Registrar reviews

Hands-on, scored reviews of 9 domain registrars — each with a verdict, score breakdown, pricing, DNS notes, support test, transfer experience, and a changelog. We also track 11 more with sourced facts and pricing, not yet scored.

Last updated 2026-08-19Prices checked monthly1 of 9 scored reviews with published testing notes6 registrars with primary-source pricingTransparent methodology

Scored reviews

Cloudflare Registrar

Best for: Developers · At-cost renewals

9.2

+At-cost renewal pricing — no markup on wholesale
+Best-in-class DNS performance
−Smaller TLD selection than full-service registrars

Last updated 2026-05-27Read review →

Porkbun

Best for: Cheap renewals · Free WHOIS privacy

9.0

+Among the lowest renewal prices for .com, .net, .io, .dev
+Free WHOIS privacy and SSL on many domains
−Support limited to business hours for chat

Last updated 2026-04-29Read review →

Namecheap

Best for: Small business · Beginners

8.6

+Free WHOIS privacy on all eligible domains
+Reliable 24/7 live chat support
−Renewals priced above the cheapest competitors

Last updated 2026-04-22Read review →

Spaceship

Best for: Modern UX · Competitive renewals

8.4

+Modern, clean account UI
+Competitive renewal pricing across many TLDs
−Newer brand — fewer independent long-term reviews

Last updated 2026-04-26Read review →

Dynadot

Best for: Domain investors · Aftermarket tools

8.1

+Strong toolkit for domain investors and bulk users
+Competitive registration and aftermarket fees
−UI feels dated compared with newer registrars

Last updated 2026-04-15Read review →

NameSilo

Best for: Flat registration-equals-renewal pricing · Bulk domain buyers and domainers

8.1

+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
−Retail .com (about $17.29/year) is higher than Porkbun or Cloudflare Registrar; the lowest rates require the Discount Program or holding 100+ domains

Last updated 2026-06-28Read review →

Squarespace Domains

Best for: Squarespace site owners · Simple buyers

7.6

+Clean, modern interface
+Tight integration with Squarespace websites
−No public API

Last updated 2026-04-10Read review →

Hover

Best for: Clean UX · Canadian users

7.6

+No upsell during checkout — pricing is transparent and clean
+Free WHOIS privacy on all eligible domains
−.com renewal pricing is higher than budget leaders such as Porkbun, Cloudflare Registrar, and Spaceship

Last updated 2026-06-29Read review →

GoDaddy

Best for: Bundled services · Phone support

7.1

+Comprehensive TLD catalog
+Localized in many countries and currencies
−Renewal prices are higher than budget competitors

Last updated 2026-06-26Read review →

Also tracked (facts & pricing, not yet scored)

Registrars we have not yet hands-on tested. These pages present sourced facts and verified pricing only — no editorial score. We never publish a score we have not earned through testing.

Hostinger

ICANN-accredited · Kaunas, Lithuania

Pricing pending verification · Not yet scored

IONOS

ICANN-accredited · Montabaur, Germany

Pricing pending verification · Not yet scored

Name.com

ICANN-accredited · Denver, Colorado, United States

Pricing pending verification · Not yet scored

Gandi

ICANN-accredited · Paris, France

Pricing pending verification · Not yet scored