Choosing a Domain Registrar: What to Look For

## Choosing a Domain Registrar: What to Look For The registrar you choose determines your domain management experience for years. A bad registrar can mean surprise fees, poor security defaults, painful transfer processes, and support that disappears when you need it most. This guide gives you a framework for evaluating and comparing registrars before you spend a dollar. Domain Cost Calculator ### What Is a Domain Registrar? A domain registrar is an ICANN-accredited organization authorized to register domain names in generic TLDs (gTLDs) and many ccTLDs. ICANN maintains a public list of all accredited registrars — if a registrar isn't on that list, don't use them. Registrars act as intermediaries between you (the registrant) and the domain registry. When you register a .com domain, the registrar writes your information into Verisign's registry database on your behalf. There are over 2,000 ICANN-accredited registrars, but the market is dominated by a few large players and a growing number of technically sophisticated independents. ### The #1 Factor: Renewal Price This is where most buyers go wrong. Registrars routinely advertise first-year registration fees of $0.99 to $2.99 for popular TLDs, then charge $15-25/year at renewal. **Always check the renewal price before registering.** The renewal price is the true cost of the domain. A domain that renews at $9.99/year costs $99.90 over 10 years. The same domain at a different registrar renewing at $19.99/year costs $199.90. That's a $100 difference for the exact same domain. How to find the renewal price: - Look at the registrar's "pricing" page - Add the domain to cart and look for "renewal price" in fine print - Check the renewal price in the registrar's knowledge base Registrars with transparent, flat pricing (same price for registration and renewal) include Cloudflare Registrar and Porkbun. Registrars with aggressive intro discounts that spike at renewal include GoDaddy and many budget providers. ### WHOIS Privacy: Free or Paid? WHOIS privacy (also called domain privacy or privacy protection) replaces your personal contact information in the public WHOIS database with the registrar's proxy details. Without it, your full name, mailing address, phone number, and email are publicly searchable. ICANN implemented WHOIS privacy requirements under GDPR that effectively require registrars to redact personal data by default for EU registrants. However, US registrants often still need to explicitly request or enable privacy. **WHOIS privacy should be free.** Registrars that charge $10-15/year for this are charging for something that costs them essentially nothing. Avoid them or factor the cost into your comparison. Registrars that include free WHOIS privacy: Cloudflare Registrar, Namecheap, Porkbun, Dynadot, Google Domains (now Squarespace Domains). ### Transfer Policies and Fees You should be able to move your domain to another registrar at any time (after the initial 60-day lock period required by ICANN). Evaluate these transfer-related factors: **Transfer fees**: Some registrars charge a fee to transfer a domain away. Others (like Cloudflare) charge nothing and often include a free year of registration with the transfer. **Transfer process complexity**: Does the registrar make it easy to unlock the domain and obtain an EPP code? Or do they hide these options and require you to contact support? **60-day lock**: ICANN requires that newly registered or recently transferred domains be locked for 60 days. This is non-negotiable, but some registrars impose additional lock periods. Avoid registrars that lock you in for more than 60 days. **Gaining registrar transfer policy**: The receiving registrar should provide a free year of registration with incoming transfers for most TLDs (this is an ICANN requirement for gTLDs). ### Interface and Management Tools You'll be living in your registrar's control panel for years. Evaluate: **DNS management**: Can you easily add, edit, and delete DNS records? Do changes propagate quickly? Is there support for modern record types (ALIAS/ANAME, CAA, SSHFP)? **Bulk management**: If you have multiple domains, can you update settings in bulk? Filter and sort your portfolio? **API access**: Do you want to manage domains programmatically? Check whether the registrar offers an API and what operations it supports. **Two-factor authentication**: Non-negotiable for security. Ensure the registrar supports TOTP apps (Google Authenticator, 1Password) not just SMS 2FA. **Auto-renewal management**: Can you easily see which domains are coming up for renewal? Set individual renewal settings per domain? ### Support Quality Domain problems often happen at the worst possible times — when your site is down, when you're in the middle of a launch, when you're about to close a sale. Evaluate support: - **Live chat**: Available 24/7 or only business hours? - **Phone support**: Is it available? Some registrars only offer email/ticket. - **Response time**: Check community reviews for typical response times - **ICANN complaints**: Search the ICANN registrar complaints database for the registrar's name ### Security Features Beyond domain lock, look for: **Registry Lock**: Available only through enterprise registrars, this is a registry-level lock that requires out-of-band verification to disable. Overkill for most users but essential for high-value domains. **DNSSEC support**: Can you enable DNSSEC for your domains? Does the registrar manage key signing or do you need to provide DS records yourself? **Account breach notifications**: Does the registrar alert you to suspicious login attempts or settings changes? **Registrar Transfer Authorization**: Does the registrar send you an email when someone initiates a transfer? Can you immediately reject unauthorized transfers? ### Pricing Model Comparison | Registrar | .com Renewal | Privacy | Transfer Fee | API | Support | |-----------|-------------|---------|--------------|-----|---------| | Cloudflare | ~$9.77 (at-cost) | Free | Free | Yes | Good | | Namecheap | ~$13.98 | Free | Free | Yes | Good | | Porkbun | ~$10.44 | Free | Free | Yes | Good | | Dynadot | ~$11.99 | Free | Free | Yes | Good | | GoDaddy | ~$21.99 | $9.99/yr extra | Free | Yes | Varies | *Prices change frequently; verify before registering.* ### Specialized Registrars Worth Knowing **Cloudflare Registrar**: Sells domains at cost (wholesale registration fee only), no markup. Ideal if you're already using Cloudflare for DNS. No promotional pricing — the price you see is always the renewal price. **Namecheap**: Well-regarded for competitive pricing, solid interface, and responsive support. Good for most use cases. **Sav.com / Porkbun**: Ultra-competitive pricing on many TLDs. Good for budget-conscious buyers. **Dynadot**: Strong bulk management tools and competitive pricing. Good for domain investors managing large portfolios. **MarkMonitor / CSC**: Enterprise registrars for Fortune 500 companies. Offer registry lock, brand protection services, and dedicated account managers. Not consumer-facing. ### Red Flags to Avoid - **Upselling everything**: If the registrar tries to add SSL, hosting, email, website builder, and malware scanning to your cart before you've even searched for a domain, they're optimizing for revenue not your interests. - **No clear renewal pricing**: If you can't find the renewal price in under 60 seconds, assume it's high. - **Paid WHOIS privacy**: A non-negotiable dealbreaker when free alternatives exist. - **No 2FA**: Never store valuable domains at a registrar without two-factor authentication. - **Difficult transfer-out process**: Check reviews specifically mentioning "transfer out" experiences. ### Making Your Decision For most users registering 1-5 domains: 1. Check pricing for your specific TLDs (prices vary significantly by TLD) 2. Confirm WHOIS privacy is free 3. Confirm auto-renewal is available 4. Verify 2FA support 5. Register For power users and investors: 1. All of the above plus 2. API availability and documentation quality 3. Bulk management tools 4. Transfer-out process (check community reviews) Use Domain Cost Calculator to model the total 5-year cost across your top candidates before committing. How to Register a Domain: Complete Walkthrough Domain Transfer Guide: Move Domains Between Registrars