NameSilo vs Spaceship: Which Is Better?
A head-to-head comparison using the same scoring methodology applied site-wide.
Spaceship is the better experience and usually the cheaper start; NameSilo is the more predictable cost and the longer record. For one or two domains the interface matters more than the forecast, which favours Spaceship. For a set of domains you will renew for years without looking closely, flat pricing is worth more than a nice panel, which favours NameSilo.
At a glance
The five things buyers actually decide on, each settled by the strongest evidence we hold — and left open where we hold none.
| What matters | NameSilo | Spaceship | Our call |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com renewal, per year | $17.29 | $10.18 all-in | Spaceship |
| MeasuredSpaceship is $7.11 a year cheaper on the renewal, which is the price you pay every year after the first. Read from each registrar's own pricing page on 2026-08-19 and 2026-08-19. | |||
| WHOIS privacy | Free | Free | Level |
| From published documentationBoth include WHOIS privacy at no cost, so this should not decide it. | |||
| Automation | API + bulk tools | API + bulk tools | NameSilo |
| Editorial judgementBoth publish API and bulk tools. Ranking the developer experience beyond that is our judgement, not a measurement. | |||
| Support access | Ticket support, Knowledge base | Live chat, Email | Spaceship |
| Editorial judgementNeither side's published channels separate them, and we have not published response-time measurements, so this is our judgement. | |||
| Account security | TOTP authenticator app | TOTP authenticator app | Spaceship |
| Editorial judgementBoth document the same class of second factor, so separating them further is our judgement rather than a documented difference. | |||
Badges say what each verdict rests on: a figure we collected and verified, a fact from the registrar’s own documentation, or our judgement. We hold verified prices for 261 extensions at NameSilo and 19 at Spaceship — how much of each registrar this site can vouch for, not how large its catalogue is. How we decide.
Key differences
- Flat versus promotional: NameSilo prices registration equal to renewal across its catalogue; Spaceship discounts first years on most of what it sells. The first is easier to forecast, the second is cheaper to start.
- Interface: the widest gap between these two is beginner UX — Spaceship scores 9.0, NameSilo 6.5, and NameSilo itself names polished UX as something it does not offer.
- Support: Spaceship runs live chat and email; NameSilo is ticket-only (6.5 against 8.0).
- Age and breadth: NameSilo has been operating since 2009 with 400+ extensions at flat pricing; Spaceship launched in 2023 with broad gTLD coverage and a growing ccTLD list.
Winner by category
| Category | NameSilo | Spaceship | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | 8.0 | 8.5 | Spaceship |
| Renewals | 8.0 | 8.5 | Spaceship |
| Pricing transparency | 9.0 | 8.5 | NameSilo |
| WHOIS privacy | 9.5 | 9.0 | NameSilo |
| DNS | 7.0 | 8.0 | Spaceship |
| Security / 2FA | 7.5 | 8.0 | Spaceship |
| Support | 6.5 | 8.0 | Spaceship |
| Transfer | 8.5 | 8.0 | NameSilo |
| TLD coverage | 8.5 | 8.0 | NameSilo |
| Developer / API | 8.5 | 8.0 | NameSilo |
| Beginner UX | 6.5 | 9.0 | Spaceship |
| Overall | 8.1 | 8.4 | Spaceship |
How they compare on privacy, DNS, support and security
Scores summarise these categories; the paragraphs below compare the underlying facts.
WHOIS privacy
Both include WHOIS privacy at no extra charge, so cost is not the deciding factor here — the wording is.
DNS tools
Neither runs an anycast platform. Both are conventional managed DNS, which is fine for a typical site — and either domain can be pointed at a dedicated DNS provider later without moving the registration. NameSilo's recorded DNS summary names DNSSEC support and Spaceship's does not. Read that as an absence of evidence rather than evidence of absence — verify with Spaceship before relying on signed zones.
Support
NameSilo offers email or tickets, self-serve documentation. Spaceship offers live chat, email or tickets, self-serve documentation. NameSilo has no live channel at all — tickets and documentation only — so plan for asynchronous replies, while Spaceship can be reached in real time. What we record here is which channels exist and when they are staffed — not guaranteed response times, which vary by queue and by day.
Security and 2FA
Neither supports hardware security keys, so an authenticator app is the strongest second factor either offers. It beats SMS comfortably and is still phishable — a fake login page can relay the code the moment you type it.
.com pricing comparison
| Registrar | First-year | Renewal | 3-year cost | WHOIS privacy | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NameSilo | $17.29 (verified price) | $17.29 (verified price) | $51.87 (verified price) | Free | 2026-08-19 |
| Spaceship | $8.88 +$0.20 (verified price) | $9.98 +$0.20 (verified price) | $29.44 (verified price) | Free | 2026-08-19 |
+$0.20 marks the mandatory ICANN fee where a registrar itemises it separately instead of including it in the headline price. Prices are shown exactly as each registrar publishes them, and every ranking on this site compares the all-in total, so no registrar gains a position by splitting its price up.
Pricing across popular TLDs
| TLD | NameSilo first-yr | NameSilo renewal | Spaceship first-yr | Spaceship renewal | Cheaper renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $17.29 | $17.29 | $8.88 +$0.20 | $9.98 +$0.20 | Spaceship |
| .net | $15.95 | $15.95 | $11.20 +$0.20 | $11.20 +$0.20 | Spaceship |
| .org | $14.99 | $14.99 | $6.65 +$0.20 | $11.39 +$0.20 | Spaceship |
| .io | $33.99 | $69.99 | $31.98 | $51.75 | Spaceship |
| .ai | $99.99 | $99.99 | $79.98 | $79.98 | Spaceship |
| .co | $3.99 | $38.99 | $4.98 | $31.05 | Spaceship |
Renewals are the dominant long-term cost. Use the cost calculator for multi-year totals.
- Flat-rate pricing — registration and renewal cost the same, with no promotional first-year trap
- Free WHOIS privacy on all domains, for the life of the domain
- Bulk-friendly account tools and a free, well-documented API
- No hidden fees and no per-domain privacy renewal charges; a built-in Discount Program and volume tiers lower per-domain cost for large portfolios
- Retail .com (about $17.29/year) is higher than Porkbun or Cloudflare Registrar; the lowest rates require the Discount Program or holding 100+ domains
- Account UI looks dated compared with Porkbun or Spaceship
- Support limited to tickets and a knowledge base; no live chat or phone
- DNS feature set is functional but not advanced
- Modern, clean account UI
- Competitive renewal pricing across many TLDs
- Backed by the same group as Namecheap
- Newer brand — fewer independent long-term reviews
- Some advanced enterprise features still missing
Which should you choose?
Choose NameSilo if you want flat pricing across a wide catalogue and a registrar that has been doing it since 2009, and a plain interface with ticket support is acceptable.
Choose Spaceship if you want a modern panel, live chat, and the cheaper first year, and you are comfortable with a registrar founded in 2023.
Both include WHOIS privacy free and both publish an API and bulk tools, so neither direction loses a feature you would have to re-buy. Moving to Spaceship, compare all-in figures: it itemises the ICANN fee separately while NameSilo does not, so the two published prices are not on the same basis.
Final recommendation
Spaceship is the better default — it leads on overall score and is our recommended pick for users who want modern ux and competitive renewals.
NameSilo is the better choice if flat registration-equals-renewal pricing is your top priority, or if you specifically need bulk domain buyers and domainers.
Either way, avoid Spaceship if you need legacy enterprise workflows, and avoid NameSilo if you need beginners who want polished ux.
FAQ
Which is cheaper for .com renewals, NameSilo or Spaceship?+
Which has better DNS, NameSilo or Spaceship?+
Is WHOIS privacy free at both NameSilo and Spaceship?+
What should I know about transferring a domain between NameSilo and Spaceship?+
Sources
- /methodology/ — scoring methodology
- /registrars/namesilo/ — NameSilo review
- /registrars/spaceship/ — Spaceship review