Top 10 Best Website Domain Name Registrars
Every website has a unique domain name that serves as a portal of entry for all visitors and customers.
To access any website, there is a need for an address, which is also known as the URL address or simply put, the domain name.
For example, if you want to access “Twitter” then you need the exact URL address of Twitter, which is www.twitter.com or twitter.com.
This unique address is known as “Domain Name” and it also represents the unique IP (Internet Protocol) for twitter.
Remembering IP addresses of different websites is a tough job, so that is why Domain Name System (DNS) was introduced.
The world first domain name was registered on 15 March 1985 with the name of Symbolics.com [Symbolics Inc. by a computer firm].
No two domain names are ever the same much like our fingerprints. And that’s why you need a top domain name registrar that stands out of the pack.
Domain name registrars are companies that have been accredited by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to register and sell domain names to anyone who wants to run a website.
The job of domain name registrars is to make the process of choosing and buying a domain name dead simple.
Unfortunately, not every domain name registrar has been able to perfectly execute that role. There are over 200 domain name registrars – an awful lot to choose from.
But that’s why we have taken the prerogative to access this whole lot and present the best domain registrars in the market.
Before choosing a domain name registrar, you want to ensure that this company have a track record of credibility and have facilities for 24/7 technical support.
You also want to ensure that the process of buying, renewal, and transfer of domain name isn’t a tedious experience.
It is important to state that while some companies are pure domain registrars, others offer both web hosting services as well as domain name registration.
For hosting companies that also offer domain name registration, buying a hosting package will save you from having to pay for a domain name.
This is not always the case, and it also buttresses the fact that a good study of this top domain name registrars will be beneficial.
Below we offer an inside look into some of the best domain name registrars out there.
Not every choice below will be the perfect fit for every situation, so it’s left for you to dig deeper and decide on the best domain registrar for your business:
10 BEST DOMAIN REGISTRARS
1) NameCheap
NameCheap is one of the cheapest options to register a domain name, and that’s not the only thing that keeps it on top of the list.
This wondrous registrar also won the award for the best domain name registrar in Lifehacker poll from 2010 to 2015. Richard Kirkendall founded the NameCheap in 2000.
NameCheap provides a broad range of domain related services. Apart from domain registration, you can have shared hosting, VPS hosting, Reseller hosting, Dedicated servers, and email hosting as well.
Domains here cost you from $1 to $15 per year.
For security, the company offers WHOIS protection and SSL encryption. They have simple tutorials for domain setups and a 24/7 chat support that responds well.
The checkout process of NameCheap is smooth as well.
2) BlueHost
Look no further than the BlueHost if you need a domain for your WordPress website. It just doesn’t get any better than this be it regarding price or quality.
It goes by the name of one of the best hosting providers in the world. You can even get a free domain name if you decide to buy a hosting from this company which starts at $3.95 per month.
The services that the BlueHost avails are domain name registration, free of cost domain name on every sale of hosting, dedicated and shared hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, and security as well.
With all these awesome features an ever active customer service is a plus.
3) iPage
Do you have a tight budget for your website? Go with iPage for the domain. iPage is simply the most affordable domains and hosting provider in the world.
You even get a free domain on a purchase of the annual hosting plan starting at $1.99 per month.
Getting a website up and running was never this cheap, was it? iPage ranks so well not just like that.
It has more to offer than just domain and hosting. The company offers other handy services like a free toll-free number, SiteLock security, site analytics, free yellow page listening, regular network scanning, a daily scan of spam and malware, and up to $200 of free internet marketing credits.
4) 1and1
1and1 is a global name for domains and hosting. It’s been there for really long and has millions of clients.
1and1 competes well with its peers for the price as well. You buy the domain for just $0.99 for the first year after which it starts costing you $14.99.
A benefit with 1and1 is that there are no hidden charges. So you check out with the price you saw at first.
1and1 offers additional services beyond just domain name registration.
The company also sells Windows and Linux hosting, virtual and dedicated servers, e-commerce solutions, website builders, and email hostings.
5) InMotion Hosting
InMotionHosting offers a plethora of attractions. What if you get a pocket-friendly fast hosting with free domain name, unlimited data storage, and free data backup as well?
It’s all possible with InMotionHosting. This registrar is a CNET-certified hosting provider for its exceptional services and secure transactions.
The web hosting is lightning fast thanks to the SSD drives they use for all their hostings and prices starts at $5.99 per month.
InMotionHosting provides domain registration, web hosting, web builder tools, and much more.
The customer service of the company is also flawless. They have a 24/7 support system through live chats, ticket system, skype, email, and phone calls.
Lastly, if even these don’t satisfy you, you can get your money back within 90 days of your purchase.
6) HostGator
Founded in 2002, Hostgator is another top domain name and web hosting provider for WordPress websites.
Many experts believe it to be the best hosting services for WordPress. The company offers one of the most affordable hosting services for WordPress websites as little as $4 to $5 a month.
With a 9 million plus clients and still counting, the company is rising rapidly. Hostgator apart from its other services also deals in domain names for $12.59 per year.
The registrar helps you in complete setup and connection of domain with the hosting, and that makes the price interesting.
For bundled packages, Hostgator gives a 99.99% uptime. Customer support is also up to the mark with the live chat, toll-free number, and ticketing system as well.
7) GoDaddy
Started off in 19997, Godaddy is a celebrity for domain names and hostings. It is the world’s largest registrar as of now.
The company also helps you find the best domain name at its domain recommendation tool.
The upsells of Godaddy might be an issue, but the company is certainly famous for domains.
Domains at Godaddy cost you $2 to $10 per year and hosting starts from $4.99 per month.
Although the hosting services of this company haven’t been too commendable for last few years, it’s more so a great domain registration company.
8) Name.com
Bill Mushkin founded Name.com in 2003 which went on to create wonders in domain registration and web hosting sector.
Domain registrations here start at $10.99 per year and hosting starts at $4.99 per month.
Name.com has more services than you would think. Apart from domain and hosting, you can also ask them for a web builder, emails services, one-click install for WordPress and more.
Next, you can also get annual subscriptions of SSL encryption for $9.99 and WHOIS security for $4.99.
In other features, you get many SEO and hosting related products. Hosting plans et you free SSL certificate and 100GB bandwidth.
Lastly, Name.com also gives you unlimited FTP accounts.
9) Register.com
Dating back to 1994, Register.com is one of the oldest names in the game. The company currently looks after millions of websites.
With a valuable set of services, the company is a trusted name among the site owners. The domain registration here would cost you anything from $10 to $20 per year.
Register.com serves you with domain registration, dedicated and shared hosting, online marketing, email services, e-commerce services, and SSL as well.
There’s a 24/7 active support system and the company now also gives unlimited bandwidth and 300GB storage.
10) DreamHost
DreamHost is another domain and hosting services people enjoy to hire. The domain here would demand $11.95 for a year and web hosting, $8.95 for a month.
The fact that you don’t get a free domain name with hosting services may seem a bit costly, but the company makes it up with its top notch services.
One thing that makes the DreamHost stand out of the crowd is its 97 days long money back guarantee.
Customer service is also readily available anywhere anytime via phone, emails, and Twitter.
How We Ranked the Best DOMAIN NAME REGISTRARs
Now that you have gone through our list of the best places to buy a domain name, we’re going to show you a few important criteria that was used in ranking these registrars.
A lot of the domain registrars offer very similar packages, considering that the main essence of domain registrars is to allow for easy domain registration, setup and administration of your domain names.
However, there’s still a huge difference in the way many of these companies go around executing this task.
On this note, let’s take a look into how we selected the best domain registrars