2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
TOP RANKING BEST DOMAIN NAME REGISTRARS
Domain Registration Guide to Finding the Best Domain Name Providers
When you’re attempting to build your website, the last thing you want to do is hunt through multiple providers to find the perfect domain name.
The easiest way to give your official website its own custom name is to register domain names through any of the companies that offer domain registration services.
You can choose any available domain on the internet when you’re searching through the wide selection offered by the best domain name registrar. Domain name providers may offer discounts depending on which domain name registration you opt for.
Extra generous domain registration services could even be accompanied by discounts for multiple registrations, for domain hosting, or for renewals.
Award Emblem: Top 6 Best Domain Name Registrars
These domain name providers are very popular for the vast number of selections they offer to users, as well as their reasonable pricing. AdvisoryHQ wants to help you come up with the easiest and best way to get your domain registration services taken care of quickly.
These contenders for the best domain registrar will offer you a selection of potential names, as well as some added benefits. Consider which parts of having your own domain name are the most important to you, so you know which of these domain registration websites will be the most helpful.
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AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Best Domain Name Registrars
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the sites below to go directly to the detailed review section for that domain registrar):
Top 6 Best Domain Name Registrars | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Domain Name Providers | Pricing | Included Features |
| BlueHost | Domain hosting with registration for $3.95 per month |
|
| Gandi | Starting at $0.99 |
|
| GoDaddy | Starting at $0.99 |
|
| Hover | Starting at $4.99 |
|
| Name.com | Starting at $2.99 |
|
| NameCheap | Starting at $0.88 |
|
Table: Top 6 Best Domain Name Registration Sites | Above list is sorted alphabetically
How to Register Domain Names and Start a Website
Whether you’re attempting to start a business or just want a page that can hold your personal information for friends and family, starting a website can be tricky to understand at first glance. The first hurdle that many users face is figuring out how to actually reserve a space on the internet for their website.
This is where it becomes important to know how to register domain names using the best domain name registrar for your needs.
Image Source: Pexels
In order to have exclusive rights to the name of a website, such as “example.com,” you’ll need to first select one of the domain name providers. These domain name providers scan the internet to see if the name you prefer has already been selected. If it is completely unique, then you have the opportunity to register the domain name yourself.
Using one of these domain registration services, you’ll pay a small sum of money in exchange for the use of that domain name for the year. The domain registrar will register it with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). At the end of your year, you can choose whether or not to renew your domain name registration.
When you select the name for your domain name registration, you may be prompted to choose a top-level domain, sometimes referred to as a TLD. This is the portion of your website name that will follow the dot. Two of the most common generic TLDs are “.com” or “.org.”
The pricing for each domain name registration may vary based on the TLD you select. It will also be subject to the pricing set out by the domain name registrar.
Some of the options for the best domain registrar will also offer domain hosting. This means that they will allow you to build your website and host it online for you in exchange for their monthly or annual rate. They may offer discounts on domain hosting with your domain registration.
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AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
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Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Domain Name Registrars
Below, please find the detailed review of each site on our list of domain registration websites. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these domain name registration sites to score so highly in our selection ranking.
BlueHost Review
BlueHost has a lot of benefits for users who are primarily looking into domain registration for their WordPress account. This site has been named the best domain registrar for integrating WordPress platforms into their easy-to-use system by WordPress.org themselves.
Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This as One of the Best Domain Registrars
See more of the details on how BlueHost qualified as a contender for our best domain name registrar in the review section listed below.
Features
In addition to the their simple one-click WordPress installation, BlueHost has a number of other features that make them possibly the best domain name registrar. For example, you can benefit from 24/7 support from customer service. If you prefer to try to work out the kinks with your domain name on your own, you can also utilize the help center guides and videos.
View some of the other top features from this best domain name registrar below to see what you get for the price:
- SSL secure server for e-commerce
- Multiple shopping cart options
- Free website scripts, including poll and survey software
- Unlimited domain hosting
Pricing
The domain registration through BlueHost is ideal for users who wanted to spend the absolute minimum amount. You can try their domain hosting for thirty days with a money-back guarantee.
Ordinarily, the cost per month for complete hosting solutions from this best domain registrar starts at $7.99. BlueHost is currently running a special that will cost just $3.95 per month for web hosting. Users will receive one domain name registration, five parked domains, 25 sub domains, and five email addresses.
You are never locked into a contract, so you can cancel your domain registration at any time. Users should also bear in mind that this is the cost of domain hosting, as well as domain name registration for the year.
Gandi Review
Gandi is one of the best domain name registrar choices for users who want to use a unique TLD. While the price for each domain will vary based on the TLDs you select, your domain name registration can be as specific as you would like it to be.
Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This as One of the Best Domain Registrars
You can see more of the finer details that allow us to qualify this company as one of the best choices for your next domain name registration below.
Features
When you use Gandi.net for their domain name registration, you get a handful of perks that should be mentioned. No matter what TLD they select for the webpage, users will have access to:
- A one-page website and GandiBlog
- Private domain registration
- Domain API
- Five mailboxes and 1,000 forwarding addresses
- Free SSL certificate for one year
In addition to their standard features, using this best domain name registrar also grants you a steep discount on their hosting services. Users who choose Gandi.net for their domain name registration can make good use of a 50% off discount on their hosting needs as well.
Gandi.net will help you to transfer your domain name or to renew one that belongs to you currently when the expiration rolls around.
Pricing
Pricing for this best domain registrar is relatively difficult to pinpoint, as it varies so significantly depending on the TLD. Prices will start as low as $0.99 for websites that end in the “.website” or “.xyz” TLD.
For users who wanted the more common “.com” TLD, they should be prepared to spend $15.50 for their domain name registration. A “.org” website will be slightly higher, currently priced at $17.20.
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GoDaddy Review
GoDaddy.com’s domain name registration has been a trusted solution in the industry for many years running. They offer some of the lowest prices and the largest selection, which may contribute to why they have an estimated 14 million customers that use them for their domain registration. They claim to have the widest selection on the web for users who want to register a domain name.
Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This as One of the Best Domain Registrars
What can you expect to get from the world’s largest domain name registrar? Find out what qualifies GoDaddy.com as the best domain registrar below.
Features
They certainly have several nice features that make them a contender for the best domain name registrar on our ranking. Much like Gandi, GoDaddy features hundreds of TLDs to choose from with more currently pending. It is a great place to go if you were hoping for a unique domain name.
When you register a domain name with GoDaddy, you’ll gain:
- Simple tools to set up your domain name and to forward it to an existing website
- 100 subdomains
- 100 professional emails
- 24/7 customer support to assist over the phone
You can also choose to upgrade your domain name registration to help secure your personal information. Privacy protection can be added to help you keep control of your domains, as well as to protect your name and contact information.
Pricing
Much like the pricing from Gandi, you’ll find that the cost for this best domain registrar will vary based on the domain name you select. They are currently running excellent specials on newly-released domain registration services such as “.world” ($1.99) and “.xyz” ($0.99).
For users who wanted the more traditional domain name registration such as “.com” or “.net”, they will pay just $11.99. These are current sale prices from this best domain name registrar with their original cost being $14.99 and $16.99 respectively.
Hover Review
Hover has received a lot of attention lately as a strong possibility for the best domain registrar available today. Ideal for users who value their privacy, consumers will love having privacy protection built into the price.
Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This as One of the Best Domain Registrars
Detailed information on what qualifies Hover.com as the best domain name registrar is found in a review of its features and pricing below.
Features
One of the most significant features that users love about Hover is how easy it is to build a website once you register a domain name. They offer plenty of website builders, portfolio tools, and more to help you get your page up and running quickly after your domain registration is complete. It also allows you to use the most popular services in tandem with their domain hosting:
- Weebly
- Shopify
- Tumblr
Image Source: Hover
Hover sets itself apart as one of the top choices for the best domain name registrar because it sticks to simplicity. Domain name registration is all this provider has to offer, but it does allow you to point your website in whatever direction you want it to go.
Another key component that makes Hover possibly the best domain registrar is the free WHOIS Privacy included with each eligible domain registration. This shields your personal information from hackers and spammers, substituting it with generic information instead.
Customer service is available in multiple formats for those who need more help with their domain registration services. You can reach out via phone, through their chat service on the website, or via email.
Pricing
The Hover domain name providers offer different levels of pricing, depending on how many names you have registered to your account. Discounts begin at just ten names listed on your account through this domain registrar. These discounts take effect whenever your renewal time comes around with their best domain name registrar.
Prices do vary depending on the TLD that you desire. For example, titles like the “.xyz” that have been very cheap with some other domain name registration sites cost $4.99 through Hover.
More popular options can be seen below:
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Name.com Review
Name.com offers one of the most easily recognizable websites for domain registration. Specializing in all sorts of TLDs from the most common ones to more unique names (including options like “.ninja”), you can find all sorts of potential domains on this website.
Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This as One of the Best Domain Registrars
Find out more about what Name.com has to offer users who need to register domain names quickly and affordably.
Features
Users who wanted a wide assortment of potential names for their website won’t be disappointed with the selection offered from Name.com. Their list of potential TLD choices is a large part of what makes them the best domain registrar on our ranking.
When you register a domain with this domain name registrar, you get access to a couple of features that should be noted. For one, you can point your new domain to any type of social media site with ease. It can point to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more.
You also have the option to purchase add-ons from one convenient location. Current options include WHOIS Privacy (a $4.99 add-on) as well as SSL certificates. Consumers who were going to use their website as a business or blog and need hosting can also sign up for their domain hosting.
Domain hosting costs $4.99 per month at the current sale price when you sign up for a one-year membership.
Pricing
The pricing per domain name tends to vary, just as many of the candidates for the best domain registrar do. The TLDs that tend to be lowest from the other best domain registrar websites (.xyz) are significantly higher on Name.com. This TDL is priced at $10.99 currently, but there are a few priced at $2.99.
Pricing for the more common domain names is seen below:
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NameCheap Review
NameCheap is a great option for consumers who wanted to use the absolute cheapest domain name registration websites around. With quality service and rock-bottom pricing, this best domain registrar has a lot to offer for users who want to get their website up and running quickly.
Image Source: NameCheap
Key Factors That Led to Our Ranking of This as One of the Best Domain Registrars
Understand the compelling reasons that we listed NameCheap.com as a prime candidate for the best domain name registrar in the review below.
Features
If the pricing weren’t the primary area where NameCheap shines, their features would certainly be a highlight. Of all the contenders for the best domain registrar, NameCheap offers one of the most comprehensive packages for users who are registering new domains:
- Free URL and email forwarding
- One free year of WhoisGuard privacy protection
- One-year Comodo PositiveSSL certificate for just $1.99
- Registrar lock
- 24/7 access to their customer service department
Note that when you attempt to renew your domain with this domain name registrar, you won’t receive all of the same features. For example, your WhoisGuard privacy protection will revert back to its typical rate of $2.88. Purchasing these features back in the future should be an overall consideration to the cost of using this best domain registrar.
Pricing
As we mentioned previously, NameCheap.com offers some of the lowest rates for domain name registration. One domain name starts as low as $0.88 for options that are currently on promotion. Choices in this price bracket include “.us” and “.info.”
When it comes to the more popular options for your new domain name registration, you’ll find prices that are fairly in line with those offered by the other best domain name registrar websites. You can see the official pricing below:
- .com: $10.69
- .net: $12.88
- .org: $12.48
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Conclusion—Top 6 Best Domain Name Registrars
No matter why you might be starting your website, getting a domain name registration is the first step toward creating a recognizable page. You need a title that is as creative and unique as your page will be, which is why you need to find the best domain registrar.
Consider first what features you will want your new domain name to have. If you need the SSL certificate or prefer to have privacy protection, you may want to look at some of the domain registration services that package these features with domain registration. There are multiple ways to ensure that your page has all that it needs.
These websites are the best starting place for users who are getting frustrated with how difficult it can be to start their own website. With the best domain name registrar website behind you, you can free up more of your time to building the site you always dreamed of having.
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AdvisoryHQ (AHQ) Disclaimer:
Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info.
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