As we all know the importance of catchy taglines, we should understand that a business name should catch your customers’ interest.
So as soon as you come up with a name that best represents your business, make sure to have it registered before someone else does.
The only way to do it is to find a domain registrar to do it for you.
Picking one can be a tough choice because of the numerous options that offer varying features.
We created a list of the best domain registrars, along with reviews and comparisons to help you.
Best Domain Registrar Reviews
1. Bluehost
Bluehost makes it to the top domain registrars of the year by offering a domain and web hosting in a bundle.
Plus, it’s also among the most recommended by one of the most famous and used website builders, WordPress.
Aside from those, there are other unique benefits to look forward to from Bluehost.
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Bluehost is among the top choices for premium quality hosting.
It has a stellar reputation for having excellent customer support and Amazon security options and features.
Some of its top features are:
- Consistent and Excellent Uptime
A great site will be one with the least downtime.
In a world where time is a valuable asset, you can lose your potential audience with frequent downtimes.
Over 12 months, Bluehost has proven to be more than reliable in passing the standard benchmark, which is a 99.93% uptime.
It managed to reach a 99.96% mark from April 2020 to March 2021.
- Turbo Charged Loading Speed
Websites are meant to have a fast loading speed to maintain traffic.
Slow websites are prone to losing traffic and are bound to make more engagement and sales.
With Bluehost, you get a reliable average loading speed of 688 ms, translating to faster loading times.
- Affordable Rates
The rate makes it a hit for starters because Bluehost offers a shared hosting price available at $2.75 a month.
It gets you a 50 GB SSD storage, an SSL certificate, unmetered bandwidth, and more.
- Premium Security Features
Despite their affordable rates, Bluehost still manages to provide a free SSL certificate along with a CDN that gets you multiple CMS integrations, additional plugins, and more.
They also set up server backups, domain privacy protection, Spam Experts add-on, Codeguard, SiteLock, and Postini to ensure your website and data are protected.
- Customer Support Available 24/7
Whether you plan to set up a business or personal account with them, it is important to know that you have access to support whenever you need it.
Bluehost has 24/7 phone, email, and live chat support available for your needs.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Free WordPress Site Transfer
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Economical and reasonable rates
Cons:
- High renewal rates
- Restrictions
2. Namecheap
Namecheap is an independently owned domain name registrar founded in the year 2000.
It does not only offer domain registrations but a whole dozen of other hosting services too.
Let’s have a deeper dive into why this made it to the top domain registrars of this year.
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Successfully building a name for itself in the market, Namecheap stands out because of several features.
Apart from letting you set up a domain name or transfer one in 30 minutes, it also offers hosting services, security products, business emails, and more.
- Beast Mode Option
It is an excellent way to help you come up with a domain name and register it.
You can use an option to filter by keywords, price range, suffix, niche, and more.
- Website Migrations
The best about it is that it lets you have website migrations that are entirely free and easy to do.
With Namecheap, you can consolidate all your accounts in one place and manage them while utilizing a smooth and more efficient workflow.
- Easy to Use Interface
Signing up is easy. All you got to do is choose a domain name or import an existing one.
The steps will be easy to follow, and you can expect no sudden upsells or other charges added to your purchase.
It features a cPanel control that is straightforward.
It is a suite with a user-friendly interface.
- Support and Security
They have a live chat, email support, and several self-help resources you can use to maximize your experience.
They also provide excellent security through a free SSL, Leech Protect, CodeGuard, virus scanners, hotlink protection, domain privacy, and a two-factor authentication feature to ensure your account stays protected and uncompromised.
Pros:
- Domain privacy protection
- Custom-tailored service
- 100% uptime service agreement
- Softaculus installer
- Upgradable hosting package
- Free email accounts
Cons:
- Restricted shared hosting
- No phone support
3. GoDaddy
GoDaddy has become a household name and known for delivering high-quality web hosting and domain registration services.
It has reached the milestone of catering to 80 million domains, and for a good reason.
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This makes it to the top domain registrars of all time because of its solid foundation in domain registration and hosting services.
It also features a couple of fantastic online store features and WordPress website creation.
- Pre-Made Templates
An excellent starting point for people not accustomed to coding their own, GoDaddy presents a handful of pre-built templates.
These can be personalized and manipulated with a drag-and-drop function.
Its layouts are presented well in various devices, whether it be for mobile or computer view.
You can count on new additions from time to time.
- Online Store Feature
This enables you to set up an online store in an instant.
It covers all the essential aspects such as payment integration, information page building, product management, and reviews.
- Premium User Experience
They have established software that allows you to register domain extensions up to 150.
You can get all the benefits and tools to maximize web hosting and domain registration service.
This involved cloud hosting, VPS, shared hosting, dedicated servers, and more.
- WordPress Builder
As most of its features are built to be user-friendly, this makes it better.
Since many people use WordPress for their websites, GoDaddy has a feature that helps them build theirs even without coding experience.
It entails a drag and drop feature to manage, edit, and create various pages, images, and content on their website.
This feature makes it possible for newbies and enthusiasts to build their WordPress sites without much difficulty.
- Domain Name Generator
If you can’t think of a domain name to register your business, you can try this feature.
It allows you to input any name, idea, niche, or keyword related to your business.
From there, their software will pull up custom web addresses and sub-domains for you to choose from.
They can give you up to a hundred choices until you get the right one.
Pros:
- Centralized multiple domains in one dashboard
- Domain transfer complimentary one-year extension
- GoDaddy Appraisal Tool
- Discounts for bulk transfers and registrations
- Fast, efficient, and friendly customer support
Cons:
- Restoration fees
- No live chat support
4. Shopify
A one-stop shop ideal for aspiring store owners and entrepreneurs, Shopify provides everything you need in one place.
One of the top leading platforms for eCommerce businesses, this one is definitely worth checking out.
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This remains on top of the domain registrar choices for many because you get to see everything you need upon signing up.
From templates, email marketing tools, payment processors to marketing, you will be presented with varying designs with amazing functions that require no coding experience.
Here are the details on what you’ll expect from Shopify:
- High-End and Stand-Out Store Designs
To be competitive in the market, you have to make sure your website design is extraordinarily appealing and highly functional.
With over a hundred themes to choose from, you can be sure that your store will appeal to your customers and represent your brand.
- Flexible and Constantly Evolving
Shopify lets you start with a single template to complement different functions from the app marketplace.
You can choose among 3000 apps, so you’re assured you’ll find all the apps that will work best for your website.
It also lets coders create their own functions through API.
You can choose to keep your stores small or big.
Shopify continues to grow with the times and technology to provide solutions to their clients.
- Tracking for Full Inventory
Individuals who have a difficult time handling and managing their inventory will enjoy Shopify’s automatic inventory notifications.
It accurately keeps track of your inventory even if you prefer it done offline.
They have their own POS that lets you handle all matters regarding your merchandise.
- Easier Tax Handling
For starting entrepreneurs, handling tax can be frustrating and confusing.
Another excellent and useful feature is that it can even set USA tax rates individually or in all items depending on your preference.
Areas with VAT can easily add it on the product page if necessary.
- Multi-Platform Selling
This feature makes it easier to generate more sales since it supports several channels like Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, and eBay.
While some domain registrar entails complicated processes in incorporating or connecting with these platforms, it is best to let Shopify take care of this trouble for you.
- Varied Payment Options
A lot of business owners prefer Shopify because of the payment options available.
It supports over 100 choices and even makes it more accessible through their gateway, Shopify Payments.
Pros:
- Trial period of 14 days
- 24/7 customer support
- Lower cost on renewals
- Physical and digital products selling
- Offers Shopify POS
- Abandoned cart recovery
Cons:
- No email hosting
- Does not offer multiple languages for stores
5. Google Domains
Despite being launched last 2015, Google Domains managed to be one of the best domain registrars for 2021.
Though it does not offer hosting services, it does stand out because of its features.
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If you are a Google enthusiast, you will have fun having your domain registered with them.
That is because they allow you to connect Google services such as Search Console and G-Suite.
Below are more of the reasons Google Domains is a favorite.
- Transparent Pricing
If you want to be ensured that you will not pay sudden, hidden, and extra charges, Google Domain is the best option for you.
Upon registration, you will see how much you are to pay for signing up and renewing it.
It spares you from the trouble of cashing out more for renewal in the long run.
- Top-Notch Security
It offers free privacy protection, which lets you hide your identity and information in the Whois registry.
Others keep their information generic for a fee, while Google Domain gives you the service for free.
Apart from that, you can secure your account with a two-step authentication through text messages, physical keys, smartphone apps, and more.
- DNS Servers Powered by Google
The best part about having Google power your domain name system server is that your load time is guaranteed to be fast.
Since it uses Google’s very own infrastructure to support it, you can rest assured with premium speeds with no extra cost.
- Email Forwarding
Google Domain allows you to create as many as 100 email aliases.
All the emails from these can be forwarded and directed to your current email accounts.
So if you want to have an email that you can personalize like [email protected], check out Google Domain and its services.
- Automatic Google Product Verification
Google offers a broad range of applications and products.
With Google Domain, you no longer need to verify your account each time it encounters other Google products.
It is not only time-saving and convenient, but it also spares you from the extra trouble of verifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does WHOIS Do?
When we speak of WHOIS, we talk about an internet record listing that answers a query or a response protocol that gives information about a domain holder.
It gives the domain registration date and expiration, as well as information on how to contact them or whether a domain is available or not.
Who Regulates the Information on WHOIS?
Since records in WHOIS are supposed to be factual and reliable, ICANN or the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers was established.
It verifies and regulates domain name ownership and registration.
How Does Privacy Work for WHOIS?
Since ICANN is in charge of regulating it, they make sure that domain registration and the assigned names and phone numbers of the people who own the domains are made public and available for reference.
That also includes email and mailing addresses.
Those who want to keep their contact information private can get private registration services or proxy services.
In this way, the proxy’s or the organization giving the privacy service is shown on the directory instead of personal information.
However, it is important to know that this does not give 100% anonymity as these are still bound by the law in case information is needed.
Is WHOIS Enough To Check the Availability of a Domain?
While it provides useful information on checking whether a domain is taken or not, there are other things to check.
It helps to check if a domain is protected with a trademark.
It’s also important to check if it has been banned by Google before.
Our Final Recommendations
It’s challenging to choose with the overwhelming number of domain registrars promising the best features and services for your business or interest.
After taking a deeper dive into the best domain registrars, we decided that Shopify makes it at the top of the list.
That is because of its versatility, multi-functionality, and convenience.
If you are looking for another choice to grow your business, we believe that the next best thing would be GoDaddy.
Apart from offering their services at affordable rates, they provide services and features that are as good as our number one choice.
