Best Domain Registrars

Best domain registration options

The domain-name registrar that rises to the top most often in reviews is Namecheap.com (*est. $9 per year for a .com name). The California-based company has made a good name for itself with low prices and a no-frills approach. Namecheap isn't listed as an ICANN-accredited registrar because it is an eNom reseller (eNom is the second largest domain name registrar and is ICANN accredited).

DomainRadar.com describes Namecheap as "one of the best places to buy and manage your domain names." Occasional system problems are its only flaw. Namecheap is also commended for good customer service. According to Pick Registrar.info, "We host all of our domains through Namecheap.com other than the ones which use rare [top level domains]." Pick Registrar recommends, "As a newbie to the domain registrar market, you might want to stick with Namecheap simply because of its simple user-friendly interface, reasonable prices, etc." Rick Smith of Reviews OnLine.com also recommends Namecheap, but he notes that you can sometimes find slightly find lower prices on domain registration.

Namecheap has more than 100 customer reviews at NamePros.com. The average overall rating is 3 ½ stars (out of four). Customer service is the weakest point, but it's still above average. A typical user summarizes, "Namecheap is the best registrar I've ever used. Their price is good, they accept PayPal, and their interface is good and easy to use." We didn't find any Namecheap customers at NamePros.com or elsewhere who complained about offensive advertising or other questionable practices.

Namecheap.com includes e-mail and URL forwarding, security features, free transfers and domain management control with all domain name registrations. Namecheap proclaims "no hidden charges and you own the domain in your name." Privacy protection is an option, as are e-mail accounts (by default, Namecheap will forward mail to your domain to another e-mail address), but Namecheap does not provide website hosting. Namecheap offers 22 top-level domains, but most alternatives to .com aren't less expensive. Support is through e-mail only.

Pick Registrar.info also likes Moniker.com (*est. $10 per year for a .com name). This Florida-based domain-name registration company is an ICANN-accredited registrar. Pick Registrar says, "Moniker is known to provide the most human-to-human support available on the market. Support is friendly, fast and helpful, which is more than you can say for some of the other, more popular registrars."

Namecheap has four times as many reviews as Moniker at NamePros.com, but Moniker earns an overall average four-star rating. Still, some users say the interface at Moniker is mediocre, and the company ignores some e-mail messages. Moniker is currently the tenth largest domain name registration service. The Moniker website seems oriented to people in the domain name speculation business. It promotes no features. Support is through e-mail or a toll-free number.

Dynadot (*est. $8 per year for a .com name) isn't formally reviewed, but it fares exceptionally well in user reviews. The California company is an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar. Dynadot earns four-star (top) ratings in all categories at NamePros.com: features, price/value, interface/usability, customer service and overall. We found little commentary about Dynadot elsewhere. Dynadot domain names include e-mail and URL forwarding, free ownership changes and many extra features that will sound Greek to people without specific expertise. Support is through e-mail or a limited-hours toll-free number. Dynadot also offers web hosting starting at $11.99 per year.

Dotster.com (*est. $15 per year for a .com name) hasn't been recently reviewed, but the company is most frequently recommended in articles by experts. Dotster also lacks enough recent user reviews to paint a picture. Dotster is apparently trying to emulate GoDaddy. The company conducted and publicized a nationwide search for sexy spokesmodels ("Dotster Dots"). Dotster also runs frequent promotions. One questionable practice is that the subtle default during registration is set to automatically charge renewals to the customer's credit card.

Dotster's prices are ordinary, but the Washington-based company does offer discounts for long-term registrations. Support is through e-mail, limited-hours live chat or limited-hours toll calls. Dotster offers a complete range of Internet services, making it an appropriate candidate for entrepreneurs starting an e-commerce venture. Dotster is an ICANN-accredited registrar.