After finding an idea for your website, one of the first steps to getting your online business set up is to find and register a domain name. This is the name that people can type in to find your website.
To register a domain name, you need a domain registrar. On this page, we’re going to look at 6 of the best domain name registrars to buy a domain name in 2025.
Although you can buy a domain name from any hosted website builder site like Squarespace or Wix, or from web hosting providers like WPEngine or Bluehost, the domain name registrars on this list primarily deal with domain names. They may offer other products but domain names are their main offering.
There are dozens, maybe even hundreds or thousands of domain name registrars online but I narrowed them down to 6 based on pricing, consistency, no upsells, cross-sells, ease of use, additional products, and other criteria.
Let’s take a look at the 6 best domain name registrars where you can buy a domain name in 2025.
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What Is a Domain Name Registrar?
In simple terms, think of a domain name registrar as a store where you can buy and manage the address for your website. Just like your home has an address people use to find it, websites also have addresses called domain names.
So, when you want to create a website, you need to pick a name for it, like “example.com”. That name needs to be unique, just like no two homes can have the same address in a neighborhood.
A domain name registrar is a website where you can go to officially claim that website address for yourself. They make sure nobody else has taken the name you want, and they help you set it up so when people type that name into their web browsers, they find your website.
Domain name registrars may also offer other services like SSL, email accounts, or even web hosting.
6 Best Domain Name Registrars
Out of hundreds of domain name registrars, I’ve picked 6 of the best. Pricing, ease of use, support, whether or not they offer free WhoIs privacy, and some other criteria were used to narrow down the list.
You wouldn’t find Godaddy, which is undoubtedly the largest and most popular domain name registrar online because their domains aren’t cheap, and they make it as hassle to buy a domain if you just want a domain name.
Also there are no web hosts here that offer domain registrations, although you’ll find domain registrars here that offer web hosting. We want domain names with the assumption that you already have found a web hosting provider.
Here’s the list of the 6 best domain name providers based on what we’re looking for.
- NameCheap – best overall
- Namesilo – best for privacy protection
- Porkbun – best for other top level domains
- Cloudflare – best budget-friendly registrar
- Spaceship – best for additional services
- Dynadot – best for auction and bulk management
1. Namecheap
The number one place to register domain names is Namecheap. They offer over 400 top level domains including popular ones like .com, .net, and .org and more niche ones like .recipes, .ai, and .living.
A .com domain can usually be registered at a discount for the first year with renewals at the regular price of $13.98/year.
Namecheap has regular sales where you can get discounts on domain names and other products that they offer such as professional email, web hosting, VPN, SSL, and more.
Other domain features include 2-factor authentication to protect your account and free domain privacy protection.
What I like most about Namecheap is that they are transparent about the registration cost of the domain in addition to the renewal price. I can go to Namecheap right now and instantly know how much a .com domain is going to cost to register and how much I’ll end up paying when its time to renew.
2. Namesilo
Another domain name registrar that I really like is Namesilo. I’ve been using them to register my domain names for over 10 years and have never had any problems.
The main reason why I used Namesilo is because they offer one low price for registrations and renewals. The price you pay to register your domain is what you’ll pay when you renew (unless you apply a coupon at registration).
A .com at Namesilo costs $13.95 to register but you can easily get a discount code or use the registrar’s discount program to get savings even on a single domain name.
Namesilo used to be just domains only but eventually added other products like hosting, email and SSL for a more all-in-one offering.
With domains, you never have to pay or WhoIS privacy. Namesilo also offers free email forwarding, free custom WhoIS records, free DNS management and you can get bulk discounts, something that a lot of other registrars do not offer.
There are lots of ways to pay for your domain names also which include Namesilo account funds, PayPal, Skrill, Bitcoin, credit card, Alipay, and a lot more.
3. Porkbun
It’s not the most popular domain name registrar out there but Porkbun seems to be doing everything right. They are highly rated, user-friend, and cheap when it comes to registration prices.
To register a .com domain at Porkbun, the regular price is $10.37/year. However, like most registrars trying to get your business, they offer discounts on the first year registration price. For example, at the time of this writing, a .com was $6.99.
Renewals are $10.37/year, the same as the regular price. You can also get other top level domains at Porkbun, as well as web hosting and email hosting.
Domain features include free WhoIs privacy and URL forwarding. There are clear instructions on how to set up DNS so your can get your site up and running if you’re using another web host.
What I love most about Porkbun is the transparent pricing and the low .com price for both registrations and renewals.
4. Cloudflare
Cloudflare is known most for its security products like DDoS protection for websites. While most of the sites on this list deal primarily with domain registration, Cloudflare cannot be ignored as a domain registrar.
The biggest reason for this is that they offer their domain names at wholesale pricing – the same price they pay for the domains. Add the mandatory ICANN fees and you have the cheapest pricing you can pay for domain names.
At Cloudflare, you will pay $9.15 to register, renew, or transfer a .com domain name. They also offer other TLD, also with no markup.
Since Cloudflare is a security company, one of the biggest advantages to registering domains with them is knowing that you’re same from domain hijacking or having your domain name stolen.
The one caveat is that you cannot change your DNS from Cloudflares, which isn’t really a big problem since you can add DNS records to host your website where ever you want.
5. Spaceship
Another domain name registrar that is great with pricing is Spaceship. This registrar, as it turns out, was built by Namecheap so they represent the same core values.
The prices are even cheaper than Namecheap, with a .com domain going for $9.30/year. You can register a .com at a discount price (it’s currently $8.48 for the first year while I’m writing this post).
The great thing about Spaceship is that they value privacy and will give you free WhoIs privacy for life. Besides .com, they also sell hundreds of other top level domains with transparent pricing for registration and renewals.
Shared hosting and WordPress hosting are also available products from Spaceship.
Security for your domain names, free WhoIs privacy for life, and some of the cheapest pricing among domain name registrars are all key benefits you’ll receive when you register your domains with Spaceship.
6. Dynadot
If you want to bulk manage and sell your domains, Dynadot is a great solution for this. They’re ICANN-accredited and have a very active auction marketplace.
Pricing on Dynadot is also very cheap with a .com domain costing $10.19/year to register and the same price to renew. There are also hundreds of other top level domain names like .vip, .xyz, .shop, and more.
There are no hidden fees and no upselling when you try to check out and WhoIs privacy is free.
If you have a domain to sell, this may be one of the best places to do so. For registrations, the low transparent pricing, free WhoIs privacy, and bulk management are the best reasons to use Dynadot.
How To Choose The Best Domain Name Registrar
When looking for a domain name, it is important that you choose a good registrar. You might think that all registrars operate in nearly the same way but they actually don’t.
Here are a few key things to consider.
Pricing
This is probably the most important factor for me. Some domain name registrars offer very deep discounts on the registration of a domain name. You can sometimes get domains for $1 or less.
When it’s time to renew, they surprise you with the regular price of the domain which is sometimes way more than you would have even considered paying in the first place.
Namecheap offers discounts on registrations but they’re transparent about their renewal pricing which is still very cheap at under $13.98/year. I would never pay $25 for a .com but this is the sale price for one domain name at Network Solutions. You have to read the fine print to see that your purchase would renew at $37.99/year which is kinda outrageous to me.
Make sure that you know the regular price for a domain name before you purchase. The registrars on this list are transparent about their pricing and some register and renew at the same price.
Ease of Use
When you register a domain name and want to point your nameservers to your web host, you need easy instructions on how to do that. You will also need to know how to transfer a domain name in or out of the registrar.
A good domain name registrar will have easy instructions or a knowledgebase where you can find how to do these things.
Support
You should be able to get a hold of someone at the registrar if something goes wrong and you need help. Check to see if there is live chat, email or phone support and the hours they operate.
All the above registrars have adequate support systems in place if you need help.
Transfer policy
Domain name registrars have reasonable policies just in case you need to move your domain name. Some though, may make you uncomfortable.
Check to see how the registrars deal with transfers. For example, how long do you have to wait before you’re able to transfer a freshly bought domain name? Are there any fees associated with transfers?
Expiration Policy
Different registrars deal with domain name expiration differently. Your domain name will expire and when that time comes, you’ll want to be clear on your particular registrars expiration policies.
Some registrars give you a grace period so that you can pay for your domain name after it has expired. Some might give you a grace period and charge you a late fee. Some still, may offer reminders but no grace period and you lose your domain name when it expires.
Get to know your domain name registrars policy before you register your domain name. Namesilo, for example, offers a grace period with no penalties for renewing after the expiry date.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re doing affiliate marketing, ideally, you need a .com domain name and those aren’t exactly free. Some web hosts, like Bluehost, bundle in a free domain when you get a website package but this is just for the first year and you’re expected to pay for the domain name after that. Some website builders do the same thing.
There are some extensions that may be free but there are requirements for getting those.
There are possibly hundreds of domain name registrars so it’s impossible to know what they all charge. Also, many domain name registrars discount the registration fee for a domain name and then charge the full price on the renewal.
From the list, Namecheap occasionally has sales on .com domains for as low as .99 cents. Domain names at Porkbun start at $6.99. In the long run, Cloudflare might be the cheapest as they don’t add a markup to their domains, selling them at the wholesale price + mandatory ICANN fee, all of which come up to $9.15/year and renewing at the same price.
Godaddy is the biggest and most popular domain name registrar. However, their buying experience leaves a lot to be desired with not so transparent pricing on renewals, cross-sells, upsells and a lot of distractions and offerings before you can checkout and purchase your domain name.
Furthermore, a domain name (.com) at Godaddy costs $21.99/year regular pricing but you can get the first year registration at a reasonable discount.
