One of my wife’s friends called me today to talk about a domain name. She mentioned that she is thinking about starting her own business and had a domain name in mind that was available to register. She wanted my opinion on what domain registrar to use.
A question like that is simple for me. More often than not, a friend or friend of a friend will seek me out for help or guidance about an impossible to buy domain name or one that is extraordinarily valuable when their budget is limited. I am sure you deal with those kinds of buyers all the time, so at least credit is due for getting educated before making inquiries.
I did a quick search of the domain name she was looking at buying, and I confirmed it was available to hand register. Despite various registrar “front running” claims people have made over the years, this domain name was still available to register. It’s also a pretty decent domain name and would probably sell for more than the registration fee at auction.
I suggested she buy it ASAP and decide later on whether or not to pursue her new business. At least with the domain name in her pocket she can proceed with her preferred brand. Even if she opts against this idea, it isn’t a big expense for her.
She mentioned searching for the domain name at GoDaddy, and I agreed that it would be a good place for her to register her domain name. GoDaddy has a good enough interface that will be easy for her to use. They have add-on products and services if desired, or she can connect third party services if that’s what she wants down the road. I also mentioned that they have 24/7 customer support in the event she needs some help or has any issues in the future. I can also give her a hand if something unexpected comes up.
If one of your personal friends or family members asked you for advice about where to register a single domain name for a future business, what would you tell them?
If they were opposed to using GoDaddy, I would also suggest Spaceship or Dynadot because I believe these registrars are priced competitively, have good customer support, and their platforms are new and easy to use.
Dynadot all the way!
Without question: Dynadot
Porkbun
I have to say Dynadot. Everytime I request a chat, I get a super helpful agent even in the middle of the night. I still use GoDaddy, however they’ on borrowed time with nearly 2k names if they don’t fix some things.
I’d suggest considering NameCheap for the same reasons you’ve recommended GoDaddy, but with NameCheap, renewals come at a cheaper price. Additionally, Spaceship offers competitive pricing for both registration and renewals, and I really impressed by their modern UI/UX. Alternatively, if the intention is to invest in domain names, Dynadot stands out for its aftermarket features, as well as its Fast Transfer and Sedo MLS support.
I’d suggest NameCheap for the same reasons you’ve recommended GoDaddy, but with NameCheap, renewals come at a cheaper price. Additionally, Spaceship offers competitive pricing for both registration and renewals, and I really impressed by their modern UI/UX. Alternatively, if the intention is to invest in domain names, Dynadot stands out for its aftermarket features, as well as its Fast Transfer and Sedo MLS support.
I use Spaceship and I will register the domain for free and even host it for free as it is already part of my hosting package. No big deal and it is easy peasy.
Namecheap should change the name to Spaceship!!!
I concur on the idea of Namecheap changing the name to Spaceship. Brand name is probably the only hung-up that makes me hesitant on using its service.
That said, what I said above is purely an ideology of mine, though. I had an experience of chatting with its customer service agent in the past, and I was satisfied with her responsiveness and friendliness.
The name is a big draw too.
For many people, all they want is a domain name, cheap.
That’s it.
They log in once a year to renew it they have to, and even less often now with auto renewals.
The beauty in the name is in its simplicity.
We’re bias because we’re all domain name nerds here.
When it comes to price, I believe NameSilo deserves mention. I also use Dynadot, whose prices of some TLDs are good, too. Both have responsive customer service, and that’s important, imo.
GoDaddy for beginners, Dynadot for everyone else.
Generally any registrar is fine unless you’re doing something politically sensitive or work with sensitive proprietary data.
In that case it’s much more complicated.
Concerns are theoretical man in the middle attacks at the DNS management layer, and/or support staff revealing data beyond the whois.
Content wise, GoDaddy has a history of fast to pull the trigger on abuse complaints. Namecheap has the reverse reputation, but has been better recently taking down malware.
Hover is a good balance from a few perspectives, prices, fairly strong privacy laws (Canada), local staff etc.
European clients possibly should evaluate German registrars etc. for EU compliant privacy laws.
Sorry, my previous comments, domain-experienced colleagues. Though I don’t use them, GoDaddy — for all the reasons Elliot provides — is her best and only choice. Saving a few bucks/yr on 1 – 5 or so domains by going with someone else is penny wise but pound foolish.
GoDaddy is who I always recommend to such “newbie” folks. Always.