Are you planning to build a website? Want to know the best domain name registrars to book your domain from? Is there more to a domain name than it appears?

I get you. There are so many options, and you’d like to be sure before going ahead and purchasing a domain.

In today’s digital world, domain names are vital in helping people find the right websites and connect with the right businesses.

Hence, it’s only natural that people have begun investing heavily in acquiring quality domain names to help increase their online presence.

The market for domain name registration is pretty competitive, which is why you cannot afford to search for a registrar blindly.

Instead, make sure you give your choice enough research before choosing a company that can assist you in creating long-lasting brand equity for your new business or brand.

In this article, I’ll inform you about the best domain name registrars and the top picks that will prove helpful when making your final decision on which company to work with.

That being said, let’s dive into the article.

Top 14 Best Domain Name Registrars (Quick Overview)

While I will cover each domain name registrar in detail, here’s a quick overview of what I consider the top 14 best domain name registrars.

Let’s now cover the best domain name registrars in detail, their pros, cons, and pricing.

14 Best Domain Name Registrars 2023

1. Namecheap

Namecheap is a popular domain name registrar that’s been delivering the best domains at the best prices since 2000. They’ve now included hosting, managed WordPress, security, and more into their platform.

Currently, Namecheap manages over 15 million domains and has over 2 million customers.

Pros of Namecheap

• Trusted brand with a good uptime
• Cheap domain names
• Several TLDs and extensions are available
• Free migration from other hosting providers
• Daily backups

Cons of Namecheap

• Unreliable support

Namecheap Pricing

A ‘.com’ domain starts at $6.98/yr and renews at $13.98. If you are looking for WordPress hosting, it will cost you $4.88 per month.

2. Bluehost

Bluehost has been hugely popular and one of the biggest web hosting solution companies since 2003. It is also an officially recommended hosting provider by WordPress. Whether a freelancer or a medium to large business, Bluehost has a hosting plan for just about anyone looking to start an online presence.

Bluehost is ideal for beginners looking to start a website. The easy-to-use interface and excellent customer support available round the clock makes Bluehost a popular choice. You even get a free domain for the first year and hence feature on our list of best domain name registrars.

Pros of Bluehost

• Free domain name
• High-performance servers
• Excellent 24/7 customer support
• Free CDN + SSL
• Affordable pricing

Cons of Bluehost

• Domain renewal price is higher

Bluehost Pricing

A ‘.com’ starts at ​​$12.99 for the first year, while a ‘.net’ and ‘.org’ starts at $18.99 and $9.99 respectively. However, you get a domain free for the first year when you sign up for a hosting plan starting at $2.95 per month.

3. GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a well-known domain name registrar that started in 1997. Even though the company has diversified into hosting and other solutions, it’s still the first name that pops up when you want to purchase a domain name from a trusted source.

GoDaddy has an intuitive interface that is beginner friendly and lets just about anyone manage their dashboard effortlessly. Want to build a website? No problem. GoDaddy has you covered with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder that’ll instantly help you launch your website.

Pros of GoDaddy

• Affordable .com domain
• Quick load time
• Easy to use
• Responsive customer support
• Ample storage

Cons of GoDaddy

• No free SSL certificate

GoDaddy Pricing

A ‘.com’ costs $0.01 for the first year with a 2-year registration. The subsequent year will be charged at $19.99 per year.

4. Register.com

Register.com is another of our best domain name registrars operational since 1994. In 2010, they were acquired by Web.com and continue offering superior products and hosting solutions. Their hosting plans also offer you plenty of email boxes with ample storage.

Register.com currently manages well over 2.5 million domains. In addition to helping you find the right domain easily, they also offer a full suite of domain-related services, such as domain name registration, domain expiration protection, domain name transfers, and domain privacy services.

Pros of Register.com

• Unlimited bandwidth
• Reasonably priced
• Free domain with an annual hosting package
• Reliable hosting
• 300 GB+ storage (Essential plan)

Cons of Register.com

• Not very beginner-friendly

Register.com Pricing

The ‘.com’ extension starts from $25 per year. You get a domain free if you sign up for an annual WordPress hosting plan.

5. InMotion Hosting

InMotion Hosting has been operational since 2001 and is a privately owned company providing all kinds of web hosting and cloud-based solutions. Whether you are an entrepreneur starting an online venture or an established business looking for a more reliable hosting solution, InMotion Hosting has you covered.

InMotion Hosting currently manages over 570,000 customers globally and has built its foundation around 24/7/365 customer support (U.S based) and open source technology.

Pros of InMotion Hosting

• Free domain and SSL on hosting plans
• Automatic domain renewals
• 24/7 customer support
• Easy Staging Tools
• Free website migration

Cons of InMotion Hosting

• Data Centers located in the U.S only

InMotion Hosting Pricing

A ‘.com’ domain costs $19.99 per year. You get a domain and SSL for free if you go ahead with a hosting plan.

6. HostGator

HostGator is a popular web hosting solution with features and plans that caters to just about anyone wanting to build an online presence. While they are known for their affordable hosting solutions, you can buy a domain from their platform. Hence, HostGator features in this list of best domain name registrars.

Since its inception in 2002, HostGator has managed 2.5+ million websites and over 10 million domains.

Pros of HostGator

• Reliable web hosting
• Free domain and SSL
• 99.9% uptime
• Free site migration
• 24/7 support

Cons of HostGator

• Higher renewal prices

HostGator Pricing

Pricing for a ‘.com’ domain starts at $12.95 per year. However, when you sign up for a hosting plan, you get a free domain and SSL.

7. Hostinger

Did you know that Hostinger started as a free web hosting service? Today, Hostinger is one of the best web hosting solutions offering affordable plans and high-quality hosting, among other things, for website owners. Whether you’re building a site from scratch or switching between hosting providers, Hostinger has you covered.

Most of Hostinger’s hosting plans come with a free domain. In addition to the generic top-level domain (TLD) names, such as .com, .net, and .org, Hostinger also provides other popular domain extensions for free.

Pros of Hostinger

• Affordable pricing
• User-friendly and easy to get started
• Free domain and SSL with hosting
• Fast website load times
• Multiple datacenters

Cons of Hostinger

• No CDN and daily backups on their Single and Starter plans

Hostinger Pricing

The ‘.com’ domain costs $0.99/yr for the first year if you go with a two or more years registration.

8. DreamHost

DreamHost is a hosting solution recommended by WordPress and is known for its fast and secure hosting. Like most hosting solutions mentioned in this article, DreamHost offers you a free domain when you sign up for their hosting plans.

However, DreamHost may not be for you if you want a hosting solution with a beginner-friendly interface. It does have a slight learning curve. But once you do get the hang of it, it’s pretty straightforward.

Pros of DreamHost

• Award-winning hosting
• Free SSL certificate and domain privacy
• Officially recommended by WordPress
• Free subdomains included
• Excellent customer support

Cons of DreamHost

• A slight learning curve

DreamHost Pricing

A ‘.com’ domain costs $7.99 for the 1st year and renews at the regular rate of $17.99.

9. WPX Hosting

WPX Hosting is a high-performance solution that helps load your website fast. We’ve run tests on the same website hosted on WPX and other service providers. And the result on tools such as GT Metrix and Pingdom was pretty evident. Websites hosted on WPX Hosting loaded much faster.

While you do not get a free domain when you sign up for their hosting plans, WPX Hosting is undoubtedly one of my favorite features in this list of best domain name registrars.

Pros of WPX Hosting

• Easy-to-use interface
• Fast and impressive page load times
• Responsive support
• Free WordPress migration
• Competitive pricing

Cons of WPX Hosting

• Nothing much. They don’t have phone support, but the live chat is very fast

WPX Hosting Pricing

A ‘.com’ domain costs $13.99 per year.

10. GreenGeeks

Whether you’re building a website or just getting started, GreenGeeks has the right hosting solution for you. It offers multiple hosting options to meet your needs, and its WordPress hosting is built to scale with your site’s growth.

With the built-in scalability, you can rest easy knowing your site will always look its best. And with advanced security features, you can keep your site secure and protected from attackers.

Pros of GreenGeeks

• Free domain name for the 1st year (along with hosting)
• 99.9% uptime
• Free SSL and CDN
• Free data backup
• Managed WordPress

Cons of GreenGeeks

• While the live chat is responsive, there is no 24/7 support over the phone

GreenGeeks Pricing

A ‘.com’ domain will cost you $17.95 per year. However, when you sign up for a hosting plan, you get a free domain for the first year.

11. Name.com

Founded in 2003, Name.com is primarily a domain name registrar offering a wide range of website hosting packages. It has a beginner-friendly interface and is an all-in-one solution with everything you need to manage your online business.

Pros of Name.com

• Host of products and services
• Advanced search functionality
• Select from multiple TLDs
• Free domain when you sign up for a Google Workspace plan
• Responsive customer support

Cons of Name.com

• Renewal costs are high

Name.com Pricing

A ‘.com’ domain will cost you ​​$9.99 for the first year and renew at $15.99.

12. Domain.com

Domain.com is one of the largest and most trusted domain name registrars that’s been in existence for over two decades. Building a personal blog or an online store? Domain.com has you covered with all the tools and services you’ll need.

Pros of Domain.com

• Easy to use
• Affordable pricing
• Multiple hosting plans
• Free SSL certificate
• Responsive customer service

Cons of Domain.com

• No monthly payment plans

Domain.com Pricing

A ‘.com’ domain name will cost $9.99 per year.

13. Web.com

Buy domain names, website hosting, email solutions, build websites, and do more with Web.com. It is a one-stop solution for just about anything you need to build and scale your online business. Want help with website marketing as well? No problem! Web.com offers a range of marketing-related services for your website.

Pros of Web.com

• Easy to use
• Free domain name when you sign up for an annual hosting plan
• Free website builder
• 99.99% uptime
• 24/7 support

Cons of Web.com

• No free SSL with the basic plan

Web.com Pricing

A domain name will cost you $9.99/year for a ‘.com’ extension.

14. A2 Hosting

Looking for blazing fast and ultra-reliable web hosting solutions? Consider A2 Hosting. At A2 Hosting, your websites are hosted on the SwiftServer platform, which comes loaded with tools, such as free CDN, SSDs, and your choice of datacenters. You can even choose the Turbo Servers that feature up to 20X faster page loads.

Pros of A2 Hosting

• Turbo Servers resulting in up to 20X faster page loads
• Free site migration
• 24/7 live chat
• Excellent customer support
• Free SSL certification

Cons of A2 Hosting

• No free domain with any hosting plan

A2 Hosting Pricing

A ‘.com’ domain costs $16.99 per year.

Now that we are done with our list, here are a few concepts regarding domain names for brevity.

What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is the address of a website. It also acts as an introduction for your brand or business on the internet. In other words, it is the website name. It’s your unique address and how people find you on the internet.

What physical address is in the real world, a domain name (or website address) is in the online world. For instance, a physical address would have a door number, a street name, and a zip code, among other things.

The door number in a particular street is unique and is how people locate you. Similarly, a domain name is your unique identity on the internet.

A domain name is an essential factor in the success of any business. When used correctly, it can lead to better rankings in the search engines and more traffic to the website.

Domain names are essential because they are the only way that people can find your website. If no one knows the URL of your website, then you won’t get any traffic.

Some popular domain names include google.com, msn.com, yahoo.com, and bloggersbloom.com, among others.

Did you know that there are well over XX different kinds of domain name extensions? And who controls the same of these domain names?

Well, that gets us on to our next topic.

What is a Domain Name Registrar?

A domain name registrar is an entity that processes domain name registrations. The registrar is responsible for handling the transaction between the buyer (you) and the seller of the domain name, as well as acting as the registry for the domain name.

In the domain name registration process, registrars act as the central point of contact between the domain buyer and domain registrant.

Registrars can be the service provider for thousands of domain name registrants, acting as the registry for their domain names and the domain names.

However, many domain name registrars offer a wide range of services for a monthly fee. How do you know which one to go ahead with?

How to Choose the Right Domain Name Registrar?

Choosing the right registrar can be daunting for first-time domain name registrants. This is mainly because there are a lot of factors that one has to consider when choosing the best domain name registrar.

If you are new to the domain name registration scene, here are a few factors that you can use to make your decision easier.

Stability: This is the most crucial factor in choosing the best domain name registrar. A domain name registrar that is stable and reliable is what every registrant should look for in a registrar.

The best way to determine the level of stability of a registrar is to check out the reviews of their customers.

Customer Support: A good registrar offers 24/7 customer support. Most registrars will only provide customer support from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. Although a good company should be true to its word, the law gives every customer the right to receive customer support 24/7.

Price: Another essential factor to consider when choosing the best domain name registrar is the price. You should ensure that the registrar you pick has the lowest price and is not too expensive.

Tips for Choosing the Best Domain Name

Research and find out more about the domain name extension: This is the first and most important step when choosing the best domain name registrar. This is because you will use the domain name to find your company’s website address. So, choosing a domain name with a short and catchy extension is essential.

Keep your domain name short

The domain name of your site must be short enough to remember. Moreover, it should be easy to spell and pronounce. So, the easiest way to keep it short is to avoid using the whole word, as it will create confusion for the readers.

Make it easy to pronounce and spell

If your domain name is not easy to pronounce or spell, it will fail to attract visitors to the site. This is because most people who browse the internet are individuals who do not have a lot of time to spend reading lengthy domain names.

Keep it unique and brandable

This is the most important rule when choosing the best domain name. It is because a good domain name will reflect your company’s core value, while a bad domain name will only achieve the opposite result. So, make sure you do a thorough domain name search and choose a domain name with a unique and brandable extension.

Avoid hyphens in the domain name

Although Google does not prohibit a hyphenated domain name, it can make the site load slowly. This is because hyphens can add complications to the URL. So, avoid using hyphens in your domain name.

Which is the Best Domain Name Registrar

Choosing the best domain name registrar for your business is crucial to the growth and success of your brand. It’s like choosing the right business partner for success.

There are many factors to consider when selecting the best domain name registrar, and hopefully, this article will help you make an informed decision when choosing a registrar.

If you want my opinion, go ahead with Bluehost or WPX Hosting.

Which domain name registrar have you gone ahead with? I’d like to hear from you now. Let me know in the comments below.