without GoDaddy being on it and that’s because they dominate the market on a percentage basis. They manage roughly 12% of all registered domains on the web, which makes them the number one registrar based on market share. ³ And you don’t get to be number one if you don’t have something worthwhile to offer your customers. Here’s what GoDaddy brings to the table:

Services that GoDaddy offers ➕

• Domain appraisal tool: free
• Bundle discounts: available for higher volume orders
• SSL certificates: Wildcard, Multi-domain, DV, Managed DV, OV, and EV
• Logo maker: free
• Paylinks: lets you receive payments from anywhere (all you need is a domain)
• GoDaddy Airo™: AI-powered tool that generates logos, websites, etc
• Other domain-related services: brokerage, backorder, transfer, appraisals, and auctions

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: phone (local numbers in 30+ countries), text, or live chat and in some regions you can use WhatsApp ⁴
• Self-help options: help center (knowledge base), community forum, and blog
• 24/7: ✅

Why you might want to skip GoDaddy 🙅

GoDaddy’s pricing leaves much to be desired – particularly if you’re planning on having a domain over the long term. They do have some good promotional deals on select TLDs, but mixed in between them are also faux bargains that are intentionally structured in a way to make you think they are a better deal than they actually are.

For example, they have this one cent .com offer, where they want you to focus on the fact that “it’s only one penny.” However, all it takes is some basic math to figure out that on a per-year basis, the total cost of the three years you have to buy if you want the deal, ends up being about $14.66 per year. Not exactly “a bargain.” Then, starting in year four, you’ll be stuck paying $21.99 per year, which is considerably higher than most competitors.

As for the upsells, why does GoDaddy ask for $11.99 per domain, per year to simply enable 2FA as a security option? That’s just an odd thing to ask money for. It’s like renting out an apartment and then charging your tenant extra to use the stove in the kitchen.

If none of those things bother you, then below is a sampling of what you can expect to pay for some common domain extensions if you buy them with GoDaddy.

GoDaddy pricing 💰

2. Namecheap

• TLDs offered: ~550 (this excludes handshake TLDsHandshake TLDs require specialized DNS resolvers to access, aren't widely recognized by standard browsers, and primarily appeal to blockchain enthusiasts and technical users rather than mainstream domain buyers.)
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ✅
• Web hosting available: ✅ shared, WordPress, VPS, dedicated server, reseller
• Free Email: ❌ only free with select hosting plans; otherwise starts from $11.88 per year (renews at $14.88)
• Best for: overall top choice for a domain and scalable hosting in one place, with low renewal prices, good promo deals, and useful tools

Namecheap was established more than two decades ago (in 2000) and since that time it has grown to become the second most dominant domain registrar on the market – after GoDaddy. ⁵ If you’re looking to register a cheap domain name with affordable hosting to go along with it (i.e., a bundled option), then Namecheap has to be on your shortlist. This combination is also probably what makes it a fan favorite in several domain-related Reddit threads and among some of our staff.

Services that Namecheap offers ➕

• Domain email forwarding: free
• VPN: from $0.99 for the first month (renews at $7.88 per month)
• Free branding tools: font generator, logo maker, etc
• DNS: free (premium from $4.88 per year)
• CDN: free (premium from $8.88 per month)
• Stencil graphic design tool: free

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: submit a ticket or live chat
• Self-help options: knowledge base, how-to videos, status updates, and guru guides ⁶
• 24/7: ✅

Namecheap pricing 💰

Namecheap is aggressively competitive in both its promotional and its renewal pricing. A sampling of popular TLDs is below:

3. Squarespace Domains

• TLDs offered: ~630
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ✅
• Web hosting available: ❌ if you want a bundled option, you’re forced to use their website builder
• Free Email: ❌ email forwarding is free, but actual email starts from $7 per month and gives you 500 emails per month
• Best for: someone who is interested in using Squarespace’s website builder and doesn’t mind paying above-market costs for their domain

You might be surprised to see Squarespace Domains on this list and that’s because historically speaking, Squarespace has been primarily known for its website builder. However, on September 7, 2023 they acquired all domain registrations and their associated customer accounts from the now defunct Google Domains. ⁷ And just like that, they became the fourth largest player in the domain game – based on domains under management. Since then, they’ve been taking steps to solidify their position in the market by offering the following:

Services that Squarespace Domains offers ➕

• Domain auto-renewal: free
• Logo maker tool: free
• Coming soon page with no ads: free
• SSL certificate: free
• Premium DNS: free
• Link-in-bio mini site: free

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: AI chatbot, live chat, email, and X (Twitter) ⁸
• Self-help options: knowledge base, community forum, and status page
• 24/7: ✅ (except for the live chat, which is available Monday through Friday in English, French, and German)

Why you might want to skip Squarespace Domains 🙅

To begin with, Squarespace’s promo prices are around the same price as more competitive registrars’ renewal prices. In turn, that then makes their renewal prices way too high. Granted, they do throw in a lot of freebies so you need to consider those as a built-in cost, but still, there’s better pricing available elsewhere.

Beyond that, since they are relatively new to the registrar business, they might be prone to “beginner mistakes.” You can interpret that how you’d like, or even ignore it, but it’s something to consider.

Squarespace Domains pricing 💰

A sampling of prices for Squarespace Domain’s TLDs are below. Note that if you buy a site builder plan for at least one year, that Squarespace will give you a domain for free for your first year.

4. IONOS

• TLDs offered: ~370
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ✅
• Web hosting available: ✅ shared, WordPress, VPS, Windows, Jamstack, Magento, Joomla, Drupal, and more
• Free Email: ✅ with 2GB of storage; optional premium available
• Best for: lowest possible first year price on a domain-only purchase, but also with attractive hosting packages for those seeking a bundled option; great for those wanting a cheap custom email solution as well

IONOS, formerly known as 1&1, is a global web hosting and domain registrar company established in 1988 in Germany. Their rebranding to IONOS in 2018 underscored a renewed focus on cloud services and a commitment to customer support excellence. With a strong emphasis on reliability and scalability, the company has also grown to become one of Europe’s best domain registrars. Here are some highlight features you can expect:

Services that IONOS offers ➕

• SSL certificate: free
• Full suite of server options: virtual (Linux, Windows), dedicated (AMD, Intel), and more

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: live chat, AI chatbot, and phone support in 14 countries
• Self-help options: knowledge base, and “digital guide” (blog)
• 24/7: ✅

IONOS pricing 💰

IONOS offers competitive pricing for domain registration, often starting with promotional prices as low as $1 for the first year for some domains.

A sampling of some extensions is below. Note that if you sign up for a hosting plan for at least a year that you will get a free domain in your first year.

5. NameSilo

• TLDs offered: ~430
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ✅
• Web hosting available: ✅ shared only
• Free Email: ❌ two accounts free but only if you buy a hosting plan; otherwise starting from $35.88 per year
• Best for: the most straightforward buying experience with transparent pricing and an efficient way to search for only the TLDs that you want; also an excellent choice for developers

NameSilo is the sixth most popular registrar based on domains under management. ⁹ They also frequently show up in Reddit threads as a popular choice for great domain deals. This is primarily due to their great deals on select TLDs, transparency, and smooth domain buying experience. Developers also like NameSilo because they have a very nice Domain API with extensive documentation and even a sandbox for testing different setups. Besides that, you can expect the following:

Services that NameSilo offers ➕

• SSL certificates: three types, starting from $9.59 per year
• Logo maker: free

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: phone, live chat, email, and ticket system ¹⁰
• Self-help options: knowledge base, blog, and a domain API reference guide for developers
• 24/7: ✅ (except for phone support, which is available Monday through Friday, from 9:30am to 4:00pm MST)

NameSilo pricing 💰

NameSilo has an interesting pricing model. They offer standard pricing and bulk discounts, but they also have a discount program you can register for. The program is free, but it requires you to use your “account funds” to purchase domains. The caveat is that you need to put at least $50.00 into your account funds balance when paying. The price difference is significant if you are buying domains in bulk, but probably not worth it for one or three websites. For that reason, the prices shown below are based on standard (non-discount) pricing.

6. Dynadot

• TLDs offered: ~760
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ✅
• Web hosting available: ❌ if you want a bundled option, you’re forced to use their website builder (it’s free)
• Free Email: ✅ with 1 GB of storage; optional premium for $20 per year
• Best for: the business of domains (flipping, reselling, auctions, etc) and aggressive promo pricing on a wide selection of TLDs; also another excellent choice for those needing a custom email without having to buy hosting to get it

Dynadot is the fifth most popular registrar based on domains under management. ¹¹ If you’re looking for a deal on a niche TLD, then Dynadot is an excellent place to begin your search. They even have internationalized domain names (IDNs) available for purchase. Overall, we can refer to Dynadot as a real “registrar’s registrar.” Simply put, if there’s a domain-related service that exists, then Dynadot offers it. This makes it the best registrar for those who are in the business of domains, rather than just looking for a domain to launch a website. Here’s what you can expect from Dynadot:

Services that Dynadot offers ➕

• Domain ownership transfer: free
• For-sale landing page: free
• Grace period before deletion: free and transparent
• Domain appraisal tool: free
• Domain auctions: expired, user, backorder, last chance, and registry expired
• Bulk search and super bulk search: get discount pricing on select TLDs
• SSL certificate: two types available for purchase
• Free security package: includes 2FA, SMS authentication, authentication APP, security Key (Yubikey), and transfer lock

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: live chat, and email
• Self-help options: knowledge base, and community forum
• 24/7: ✅

Why you might want to skip Dynadot 🙅

If you’re looking for a bundled solution where you have hosting and your domain all in one place, then it’s probably better to go with another option on this list. Dynadot does offer a website builder for free (with an optional paid premium version), but there’s no actual web hosting. So if you want to use your own CMS like WordPress or Joomla, you’ll need to look for hosting elsewhere.

Dynadot pricing 💰

Dynadot has some of the most competitive pricing in the industry on both their promo deals and their renewals. For a full list of their prices across all of their TLD options, you can go here, otherwise you can check out the sampling below:

7. OVH

• TLDs offered: ~800
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ✅ but requires you to do it manually
• Web hosting available: ✅ shared, dedicated server, eco-dedicated server, VPS, managed bare metal
• Free Email: ❌ free only if you buy a web hosting plan; otherwise starting from $4.49 per month
• Best for: those seeking a bundled solution for high-powered websites and/or anyone trying to find rare TLDs

OVH is the thirteenth most popular registrar based on domains under management. ¹² They also have an enormous selection of domain extensions on offer. So if you’re on the hunt for a unique TLD and can’t seem to find it elsewhere, you might just luck out if you check OVH.

Beyond the above, they have a robust selection of hosting options, with some really powerful solutions for resource-intensive websites or projects. This makes them an ideal choice if you anticipate that your site is going to receive lots of website traffic or otherwise need the type of muscle provided by a dedicated server, VPS, etc.

Services that OVH offers ➕

• DNSSEC: free
• DNS Anycast: $1.31 per year
• Domain redirect: free
• Unique domain search filter: look for niche TLDs based on topic categories
• Aftermarket purchases: available with OVH acting as intermediary between you and the seller

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: phone, email (ticket), and live chat
• Self-help options: knowledge base, and community forum
• 24/7: ✅ (OVH has a tiered system where your support is determined by your plan; higher plans have 24/7 support on all contact channels, but lower plans only have 24/7 on live chat)

Why you might want to skip OVH 🙅

It’s not clear if domain buyers get any customer support. At best, the way the support page is written, you might get standard support (the lowest tier). It doesn’t explicitly say this, but it says “Standard Support is included with all OVHcloud solutions,” so if buying a domain is considered an “OVHcloud solution,” then you’re in the clear. If not, then you’ll need to rely on their self-help options.

OVH pricing 💰

OVH has fair renewal pricing on most domain extensions and some really attractive promo offers on select TLDs. Plus they have an extensive TLD catalog for you to choose from. Finally, if you sign up for any web hosting package, then you will get a domain free for your first year.

8. Cloudflare

• TLDs offered: ~350
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ✅
• Web hosting available: ❌ you can use their Pages service to deploy a static site though
• Free Email: ❌ email forwarding (they call it routing) is free though
• Best for: the cheapest possible long-term solution that doesn’t require you to do anything after you buy your domain (i.e., best price with no hassle)

Cloudflare is consistently one of the top user choices in Reddit threads when people are discussing best domain registrars. The reason Cloudflare has so many devoted fans, is because in the long term, it offers the cheapest domain prices out of any other option available. In terms of market share, it is the 23rd most popular registrar based on domains under management. ¹³ I personally have a few of my domains registered with Cloudflare and I use the Pages service for my portfolio site.

Services that Cloudflare offers ➕

• Domain auto-renewal: free
• Registrar (domain) lock: free
• DNSSEC: free
• 2FA: free
• API: developer-friendly
• AI Labyrinth: free
• Load balancing: from $5 per month
• Argo smart routing: from $5 per month
• And more (lots more!)

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: phone, support ticket, and live chat
• Self-help options: community forum, and Discord
• 24/7: ❌ (Cloudflare has a tiered system where your support is determined by your plan; if you’re only using them as a registrar then you can only submit tickets for billing, account, and registrar issues; no technical support)

Why you might want to skip Cloudflare 🙅

There are three drawbacks to using Cloudflare. All of them are relatively minor for most users.

First, they force you to use their nameservers. ¹⁴ For those who want to use their own DNS setup, this can be a dealbreaker.

Second, you can’t use Cloudflare if you want a one-stop-shop solution for both hosting and a domain name (unless you deploy your site as a static site).

Finally, unless you sign up for one of Cloudflare’s other services, then you’ll be on your own if you run into any technical problems (see customer support above).

Cloudflare pricing 💰

With very little exception (e.g., .org), Cloudflare does not offer any promotional pricing on their domains. On the flip side, they also don’t mark up their prices – at all.

9. Bluehost

• TLDs offered: ~300
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ❌ $11.88 per year extra
• Web hosting available: ✅ shared, WordPress, VPS, cloud, dedicated
• Free Email: ❌ starting from $72.00 per year
• Best for: short-term projects (up to a year) that want a very low bundled startup cost

Unlike the other options on this list, Bluehost isn’t really a domain registrar. They are primarily a web hosting company, who happens to also offer domain registration as a side service. If your next question is “Well, why the heck are they on a list of the best domain registrars?” the answer is straightforward and simple: For anyone who is looking for a bundled service (i.e., hosting and a domain in one place) at an extremely low upfront startup cost, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option elsewhere. Here is some of what you’ll get if you register your domain with Bluehost:

Services that Bluehost offers ➕

• Domain forwarding: free
• Domain auto-renewal: free
• Domain lock: free
• Professional web design services: by request

We’re assuming that most of you reading this are searching for domain registrars because you want to buy a domain name so you can build a website, not just so you can park it or flip it for a profit.

In short, we’re assuming that you’re going to need web hosting and will be more likely to go that route. Thus, the more immediate price to focus on is actually the hosting price, which is already low to begin with, but if you use one of the Bluehost promo links on this page, it’ll be even lower.

More specifically, by going through them, two things will happen: (1) they are affiliate links, which means that we receive a small commission if you buy through them, (2) it will unlock a $1.99 vs $3.95 discounted price for you. You won’t get this discount if you visit the Bluehost site in any other way.

Read our Bluehost review for more on their hosting offerings.

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: phone, live chat, and social media (X, Facebook, Instagram, etc)
• Self-help options: knowledge base, blog, webinars, and WordPress Academy courses
• 24/7: ✅

Why you might want to skip Bluehost 🙅

The same thing that makes Bluehost an excellent short term option is also what makes it a bad long term option. Even though your upfront cost for both a domain and hosting service will be dirt cheap, once the promo period expires, you’ll be faced with high renewal costs for the domain name and roughly industry-standard costs for hosting. Additionally, most of your add-ons will be piecemealed back to you, meaning no free email, no free domain privacy, and free SSL being only available on higher plans.

Bluehost pricing 💰

What makes Bluehost so attractive is the fact that you get a free domain name for the first year with even the cheapest hosting package (which starts at $1.99 per month). Otherwise, if you only want to purchase a domain name (sans web hosting), the prices for some common TLDs are as follows:

10. Porkbun

• TLDs offered: ~550
• Free WHOIS privacy protection: ✅
• Web hosting available: ✅ shared, WordPress
• Free Email: ❌ $24.00 per year
• Best for: cheap bundled solution for simple websites

Similar to Cloudflare, Porkbun also consistently shows up in Reddit threads as being one of the best registrars. As far as market share goes, it is the 26th most popular registrar based on domains under management. ¹⁵ The main reasons users cite Porkbun as being a great place to buy domains is a combination of its prices, fairly wide selection of domain extensions, and its straightforward navigation. In addition, although it’s probably not a deciding factor by any means, the fact that Porkbun offers a lighthearted, humorous take on their website design makes them more memorable than if they used the standard approach that every other registrar uses.

Services that Porkbun offers ➕

• SSL certificate: free
• Domain forwarding: free
• Cloudflare DNS: free
• API access: free
• Domain auctions: available

Customer support 🤝

• Contact options: phone, and email
• Self-help options: knowledge base, and blog
• 24/7: ❌ (Monday through Friday between 6am and 5pm; weekends between 9am and 5pm PST)

Why you might want to skip Porkbun 🙅

Porkbun has two things working against it.

The first is if you want a robust hosting solution along with your domain name. They do offer hosting, but it’s not exactly something to get excited over. If you have a simple website with light traffic or don’t anticipate that you’re going to be using your site to grow it into something resource-heavy (e.g., an ecommerce store), then the hosting will suit you fine (it also supports WordPress).

The second thing is if you’re the type who needs a lot of handholding to get started, then Porkbun’s limited support hours might bother you – especially if you live outside of their time zone. Other than that, Porkbun is a solid choice.

Porkbun pricing 💰

If you’re looking for a good balance between promo pricing and renewal pricing on a wide set of TLDs then you can’t go wrong with Porkbun.

Final considerations and recommendations for 2025

I bought my first domain more than ten years ago and truth be told, I don’t remember why I chose the registrar that I did. I’ve learned a lot about the domain business since those early days though.

Being surrounded by experienced colleagues, who’ve all purchased domains themselves for various reasons, has also given me broader insight into which registrars are go-to options for certain needs.

To help you make a final decision, I’ve put together a table below that summarizes a few common use case scenarios and the best options for each of those scenarios.

💡 Quick, friendly reminder: “bundled solution” means that you’re looking for a domain and web hosting in one place.

I hope that this article offered you some clarity and that you’re now able to choose a domain registrar that best aligns with your own individual needs.

Other than that, I’m curious to know what you think of the list overall. Are there any registrars that you would have left out or included that aren’t here? Drop a comment below and share your thoughts!