It doesn’t matter if you need a business website, portfolio website, e-commerce website, or blog.


Your website, just like all websites in the world, is going to need a domain name. A domain name is a unique address that people will use to access your website online.


For example, foliowebsites.com


You can purchase or register your website’s domain name through one of several domain registrars. These are companies that provide individuals and businesses domain registration services that include buying, transfering, managing, and selling domain names. For a monthly or yearly fee, the registrar keeps your unique domain name registered so that no one else can have your exact domain name.


With so many different domain registrars to choose from, it can be tricky to figure out which one is best for you. You’ll want to think of your budget, your needs, and your overall business goals when it comes to your domain name. Choosing the right domain registrar can be tough, but we’re here to help make the selection process a bit easier.


To help you choose the right one for you, here’s our list of the top 10 domain registrars used by millions of businesses and individuals all over the world.

1. GoDaddy.com

 


GoDaddy was founded by Bob Parsons in 1997. More than 20 years later, they’re the most widely used domain registrar, managing more than 73 million domain names. 17 million people all over the globe use GoDaddy for their websites. They are known for reliable services and super cool ads.


Services

  • Domain transfers, privacy, and value appraisal
  • Domain auctions
  • Email management
  • Web security
  • Web hosting
  • Dedicated server
  • VPS Hosting
  • And more!


Support


Customer support is there to assist you 24/7 through:

  • toll-free phone number
  • global directory phone
  • live chat
  • community forum


Pricing


Pricing varies depending on the domain extension you need. For example, if you want a .com extension, that would start at $8.99 per domain for the first year and $16.85 for the succeeding year. GoDaddy also offers other domain extensions such as .net, .tech, .space, .life, and more.


Finally, you can pay $ 7.99 per year per domain if you want a WHOIS Privacy Protection for your website. WHOIS is an internet service that searches and displays information about a domain name from domain registrars all over the world. Basically, it allows a user to search for a specific domain name’s availability. If the domain name being searched is already registered, the WHOIS protocol displays the entity or person to whom it is registered.

2. Domain.com

 


Founded and owned by Endurance International Group in 2000, Domain.com is one of the most popular domain registrars in the world. They offer a variety of services such as domain name registration, web hosting, email, SSL certificates, and more.


Services

  • domain name registration
  • web hosting
  • email management
  • SSL certificate
  • VPS (virtual private server) hosting. VPS is essentially a “server running within a server.” A single server hosts multiple servers, each one separate from the others. This gives you more efficiency and flexibility than shared hosting. The company’s customer support is available 24/7.
  • WHOIS lookup
  • and more!


Support


Customer support can help you via

  • Online knowledge base
  • 24/7 toll-free number
  • 24/7 live chat


Pricing


A .com domain costs only $9.99 per year. A .net domain, on the other hand, is only $12.00 per year per domain. With an additional $8.99 per year per domain, you can get an additional WHOIS domain with privacy protection.


Domain.com offers several hosting plans. Each plan includes at least one free domain name and unlimited disk space.

3. Namecheap.com

 

Founded in 2000 by Richard Kirkendall, Namecheap.com is based in Phoenix, Arizona. Since then, they have managed over 7 million domains. The company is noted for their many prestigious recognitions. For example, in 2010, Namecheap was awarded as Best Domain Name Registrar by Lifehacker. They snagged another award as the Most Popular Domain Name Registrar in 2012. They are also recognized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICAHN) as an accredited registrar.


A cool feature of the Namecheap website is that it gives you domain name suggestions. Just type in the domain name you have in mind and the system generates domain names and extension suggestions as well as a projected yearly fee for each extension.

Services

  • domain registration, transfers, and reselling
  • web hosting
  • SSL certificates
  • app integration
  • data and hosting migration
  • WHOIS Lookup
  • and more!


Support


Customer support is readily available:

  • Online knowledge base
  • live chat support
  • ticket support


Pricing


You can buy your own personal domain starting at a super affordable price of $8.99 annually per domain. In addition, you also receive a free WHOisGuard subscription for every eligible domain registration or transfer. Additional services and features are also available for an additional price.

4. Bluehost.com

 

Another very popular domain registrar, Bluehost was founded in 2003 and is owned by one of the biggest hosting conglomerates in the world Endurance International Group. Bluehost hosts over 2 million websites, and it is the recommended registrar of WordPress.


Bluehost offers web, VPS, dedicate, reseller, and Wordpress hosting. They provide 24/7 live chat, phone, and email support or you can find answers to your questions inside their massive resource center.


Services

  • domain name registration
  • dedicated and shared hosting
  • business email management
  • SEO services
  • and more!


Support


If you need help, their customer support department can be contacted 24/7 through

  • Online knowledge base
  • Live chat
  • toll-free number
  • support tickets
  • consultation


Pricing


A .com domain will go for $11.99 per year per domain while a .net is $12.99 per year per domain. There are other extensions that are available, each with different prices. For example, a .org domain costs $8.99 per year, a .tech is $4.99 per year, and a .co is at $9.99 per year.


5. Hostgator.com

 

 

Endurance International Group purchased HostGator in 2002. Since then, Hostgator has become one of the world’s biggest domain registrars. The company’s servers, which are located in Houston, Texas and Provo, Utah, hosts over 9 million domains.

 

Services


HostGator provides web, VPS, dedicated, and other types of hosting services. Hostgator comes highly recommended due to its fast server speeds, reliable uptime, and affordable prices.


Support


Customer support, video tutorials, and interactive forums are also available to help customers resolve issues.


Pricing


Hostgator’s annual price per domain for .com and .net extensions start at $12.99. Depending on the extension of your choice, prices can range from $0.95 to $39.95 a year. So, if you’re looking for a simple domain on the cheap without all of the bells and whistles, Hostgator is a solid choice!

6. Name.com

 


Name.com, originally founded by William Mushkin, is presently owned by Right Side Group. They control around 2 million of the 16.5 million domains managed by the Right Side.


Services

  • domain name registration
  • domain transfers
  • SSL certificates
  • G suite and mail management
  • and more!

    Support

  • Online knowledge base
  • phone
  • tickets
  • 24/7 live chat


Pricing


Domain price depends on your domain extension (.com, .net, .io, etc.), ranging from $3.99 to more than $30 per year.


The domain is free of charge and included in their hosting pack. If you’re a beginner or want to host a simple personal or portfolio website, Name.com’s Startup pack is a great value at just $4.99 per month the first year. After the first year, you’ll pay $6.99/month, which is still quite affordable.

An additional $4.99 a year lets you enjoy WHOIS privacy although it is not available on all domain extensions.

7. 1&1


Founded in 1988 and one of the oldest domain registrars, 1&1 is now owned by a German company called United Internet. The company’s services and products are available to users in various countries in Europe, US, and Mexico. The company also employs over 7,000 people all over the world.


Services


1&1’s services include

  • web hosting
  • cloud hosting
  • business email management
  • domains transfer
  • SSL certificates
  • online marketing tools
  • and more!


Support


Customer support is available 24/7 through:

  • live chat
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Social media - you send their support team direct private messages via your own Facebook account.


Pricing


1&1 offers domain registration starting at $1.00 per domain for the first year for .com., .net., .biz., .me., and .info extensions. Thereafter, you’d have to pay $15 to $40 per domain per year, depending on the domain extension. Privacy protection is also free of charge on domains that allow private registration.

So, if you’re just looking for a cheap domain for your new business and you aren’t sure if you’re going to be around for the long haul, 1&1 is a great place to buy your domain!

8. Register.com

 

Another very popular domain registrar, Register.com, owned by Webcom Group Inc., hosts over 2.5 million domains.


Services

  • domain name registration
  • email hosting and management
  • web hosting
  • SSL certificates
  • online marketing tools
  • content optimization
  • and more!


Support


Customer support is available 9 AM to 12 AM from Monday to Friday, and 9AM to 10 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

  • toll-free number
  • email support


Pricing


All domain extensions start at $5.00 per year per domain. .com, .org, .net, .info---are all priced the same. This can be beneficial if you are on a budget or if you want your website to have a different and more specific extension. Simply pay $5.00 for the year for your domain and you’re all set!

9. InMotion Hosting

 

 

Based in Los Angeles, California, InMotion is a company that hosts over 300,000 domains. InMotion is renowned for their fast servers and amazing uptime.


Services

  • domain name registration
  • web, cloud, and VPS hosting
  • dedicated servers
  • on demand IT support
  • and more!


Support


You can contact customer support 24/7 via

  • live chat
  • online knowledge center
  • email
  • tickets
  • toll-free number


Pricing


Their hosting plans include domain registration. Their basic Launch Plan costs an affordable $3.99 a month, perfect for shared hosting for webmasters of all skill levels. For businesses and web developers, their Pro Plan at $13.99 per month is highly recommended. Domain privacy protection is priced at an extra $12.99 per year.


You also get a 90-day money back-guarantee in case you are not satisfied with InMotion’s services.

10. Domains.Google

 


Domains.Google, which came on the scene in mid-January 2015, is the new kid on the block. Each domain includes a variety of cool features such as built-in email forwarding, custom email with G-Suite, free privacy protection, and more. This is perfect for people or businesses who are already using G-Suite to run their email and business apps.


Services

  • domain name registration
  • domain sharing
  • privacy protection
  • web hosting
  • email management
  • integration with other Google products
  • and more!


Support


Customer support is available 24/7 through

  • Help center
  • Chat
  • email
  • call-back request


Pricing


Google’s pricing starts a bit higher at $12 per year for a .com, .net, .org, .info, and .us domain. Other domain extensions have different rates. You can also opt to automatically renew your domain during your purchase. Rates for other domain extensions can vary.


Registering your domain name is a must. And you can’t register a domain name without a domain registrar. So, ask around, do your research, reference this article, and good luck purchasing your new domain name!


Once you have your domain, you can build your website using a visual builder or CMS or, you can have a group of professional website designers build it for you. The choice is yours… Choose wisely!