Registrar Directory

The main registrars, compared on the things that actually cost you money over time. For a full discussion see the best registrar guide; for what each one really charges to renew, see the registrar comparison guide.

Cloudflare Registrar

Founded 2018 · San Francisco, USA

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Best for: At-cost registration if you already use Cloudflare for DNS

Free WHOIS privacy: Yes

Strengths

· Sells domains at wholesale cost — no markup on the registry fee
· Free WHOIS privacy on every domain, always
· No renewal-price bait-and-switch: you pay the same each year

Watch out for

· You must use Cloudflare for DNS — it is not a standalone registrar
· No new-domain registration for some TLDs; strongest on .com/.net/.org
· No phone support — help is via dashboard and docs

Porkbun

Founded 2014 · Portland, USA

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Best for: Cheap registration plus genuinely useful free extras

Free WHOIS privacy: Yes

Strengths

· Low registration and renewal prices across a wide TLD range
· Free WHOIS privacy and free SSL included
· Clean checkout with very few upsells

Watch out for

· Introductory first-year promos on some TLDs renew higher — check the renewal price, not just year one
· Smaller support team than the giants

Namecheap

Founded 2000 · Phoenix, USA

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Best for: A mainstream all-rounder with bundled email and hosting

Free WHOIS privacy: Yes

Strengths

· Free WHOIS privacy for life on most TLDs
· 24/7 live chat support
· Bundled email and hosting if you want everything in one place

Watch out for

· First-year promo prices renew at the standard rate — the gap can be large
· Frequent add-on offers at checkout

NameSilo

Founded 2009 · Phoenix, USA

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Best for: Holding a larger portfolio with flat, predictable pricing

Free WHOIS privacy: Yes

Strengths

· Free WHOIS privacy included
· Flat pricing with little year-to-year drift — good for bulk holdings
· Bulk management tools aimed at people holding many names

Watch out for

· Dashboard feels dated next to newer registrars
· Fewer bundled extras (hosting, builders)

GoDaddy

Founded 1997 · Tempe, USA

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Best for: The biggest brand, the largest aftermarket, heavy phone support

Free WHOIS privacy: Yes

Strengths

· Largest registrar by volume, with phone support and a huge aftermarket
· Often the cheapest first-year promo on .com
· One-stop shop for hosting, email, and website building

Watch out for

· Pushes paid “Full Privacy & Protection” upsell tiers — but basic WHOIS privacy is now free (since 2022)
· Aggressive checkout upsells — uncheck what you do not need
· Renewal prices are notably higher than the first-year promo

Prices change constantly, so this directory describes what each registrar is good for rather than freezing a figure that would go stale. Some outbound links may become affiliate links once partner programmes are approved — that never changes the price you pay.