Best domain registrar in 2024

PRICE
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID

You need a domain name for your website but not sure where to begin? We completely understand. There's a lot to consider, including where to buy a domain name, and the best domain registrar service to choose from. 

Domain registrars serve as a proxy to ensure you're the recognized owner of any particular domain name. Once you've picked the right domain name, you'll need to assess which company offers the best package for your needs, and there are plenty out there. Some of the best website builder services and the best web hosting providers also offer domain registration services. It, therefore, might make lots of sense to go for an all-inclusive, one-stop-shop offer. 

We've rounded up the best domain registrars on the market right now so there's one less thing you have to worry about. We've tested the main providers on our list by purchasing real domains from each service and adding them to test websites we created with website-building services. We know how to navigate the market, and we've used each service in our comparison checks to pick out the best, as well as those which offer the best value for money.

The quick list

Let's get straight to it. These are our top three picks, and you can dive into get more details on each option below, alongside a price comparison tool so you can find the best deals right now.

The best domain registrars in 2024

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Here you'll find full reviews for each of the best domain registrars in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be confident our recommendations can be trusted. 

The best domain registrar overall

Domain.com logo on white background

(Image credit: Domain.com)
Best for overall domain name variety

Reasons to buy

+
Great customer support
+
Privacy protection
+
Transparent pricing
+
Variety of TLDs

Reasons to avoid

-
Too much upselling
-
No monthly plans
-
Difficult onboarding process
Buy it if

You want a straightforward UI: We found Domain.com pretty straightforward to use. First, head to the site to pick whatever service you want, then you can immediately purchase it. 


You want free SSL certification: The three plans offer free SSL certificates to protect your website, alongside a free domain name for a year.


You want unlimited storage: Each of the three plans offer unlimited storage, which is pretty remarkable.

Don't buy it if:

You’re after a monthly plan: Domain.com isn't available with a monthly plan, and the pricing models can be a little tricky to get your head around. You must pay for at least a year if you want to use it.


You want state-of-the-art speed: Based on some metrics, Domain.com performed disappointingly on speed tests. The Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), for example, measured 1.5 seconds, which is still acceptable but sub-par.


❌ You want to avoid clunky control panels: Some hosting services feature very capable control panels, but Domain.com's doesn't seem particularly intuitive.

The bottom line

🌐 Domain.com is a suitable domain registrar and web hosting service. However, we observed some flaws, such as its web hosting service not having direct monthly plans. It calculates the price monthly, but you must pay for at least a year to use it ★★★★½

What you need to know

Domain.com is an American domain registrar and web hosting company. It began initially as a domain registrar but added hosting options for customers over time. The company currently services over 1.2 million websites. 

Interface and use: We found it pretty straightforward to use Domain.com. The initial step is to head to the website and pick whatever service you want. You can search for any domain name to see if it's available. If it is, you can proceed to purchase it immediately. Likewise, if you need web hosting or a website builder, select the plan you want and pay for it. 

Domain name purchase: You can buy almost any available domain via Domain.com. The platform supports over 300 TLDs, including generic ones like .COM and .NET and obscure ones like .BUZZ and .GAMES. The generic ones are affordable, with comparable pricing to rival domain registrars. On the flip side, some obscure ones are pretty expensive, such as .GUITARS costs $89.99 for one year. If you've also found a domain that's already taken, there's no need to fret. Domain.com lets you submit your name (for a fee) in advance of when a domain becomes available.

Web hosting: Domain.com offers customers three main hosting plans: Basic, Deluxe, and Ultra. Basic lets you create and host just one website, while the other plans let you host unlimited websites. The Basic plan starts at $3.75 monthly, Deluxe at $6.75 per month, and Ultra at $13.75 per month. Notably, the three plans offer unlimited storage, which is pretty remarkable. Most hosting providers ration storage and bandwidth for their lower plans. The main difference between the plans is the number of MySQL databases and FTP logins they support. 

Website builder: Domain.com offers a dedicated website builder with many features to help you set up a functional, attractive website without much technical work. The website builder lets you create individual pages for your content. It gives you complete control over your site's design and layout. Domain.com's website builder features artificial intelligence (AI) to help you lay the foundation of your website. You answer a few questions at the beginning stage, and the AI will help you choose the proper layout, including images and initial content, for your site. 

Customer support: Domain.com offers customer support through email, live chat, or telephone. There are also video tutorials and a Knowledge Base on the website to help you understand the platform.

Read our full Domain.com domain registration service review

The best cheap domain registrar

(Image credit: Bluehost)
Best for affordable domain names

Reasons to buy

+
Competitive pricing for domains
+
Superb value hosting bundle deal
+
Good customer support
+
24x7 live chat is helpful

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the cheapest domain name registrar
-
Non-refundable purchases
-
Limited domain transfers
Buy it if

You want low prices: Bluehost's shared range is priced from $2.95 a month on the annual plan ($9.99 on renewal), although it supports a single site and a lower than average 10GB storage.


You want a top quality management tools: A well-designed custom control panel organizes account and hosting features, in addition to WordPress installation and cPanel integration.


You need 24/7 support: Bluehost offers 24/7 support via its website, live chat and telephone. There's no ticket or email option, potentially a problem with ongoing issues as you may have to explain your problem all over again with every support session.

Don’t buy it if

You want to choose a data center: Bluehost has local data centers for its various regions - USA, India, China - but your site is automatically assigned to the nearest location when you sign up. 


You're looking for a greater breadth of VPS plans: The company’s tiny and not-very-configurable VPS and Dedicated plans mean Bluehost is less likely to work for the most demanding business users. 


You want a 100% uptime guarentee: Bluehost doesn't quote any target uptime figure, or have any formal method of compensating you if your server goes down for a lengthy period.

The bottom line

🌐 Bluehost's underpowered VPS and dedicated hosting plans mean it may not work for the largest and most demanding business-critical sites, but it excels everywhere else, with all the feature-packed shared, WordPress, website-building and ecommerce plans you need to build fast and reliable personal and small to medium business sites ★★★★

What you need to know

Bluehost is one of the best choices out there if you’re looking for a reputable domain registrar which boasts very reasonable pricing. Bluehost sells .com domain at $12.99 per year and .org from $9.99, for example, but those looking for a hosting plan as well can really benefit from an excellent Bluehost offer.

A host of options: Those buying a shared hosting plan from Bluehost get a free domain thrown in (plus website builder), and that shared plan is usually $9.99 per month, but TechRadar readers can get it for $2.75 monthly (for the initial term) with our exclusive offer. Obviously, that’s a strong value proposition indeed (and we’re impressed with its fast performance and quality live chat support on offer).

Shared hosting: Opt for a shared hosting plan and your website is stored on a server that also hosts many other accounts. This scheme saves money, because the cost of the server is shared between many users. But it also reduces performance, because the server's resources - the processor, the RAM, the network connection - are also shared by everyone.

Bluehost's shared range is priced from $2.95 a month on the annual plan ($9.99 on renewal). This supports a single site and a lower-than-average 10GB storage, but the feature list includes a free domain, free SSL, free CDN (Content Delivery Network), automated WordPress installation, website builder, and 24/7 support via live chat and telephone.

WordPress hosting: WordPress is the world's leading website creation platform. It's not difficult for home users to learn, yet is also powerful enough to build and run powerful business sites, huge web stores and more. Bluehost's $2.75 a month shared hosting plan can automatically install WordPress, and is fine if you just want to find out how the platform works. But it doesn't have many specialist WordPress features, and you can get similar plans from other hosts for less.

Business-friendly extras: Additional hosting features include unlimited storage, support for unlimited sites, malware detection and daily scheduled backups. Business-friendly extras include marketing tools, site traffic analytics and SEO guidance, while the best plans include PayPal integration and a high-speed search tool. This is a nicely-judged mix of features, with plenty of appeal for the target small business audience.

Read our full Bluehost Web Hosting review

The best value domain registrar

(Image credit: Namecheap)
A great user-friendly domain registrar

Reasons to buy

+
It's cheap as the name suggests
+
Free Whois privacy
+
Live chat support
+
Free website builder
+
Affordable

Reasons to avoid

-
No telephone support
-
Excessive email communication
-
Complicated user interface
Buy it if

You want top-level security: Namecheap offers various security tools, including SSL certificates, a virtual private network (VPN), and cyber insurance (for US-based customers only). 


You want great value for money: Prices are generally very good at $9.48 (£7) for .com domains - $13.98 on renewal, $2.98(£2.2) for .co.uk - $9.48 on renewal, $8.88 (£6.5) for .org - $14.98 on renewal, and $4.98 (£3.75) for .mobi ($19.98 on renewal).


You’re looking for an all-in-one: You can buy a domain, buy an SSL certificate, build a website, and host it online, all on Namecheap.

Don’t buy it if

You want a straightforward UI: Namecheap has a pretty complicated user interface. It has many features scattered across the platform, so the interface can be rather challenging to grasp. We observed considerable challenges when trying to activate an SSL certificate for our website. 


You want telephone support: Although Namecheap offers customer support through email and live chat, there's no telephone support option. You can’t directly talk to a customer support representative when you're facing issues, but Namecheap's support reps typically respond to emails within 24 hours. 


You want straightforward pricing: While Namecheap offers great value, the pricing of the breadth of its plans can be a little confusing.

The bottom line

🌐 Namecheap is relatively affordable, which is its main advantage. The platform has a broad feature set, making it attractive to prospective customers, but it isn’t without its disadvantages. Its UI is pretty complicated and its pricing structure can also be confusing due to having too many plans ★★★★½


What you need to know

Namecheap is an American domain registrar and web hosting provider based in Phoenix, Arizona. An entrepreneur named Richard Kirkendall started Namecheap in 2000 and has led the company as CEO for over two decades. Namecheap is one of the top web hosting companies globally, serving 11 million registered users.

Plans and pricing: Namecheap domains have a broad price range because the company supports numerous TLDs. Generic TLDs like .COM, .ORG, and .NET cost between $10 and $15 per year, cheaper than on many rival platforms. On the flip side, uncommon, premium TLDs like .IO and .AI cost between $30-$80 yearly.

Namecheap offers hosting plans for $4 to $81 monthly. The shared hosting plans are cheaper, while the dedicated hosting plans are relatively expensive. But, Namecheap's most costly plans are affordable in the grand scheme. 

Hosting: Namecheap offers a broad range of web hosting plans. It offers shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, reseller hosting, and dedicated servers. Shared hosting is the cheapest hosting option because you split the server hosting and maintenance costs with other users. On the other hand, dedicated hosting is the most expensive because it entails renting a single server only.

Features: The platform supports over 1,500 domain name extensions, a remarkable number for any domain registrar. You can search for any domain name on the platform and buy it right away if it's available. Namecheap also offers free privacy protection for every domain name, which helps to prevent spammers from contacting you easily. Likewise, you can search for contact information for specific domain names in the WHOIS database through Namecheap. 

Security: Namecheap offers various security tools, including SSL certificates, a virtual private network (VPN), and cyber insurance (for US-based customers). 

Interface and in use: Namecheap has a pretty complicated user interface. It has many features scattered across the platform, so the interface can be rather challenging to grasp. We observed considerable challenges when trying to activate an SSL certificate for our website. The process involved jumping through many nooks and crannies. 

Customer Support: Namecheap offers customer support through email and live chat. There's no telephone support option. You can directly talk to a customer support representative when you're facing issues. Namecheap's support reps typically respond to email inquiries within 24 hours. 

Read our full Namecheap domain registration service review

The best domain registrar for low up-front costs

IONOS logo on blue background

(Image credit: IONOS)
Best for transparent pricing

Reasons to buy

+
Nice extras
+
Great initial offer for most domains
+
Good value
+
Clear and simple pricing

Reasons to avoid

-
Renewal price is expensive
-
Complex user interface
-
Weak customer support
Buy it if

You want an affordable option: The platform offers some of the most competitive prices you’ll ever find for domain names, with a 30-day money-back guarantee for every purchase.

You want free SSL certification: IONOS assigns free SSL certificates for all its domains, which digitally authenticates your site as being secure. This comes alongside free privacy protection for any domain name you purchase.

You’re looking for useful extras: You can buy a domain, buy an SSL certificate, build a website, and host it online, all on Namecheap.

Don't buy it if

You need to rely on customer support: Although you can get in touch with customer support 24/7, our research shows a trend of complaints about slow response times and lack of experience. 


You want a simple interface: IONOS' backend user interface is quite complex. It isn't as modern as what you'll see in other competitors.
 

You want to avoid upselling: We noticed a trend to aggressively upsell additional services, which we found distasteful.

The bottom line

🌐 Ionos is affordable and offers free extras like SSL certificates and privacy protection. However, it isn't the best in user-friendliness. We also noticed aggressive upselling from the company, which can be distasteful ★★★★½

What you need to know

IONOS is a German web hosting company founded over three decades ago. It maintains dual headquarters in Germany and the U.S. Altogether, it employs over 2,000 people across 40 countries and serves millions of customers.

Plans and pricing: Ionos charges different fees for different TLDs, but they generally cost $10 to $100 yearly. Widely-used domain extensions like .COM, .NET, and .INFO cost between $10 and $20 annually on IONOS. On the other hand, uncommon extensions (e.g., .CASINO, .CEO) go for up to $200 per year. 

IONOS provides significant discounts for domain names in the first year. If you pay for multiple years in one stretch, the company charges as low as $1 for the first year. It’s a promotional strategy that seems to work well for the platform. 

Features: Buying a domain name on IONOS is easy. The first step is to head to its Domains page. This page contains a search bar where you can check to see if your desired domain is available. If it’s available, you can add it to your shopping cart straight away. You can also transfer domain names you registered elsewhere to IONOS. Any domain you want to transfer must be registered for at least 60 days.

You can use as many subdomains as you wish for any domain registered on IONOS. Subdomains are an additional part of your domain name that you can adopt to organize your website. 

Interface and use: Signing up on IONOS is pretty straightforward and is a required step to purchase any of the company's services. You must pick a service before signing up. You'll also need to provide basic details like your name and email to create an account.

However, IONOS' backend user interface is quite complex. It isn't as modern as what you'll see in other competitors. 

Security: IONOS assigns free SSL certificates for all its domains, as well as offering privacy protection for any domain name you purchase using the service. This way, your site is marked as secure by majore web browsers, and spammers or online marketers can’t fetch your contact information and bombard you with solicitations.

Customer Support: IONOS offers customer support through telephone and live chat. You can contact the company 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which is commendable. But, when researching for this review, we noticed a trend of complaints about IONOS’ customer support staff being slow to respond and inexperienced in dealing with complex issues.

Read our full IONOS domain registration service review

The best domain registrar for businesses

(Image credit: Network Solutions)
Best domain registrar for businesses

Reasons to buy

+
30-day money-back guarantee
+
Beginner-friendly approach
+
Customer support
+
Affordable hosting
+
Flexible billing

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited hosting options
-
Windows servers are not an option
-
Relatively pricey
Buy it if

You’re new to web hosting: Network Solutions includes a very user-friendly set-up process that’s ideal for beginners. Register a new domain.


You want to purchase a domain that somebody else owns: If you have your heart set on a domain name that has already been registered by someone else, Network Solutions provides a certified offer service where you can make an offer to the current owner of the domain you want. 


You’re looking to establish a business: All Network Solutions hosting plans include a free business LLC formation service. It entails free legal assistance for customers to form limited liability companies for their businesses. Typically, you'll pay hundreds of dollars in legal fees for this service.

Don't buy it oif

You want a low-cost solution: Network Solutions offers web hosting services for $4 to $40 per month. It offers four hosting plans; Starter ($4 monthly), Essential ($10 monthly), Professional ($35 monthly), and Premium ($41 monthly). 


You want a free SSL certificate: You’ll need to purchase one of Network Solutions’ premium packages to take advantage of a free SSL certificate for your website.
 

You want to avoid upselling: We noticed a trend to aggressively upsell additional services, which we found distasteful.

The bottom line

🌐 Network Solutions is a suitable domain name registrar and web hosting service. It offers a broad range of domain name extensions and excellent uptime for hosting customers. However, we observed a significant drawback in its aggressive upselling. ★★★★

What you need to know

Network Solutions is an American domain name registrar and web hosting service founded over four decades ago. It's one of the biggest web hosting platforms, with nearly 7 million domain registrations. The company is a subsidiary of Web.com, a web hosting giant.  

Domain name registration is Network Solutions' primary service, but it provides complimentary offerings like web hosting, web design, online marketing, and search engine optimization.

Plans and pricing: Network Solutions charges varying fees for different services. Its domain names start at $10 upward. The generic ones like .com, .net, and .org cost between $10-$20 annually, while uncommon ones like .app, .club, and .tips cost between $20-$40 yearly. Network Solutions' domain name prices are competitive.

Network Solutions offers web hosting services for $4 to $40 per month. It offers four hosting plans; Starter ($4 monthly), Essential ($10 monthly), Professional ($35 monthly), and Premium ($41 monthly). 

Features: Network Solutions lets you register available domain names. Just go to the website and search for any domain name you want. If it's available, you can grab it immediately. Network Solutions supports hundreds of TLDs, including regular ones like .com, .net, and .co and rare ones like .VIP, .website, and .expert.

Whenever you register a domain on Network Solutions, you can also pay for private registration so that no one would be able to fetch your contact information from the WHOIS database. Doing so helps prevent spammers from contacting you. 

Network Solutions offers web hosting services for users. You don't need to venture elsewhere after registering your domain when you can also host your website on the same platform. Network Solutions' cloud hosting is reliable and secure. 

You can also use the free website builder, alongside an ecommerce package, although this latter addition is fairly expensive, ranging from $30 to $100 per month.

Interface and use: Network Solutions has a user interface that's a bit clunky. The interface isn't as modern as what you'll find on some competing web hosting platforms and thus is harder to use. We think that the platform's user interface could use a lot of improvement. 

Customer Support: Network Solutions offers customer support through telephone. There are separate support lines for US-based and foreign users. The company does not have any other customer support channels, which is a drawback. Telephone lines are prone to clogging in the face of too much demand.

Read our full Network Solutions domain registration service review

The best domain registrar for choice

(Image credit: GoDaddy)
A great choice for TLDs

Reasons to buy

+
Loads of hosting add-ons
+
Telephone support
+
Easy to use
+
Excellent customer support
+
Numerous TLDs available

Reasons to avoid

-
High prices
-
Alleged domain front-running
-
Relatively expensive
-
Aggressive upselling
Buy it if

You need reliable customer support: GoDaddy offers customer support through telephone and live chat 24/7, and there are different mobile numbers to contact depending on your country of residence.


You’re looking for a broad range of TLDs: If you’re looking to select from a broad range of domain extensions, look no further than GoDaddy, which can offer a great breadth of options. 


You’re looking for an uncluttered interface: GoDaddy’s tools are simple to use, and the main user interface is neat and easy to navigate.

Don't buy it if

You want a low-cost solution: GoDaddy’s prices are significantly higher than what you'll get on rival platforms.Common domain extensions like .com, .net., and .org cost between $20 to $25 per year, while uncommon ones like .cloud, .blog, and .today cost between $30 and $40 per year. 


You don’t want to participate in auctions for your domain: GoDaddy Auctions is a marketplace for domain sellers to find potential buyers. It’s an auction-based model, so the buyer with the highest bid wins.


You want to avoid upselling: We noticed a trend to aggressively upsell additional services, which we found distasteful.

The bottom line

🌐 GoDaddy is easy to use and offers proper customer support for users. Of all the domain registrars we’ve reviewed, GoDaddy has one of the broadest selection of domain extensions. However, its domains are expensive compared to rivals, especially for individuals and small businesses ★★★★½

What you need to know

GoDaddy is an American domain registrar and web hosting provider founded over two decades ago. It's one of the biggest companies in its sector, serving over 20 million customers. The company employs over 9,000 people worldwide. 

GoDaddy offers domain name registration, cloud hosting, and a website builder. It also provides complimentary digital marketing tools for customers.

Plans and pricing: GoDaddy charges varying fees for different domain names. The common domain extensions like .com, .net., and .org cost between $20 to $25 per year, while uncommon ones like .cloud, .blog, and .today cost between $30 and $40 per year. However, some select premium domains can run up to hundreds or thousands of dollars. GoDaddy’s prices are significantly higher than what you'll get on rival platforms. 

Additionally, you can buy SSL certificates for your GoDaddy domains. They cost between $95 and $245 yearly. Finally, don't forget to see what GoDaddy promo codes can assist you in bringing the price down.

Features:  One of the great things about the platform is that it offers a wide selection of domain extensions. Its domain names are classified into two categories; generic top-level domain and country-code top-level domain.

There’s a dedicated GoDaddy WHOIS database search tool you can utilize. If you type in the domain name in this database, you should see the email address used to register it. In some cases, domain name owners enable privacy protection so that their information doesn’t appear on the WHOIS database.

GoDaddy also let us participate in auctions for specific domains. GoDaddy Auctions is a marketplace for domain sellers to find potential buyers. It’s an auction-based model, so the buyer with the highest bid wins.

We were also able to transfer a domain name registered elsewhere to GoDaddy, and the process is pretty simple. Likewise, you can buy complimentary services for your GoDaddy domains, such as professional emails and an SSL certificate.

Interface and use: Signing up and creating a GoDaddy account is pretty straightforward. We created an account using our email (Facebook, Google, or Amazon accounts are also an option if you have one).

GoDaddy's tools are simple to use. The interfaces are typically neat, uncluttered, and easy to navigate.

Customer Support: GoDaddy offers customer support through telephone and live chat 24/7. They're different mobile numbers to contact depending on your country of residence. GoDaddy has over 20 million customers, so the support lines occasionally clog up when there's high demand.  

Read our full GoDaddy domain registration service review

The best domain registrar for privacy

(Image credit: Hover)
Stay safe

Reasons to buy

+
Free Whois privacy included
+
Easy to use
+
Easy search filtering
+
A ton of top-level domain options

Reasons to avoid

-
Support isn't 24/7
-
Expensive
-
No web hosting
Buy it if

You want excellent customer support: You can dial the support line and instantly get in touch with an actual customer support representative to help you whenever you're facing a problem, unlike many platforms that give automated responses.


You’re looking for privacy protections: Hover automatically includes WHOIS privacy protection in every domain name purchase. It means that people can't look up your information in the WHOIS database.


You’re looking for a domain transfer: Hover lets you transfer a domain name from another registrar onto its platform, which is helpful if you have domain names on other platforms you want to move across.

Don't buy it if

You want a low-cost solution: Hover has straightforward pricing, but is more expensive than some of its competitors. 


You want many additional features: Hover's main feature is domain name registration, and the service may lack the complementary services found in rival platforms, such as website builders or web hosting.


You want 24/7 customer support: Although the quality of customer support is excellent, this isn’t available at every hour of the day.

The bottom line

🌐 Hover is a suitable domain name registrar. You can use it to find and register any domain name with ease or transfer a domain from elsewhere to its platform. The platform is user-friendly and offers straightforward pricing for customers. It also provides privacy protection for domain registrations, which is helpful. ★★★★

What you need to know

Hover is a domain name registrar headquartered in Ontario, Canada. It's a subsidiary of Tucows, a publicly-traded American-Canadian internet services provider. Tucows formed Hover in 2008 by merging three domain registration services it already owned; NetIdentity, It's Your Domain (IYD), and Domain Direct.

Hover is primarily a platform for domain name registration. But, it also offers additional services like email web boxes and email forwarding. 

Plans and pricing: Hover charges varying prices for different domain name extensions. Its domain names cost anywhere between $5 and $50 annually—generic extensions like .COM and .NET cost $10 to $20 annually, and atypical ones like .IO cost $30 to $40 annually. Hover sometimes offers steep discounts for specific domain name extensions, dropping their first-year prices to under $5.

Hover charges $5 yearly for a custom email using your domain name. It also requires additional storage fees; $20 per year for 10GB or $29 annually for 1TB.

Features: Hover's main feature is domain name registration. You can search for any domain name you want and buy it on the platform if it's available. Hover supports over 300 domain name extensions, including generic ones like .COM and .NET and uncommon ones like .APP, .CLUB, and .IO. Hover also lets you transfer a domain name from another registrar onto its platform. This feature is helpful if you have domain names on other platforms that you want to move to one spot and manage easily. Hover does not charge any fees for transferring domains.

Hover enables customers to create custom emails using their domain names. Its email client works like any other email client. It just has a different interface. You can send and receive emails as usual. The platform has anti-spam tools to help detect and filter out illegitimate emails. You can create custom rules to keep your inbox in check. It also supports automatic email forwarding.

Hover has security measures and protocols to protect user accounts from compromise. An example is two-factor authentication (2FA), which requires two distinct modes of identification before logging into an account. 

Interface and use: Hover has a user-friendly interface. The platform is easy to understand and navigate for most users. Registering and managing a domain name with it is pretty easy. The webmail interface is also user-friendly. 

Customer Support: Hover offers customer support through email and telephone, and it's excellent. You can dial the support line and instantly get in touch with an actual customer support representative to help you whenever you're facing a problem, unlike many platforms that give automated responses, but this support isn’t available 24 hours a day.

Read our full Hover domain registration service review

The best domain registrar for extras

(Image credit: Dynadot)
Looking for something extra?

Reasons to buy

+
Powerful search tool
+
Intuitive interface
+
Stacks of free extras
+
Simplifies registering a domain
+
Mobile-optimized

Reasons to avoid

-
Difficult to manage your domain once registered
-
Limited hosting plans
-
Relatively expensive
-
Bland website templates
Buy it if

You’re looking for ecommerce features: Dynadot also piles on the free extras, including free domain forwarding, but ecommerce tools give Dynadot an advantage.


You want your site to be optimized for mobile: Dynadot lets you add custom CSS and JavaScript codes to your website if you have the technical expertise. Any website you build with Dynadot is automatically mobile-optimized.


You want to choose from a stack of domain name extensions: Dynadot's primary service is domain name registration and it supports over 500 domain name extensions.

Don't buy it if

You want more creative website templates: Although you can take advantage of Dynadot’s website builder, the templates can be a little on the blander side. 


You want to more flexibility in choosing a plan: There are only three hosting plans, including the Basic, Pro and Business plans, which range from $10 to $100, while email services cost $16 and SSL certificates between $17 to $80 annually.


You want 24/7 customer support: Dynadot's support wasn't always as impressive, with live chat being offline when we checked. But the website does have a publicly available forum.

The bottom line

🌐 Dynadot is a decent all-in-one web hosting platform. You can buy a domain, build a website, and host it, all on the platform. It also has transparent pricing, with no aggressive upsells whatsoever. However, Dynadot's tools outside domain registration aren't as good as you'd find in many rivals ★★★★½

What you need to know

Dynadot a privately-held domain registrar and web hosting company headquartered in the US and has additional offices in Canada and China. The company was founded in 2002 by a software engineer named Todd Han.

Dynadot's primary service is domain name registration. It supports over 500 domain name extensions. The platform also includes a website builder customers can use to create good-looking websites with minimal technical work. Likewise, Dynadot provides professional email services.

Plans and pricing: Dynadot charges between $10 and $100 annually for domain names. Generic domain name extensions like .COM and .NET cost $10 to $20 yearly, while atypical ones like .HEALTH costs $50 to $100 yearly. But, some atypical domain name extensions cost less than $10 annually. These are often new ones Dynadot runs promos for to attract customers.

You can also buy specific domain names through an auction-like process at Dynadot. Likewise, Dynadot offers a domain marketplace where owners and sellers can negotiate prices directly.

Features: Dynadot lets you search for any available domain and buy it straight away. Just head to the website and type your desired domain in the search bar. If it's available, you can proceed to buy it immediately. Dynadot also lets you participate in domain name auctions. The auctions are usually premium, high-value domains.

Dynadot provides free privacy protection for any domain name registered on its platform. This protection blocks your contact information from the WHOIS database, so people can't easily contact you.

Dynadot lets you create custom email addresses using your domain names. You can create an unlimited number of email addresses.

Dynadot provides a website builder for customers to create functional websites with little technical work. It's a drag-and-drop builder with no coding required. You can choose from various templates for your website and customize them to suit your tastes.

Interface and use: Dynadot has an intuitive interface. Buying a domain name through the platform is quick and straightforward. Its website builder is also easy to use. Its webmail service works well, enabling you to send and receive emails conveniently and look professional, thanks to having a custom domain.

Customer Support: Dynadot offers customer support through live chat, email, and telephone. You can contact human support representatives directly when you encounter difficulties with the platform. These reps are experienced and likely to help you find solutions. Dynadot's telephone and live chat support channels give instant answers but are vulnerable to clogging if there's too much demand.

Read our full Dynadot domain registration service review


How to choose the best domain registrar for you

In order to choose the best domain registration service company, you need to know exactly what you are looking for. Typically, domain names consist of your name or business name, separated by a dot from the TLD (Top-level domain), such as .com or .xyz. 

Your choice of both of these elements will significantly impact how easily visitors can find, remember, and recommend your website to others. Finding a domain registrar that can offer all the elements you need for the domain name you had in mind should be the one you go with.

You then need to check the domain name you want is available. Checking across multiple domain registration services is a great way to find out which one has the domain you want to purchase.

Make sure the domain registration service you've picked offers basic features like DNS management and email forwarding. Also, compare the pricing, renewal rates, add-ons, and support to see which one offers the best value for money.

Pricing structures can be complicated. A low headline figure could become expensive on renewal, for instance. Prices vary between domain extensions, too, so a registrar that offers great value for a .com domain might give you a poor deal on when it comes to .org.

There may be extra costs for tasks like transferring your domain to another registrar, too. Read the small print before you sign up.

Look for any bundled or optional extras. A Whois privacy service prevents your address, phone number and email address appearing as public contact details for the domain, something which could otherwise get you a significant amount of spam email and phone calls. We've seen this cost as much as $11.20 a year, but several registrars provide it for free.

Many domain registrars offer hosting as an extra, but keep in mind that web hosting companies can also register domains. If you have an idea of which web host you'd like to use, check the details of its plans: you may be able to register a domain for free when you buy hosting, and that's often the cheapest option.

Finally, take a look at the support a registrar offers. You may never need any help at all, but if anything critical crops up – maybe an issue which might cause a problem with renewal – it's important that your provider is on hand to ably assist. 

Balancing all these priorities can be tricky, so that's why we've created this list of top domain registrars to help point you in the right direction. 

How we tested these domain registrar services

How we test domain registration services is pretty simple. Our web experts simply insert a keyword with a domain extension on the homepage of each service provider and the system will reveal its availability.

We then purchase the domain and check whether the service comes with all the features it claims to offer. We also compare prices to check whether each domain registrar is offering a service that is good value for your money.

We also test additional features such as GoDaddy's domain broker service, where a representative will negotiate with the owner of a domain name you want but has already been taken, in order to buy that domain name from them at a reasonable price.

Steve Clark
B2B Editor - Creative & Hardware

Steve is TechRadar Pro’s B2B Editor for Creative & Hardware. He explores the apps and devices for individuals and organizations that thrive on design and innovation. A former journalist at Web User magazine, he's covered software and hardware news, reviews, features, and guides. He's previously worked on content for Microsoft, Sony, and countless SaaS & product design firms. Once upon a time, he wrote commercials and movie trailers. Relentless champion of the Oxford comma.

With contributions from