Getting a domain is the first step to building a website or establishing a business email. It’s also an important part of building your brand and protecting your trademark. However, choosing the right domain registrar for your domain is one of the most important steps to developing your online brand presence.
The best domain registrar makes getting and renewing domain names affordable, secures your data with WHOIS domain privacy and SSL, and provides technical support when you need it. But it’s also key to consider other services such as web hosting and business emails, if you want a one-stop shop that delivers maximum value.
We compared dozens of providers to find the best domain name registration services based on cost, support, and features. If you’re looking for affordability, many providers offer good rates for domain names. In the end, we chose IONOS as the top pick overall for its incredible value with $1 domains and its broad range of reliable, low-cost services for web hosting and email. Your needs may vary, so review our helpful guide to find the right one for you.
- IONOS: Overall best domain registrar for small businesses
- GoDaddy: Best for multiple domains
- DreamHost: Best for bundles, emails, and WordPress
- Domain.com: Best for multiple or multiyear registration
- Bluehost: Best for Migrating your website from a different domain registrar
- ScalaHosting: Best for secure cloud hosting
- Hostinger: Best domain host with an AI website builder
- Squarespace Domains: Best for Squarespace users
- SiteGround: Best for easy ecommerce site building
- Porkbun: Best for bulk and unusual domains
Pro Tip: Before buying a domain name, make sure you’re not already entitled to a free domain name with your chosen web hosting, email hosting, or site builder plans.
Conversely, if you want to work with a particular host from this list, see if they have a website builder or email plan that fits your business needs. Keeping it all together helps streamline your website and email infrastructure.
Best Domain Registrars at a Glance
Starting Domain Cost (.com) | Renewal | Free WHOIS Privacy | Free Domain 1-year With Web Hosting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $20 | ✓ | ✓ | |
 | $21.99 | ✓ | ✓ | |
 | $19.99 | ✓ | ✓ | |
 | $11.99/year | $21.99 | ✕ | ✕ |
 | $12.99/year | ✕ | ✓ | |
 | $16.95/year | $16.95/year | ✕ | ✓ |
 | $16.99 | ✓ | ✓ | |
 | $14/year | $20 | ✓ | ✓ |
 | $19.99/year | ✓ | ✓ | |
 | $7.49/year | $11.06/year | ✓ | ✓ |
A domain registrar is a company that provides business domain registration to ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, and manages the Domain Name System (DNS). A registrar is a trusted provider of services and must comply with the DNS rules and regulations that ICANN establishes.
These rules protect the global ownership rights of all domain name holders. In simpler terms, a domain registrar registers that your website’s domain name is yours alone until your contract expires. It can’t be taken by anyone else.
Anyone who wants to build or own a website must register their domain name through a domain registrar. The registrar collects information such as the following:
- Business name
- A physical address where you can be reached
- The name and contact information of an administrative contact or owner
- The name and contact information of a technical contact (who may or may not be an owner)
This information helps ensure that any questions of ownership that arise around a domain name can be resolved easily by a registered agent or owner of the domain.
For a step-by-step walk-through, read our guide on how to register a business domain.
Don’t know what your domain name should be yet? Read our helpful guide on how to choose a domain name.
How the WHOIS Database Is Used for Domain Registration
While researching the domain ownership process, you will likely learn about the WHOIS Database (pronounced “who is”). ICANN manages the WHOIS Database, which includes an entry for every one of more than 600 million domain names connected to the internet.
This system is the “source of truth” for domain name ownership and ensures its protection for owners worldwide. All of the reviewed providers are members of ICANN and strictly adhere to its standards.
The WHOIS Database allows internet users to look up registration information about every registered domain unless registered as private. These days, most domains are protected by Domain Privacy, meaning personal information connected to your domain name remains hidden, protecting it from spammers or hackers.
IONOS: Overall Best Domain Registrar for Small Businesses
Pros
- Domain privacy, SSL, and a 2GB email address are included with your domain for free.
- It provides email forwarding aliases.
- Free domains are bundled with email hosting and website hosting and a website builder.
Cons
- $1 domain renews at $17 after the first year—a significant increase.
- Domain.com and Hostinger are cheaper long-term for standalone domain registration.
- Small businesses on a budget needing a domain for a website and business email
- Startups and entrepreneurs looking for the cheapest place to buy a domain
- Those looking for the cheapest domain registry bundles for email and web hosting
Product/Plan | .com Domains From | .net Domains From |
|---|---|---|
Cost (First Year) | $1* | $5 |
Renewal Cost per Year | $17 | $12 |
Free Private Registration | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ |
Free 2GB Email | ✓ | ✓ |
Domain Transfer Cost** | Free | Free |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
*Renews at a higher rate after the first year **Typical cost for most domains to transfer to this provider | ||
Product/Plan | Essential | Starter | Plus | Ultimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month (First Year) | $4 | $6 | $8 | $10 |
Renewal Cost per Year | $6 | $8 | $12 | $16 |
Free Domain* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | 10GB | 100GB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB | 2GB |
*Renews at a higher rate after the first year | ||||
IONOS is our overall best domain registrar for small businesses because it’s so incredibly cheap—but it’s still feature-packed for a domain registrar at any cost. At $1 for the first year, IONOS is the cheapest path to a domain with a free SSL certificate and a 2GB business email address. Hang out for a year and your .com domain renews automatically annually at $17—but still a bargain for everything that’s included.
While these are introductory rates, IONOS continues to offer value when it comes time to renew. Its Starter website builder plan only rises to an affordable $8/month or $96 per year. If you’re hosting WordPress on the Start plan, it will run you $60 per year but only rises to $72 a year thereafter. Considering everything included, any of these plans are a remarkable value. You’ll even get a business email account with your domain with a 2GB inbox for free.
Don’t fret if these low prices concern you about their quality—IONOS offers a solid 99.98% uptime guarantee, backup and restore for seven days, and vulnerability, malware scanning, and repair. IONOS may not have the most scintillating brand name, but it delivers on reliability, service, and cost. Plus, it’s a user-friendly platform to navigate, so it’s a good option if you’re a complete beginner.
GoDaddy: Best for Multiple Domains
Pros
- The GoDaddy Discount Domain Club offers low-cost plans for multiple domains.
- All domains include domain privacy.
- There are also web hosting plans from $5.99/month with a free domain.
- GoDaddy is one of the easiest domain platforms to navigate.
Cons
- Web hosting can be more expensive than alternatives and requires 3-year renewal periods.
- It lacks a free domain with website builder plans.
- Agencies and small businesses that need to host a large number of websites
- Individuals looking to “park” a domain to use later
- Beginners who’ve never purchased a domain before
Product/Plan | .com Domains from | .net Domains from | Discount Domain Club Basic Plan | Discount Domain Club Premium Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost (First Year)* | $.01 | $.01 | $95.88 | $238.88 |
Renewal Cost | $21.99 | $24.99 | $95.88 | $238.88 |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | $11.99 | $11.99 | $13.99/domain*** | $10.99/domain*** |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
Support | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 |
Domain Transfer Cost** | $10.99 | $10.99 | $13.99/domain*** | $10.99/domain*** |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
*Introductory price requires a three-year purchase **Typical cost for most domains to transfer to this provider ***Domain Club locks in the domain purchase and renewal at the club price for the top 17 Top Level Domains (TLDs) on the Basic Plan or over 400 TLDs on the Premium Plan | ||||
Web Hosting Economy | Web Hosting Deluxe | Web Hosting Ultimate | Web Hosting Maximum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month (First 3 Years)* | $5.99 | $7.99 | $12.99 | $17.99 |
Renewal Cost (3-year Renewal)** | $12.77 | $13.99 | $17.99 | $24.99 |
Free Domain | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Domain Privacy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | 25GB | 50GB | 75GB | 100GB |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | 1 year | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
*Introductory price requires three-year purchase **Renewal requires a three-year purchase. Renewal prices for an entire period are $459.63, $503.64, $647.64, or $899.64, respectively *** High-performance plans are available for higher costs ****Free domain for first year of web hosting plan only, renews at normal renewal rate | ||||
Yes, you have probably heard of it. GoDaddy has indeed been the “Big Daddy” of domain hosting for decades now. It’s the world’s biggest domain registrar, managing an impressive 75 million domains worldwide. It’s also among the most popular sources for web hosting, email, and website builder plans. More importantly, if you manage several domains, we consider GoDaddy the best domain registration service you can choose.
With a first-year domain-only purchase price as low as $.01 for a .net domain, GoDaddy domains renew at $21.99 a year—slightly more expensive than the other domain providers in this review (except for Inmotion Hosting, which has a $23 renewal cost for .com domains). However, all GoDaddy domains include domain privacy for free, which saves GoDaddy users $10 to $20 a year—offsetting the additional expense of domain renewal.
GoDaddy offers deep savings with its Discount Domain Club, a membership service providing members with steeply discounted domain names—as low as $10.99 a year per domain for the Premium Plan for initial purchase, renewal, and transfers.
If your business needs several domain names for various business functions or you are planning to act as a domain reseller, a GoDaddy Domain Club membership may be right for you.
However, while GoDaddy is known best for domain name registration, its web hosting packages are a good value. All of its web hosting plans are competitively priced, but you’ll want to make a three-year commitment to receive the best price. We recommend the $5.99 per month Web Hosting Economy plan (introductory price), which includes everything you need to get started if you’re looking to host your new small business website, including a free domain, an SSL certificate, and domain privacy.
DreamHost: Best for Bundled Domain, Email & WordPress
Pros
- Web hosting plans include a domain, SSL, email, and a no-code WordPress website builder (BoldGrid).
- Domain privacy is included for free.
- It offers a 97-day money-back guarantee.
- It has a wide range of hosting plans, allowing unlimited expansion.
Cons
- It charges a $9.99 fee for transferring your domain, which most other providers do not.
- It lacks email or email forwarding with Domain-only or Starter hosting plans.
- Small businesses planning on building or migrating an existing WordPress website
- Cheap hosting for special events or short-term projects
- Businesses looking to expand their website and online presence over time
Product/Plan | .com Domains From | .net Domains From |
|---|---|---|
Cost (First Year)* | $9.99 | $.99 |
Renewal Cost | $19.99/year | $17.99/year |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✕ | ✕ |
Free Email | ✓ | ✓ |
Domain Transfer Cost** | $9.99 | $9.99 |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
*Renews at a higher rate after the first year **Typical cost for most domains to transfer to this provider | ||
Product/Plan | Shared Starter Hosting Plan | VPS Basic Hosting Plan | DreamPress Starter Hosting Plan (WordPress) |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month (First Year)* | $2.95 | $13.75 | $16.95 |
Renewal Cost | $6.99 | $31.99 | $19.99/month |
Free Domain | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | 25GB | 60GB | 30GB |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | $1.67/month | ✓ | ✓ |
*Renews at a higher rate after the first year. Costs based on annual billing. | |||
DreamHost offers users a .com domain starting at just $7.99 a month, but its real value comes when you choose one of its hosting plans. With annual payments, web hosting is available for just $2.95 a month for unlimited sites for the first year, and all plans come with access to a no-code, drag-and-drop WordPress website builder—as well as a free domain for the first year, making it one of the most cost-efficient web hosts and domain registrars.
In addition to its website builder, DreamHost makes a strong case for businesses that have multiple websites. The unlimited websites plan includes unlimited domains, emails, bandwidth, and storage. That’s on top of a free SSL certificate with each domain you’re hosting and includes domain privacy for the first year. You’ll also have daily backups and a free WordPress site migration, and DreamHost automatically updates its WordPress features and security as soon as they’re available.
While you can purchase a .com domain without hosting through DreamHost for $7.99 (and renew at just $19.99), you’ll get a lot of value with its web hosting packages, as they include everything you need to build, host, and brand a website—or multiple websites.
Domain.com: Best for Multiple & Multiyear Registration
Pros
- You can secure your domain for up to 5 years at a time from $2.99.
- SSL and email are free.
- A website builder is available for $1.99/month for the first year.
- It’s ideal if you only need to get a domain and nothing more.
Cons
- Adding privacy, protection, and SSL makes it far more expensive than IONOS or GoDaddy.
- Longer contracts mean you can’t change domains easily.
- It has fairly expensive domain renewal costs compared with others.
- It has limited storage.
- Businesses that already have a brand identity and want to secure their website domain for several years
- Any business wanting to save with a five-year contract on their domain
Product/Plan | .com Domains From | .net Domains From |
|---|---|---|
Cost per Year (First Year) | $11.99 | $5.99 |
Renewal Cost* | $23.99 | $22.99 |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | $8.99 | $8.99 |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | ✓ | ✓ |
Domain Transfer Cost** | $9.99 | $9.99 |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
*Price can be locked in for up to five years if paid upfront **Typical cost for most domains to transfer to this provider | ||
Product/Plan | Basic | Plus | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month (First Year) | $1.99* | $6.75 | $13.75 |
Renewal Cost** | $1.99 | $6.75 | $13.75 |
Free Domain* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | $8.99 | $8.99 | $8.99 |
Storage | 10GB | 20GB | 40GB |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email*** | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
*Free domain first year only in the basic plan **Multiyear discounts available ***Email is available through Google Workspace, of which Domain.com is a reseller | |||
If you’re looking for an affordable way to buy domains on multiyear contracts, Domain.com is the solution to consider. Domain.com offers flat-fee .com domains for $11.99 a year. This makes it easy for you to put any of your domain name ideas into play quickly and easily.
You can buy your domain on contracts up to five years in length—so it’s a good choice if you’re already sure of your business’s brand identity and want to secure your domain. It’s also first and foremost a domain registrar, so if you only need a domain and nothing else, it’s a good choice. However, conversely, you won’t find bundled solutions for domain, website, and business email, unlike with Bluehost and DreamHost. If you’re looking for email, you can purchase Google Workspace through Domain.com’s reseller program, but you won’t have any discounted prices.
Also, with Domain.com, the price of your domain remains the same. There is no introductory period, so a .com renews for the same $11.99 you paid for the first year. Additionally, you can add domain privacy and an SSL certificate, all on the same multiyear agreement.
Bluehost: Best for Migrating Your Website from a Different Domain Registrar
Pros
- It offers .com domains from $12.99 for the first year.
- Transferring your domain from another registry is completely free, as is forwarding your domain to another website.
- There are also web hosting plans with a free domain from $2.95/month for up to 10 websites.
- Your domains are automatically renewed until they’re canceled.
Cons
- The starting cost of domains is higher than most others (although renewal costs are the same).
- It has fewer domain extension options than competitors.
- Your domain doesn’t come with free SSL (although it has domain privacy).
- Businesses planning to build a WordPress website or needing to migrate an existing site from another hosting company
- Those looking for affordable .website, .tech, and .org domains
Product/Plan | .com Domains From | .net Domains From |
|---|---|---|
Cost per Year (First Year)* | $12.99 | $18.99 |
Renewal Cost | $12.99 | $18.99 |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | $11.88 | $11.88 |
Free SSL | ✕ | ✕ |
Free Email | ✕ | ✕ |
Domain Transfer Cost | $12.99 | $18.99 |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
*Based on annual billing | ||
Product/Plan | Basic | Choice Plus | Online Store | Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month (First Year)* | $2.95 | $5.45 | $6.25 | $13.95 |
Renewal Cost | $11.99 | $16.99 | $26.99 | $28.99 |
Free Domain** | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | $15 | $15 | $15 | $15 |
Storage | 10GB | 20GB | 50GB | 100GB |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | 3-month trial | 3-month trial | 3-month trial | 3-month trial |
*With annual billing ** For the first year; renews at the normal rate. | ||||
Bluehost is a top web hosting service that is known for its affordability and reliability. For small businesses considering building an online store in WordPress, the Online Store plan comes in at just $9.95 a month for the first year. It comes complete with a managed WordPress installation and preinstalled WooCommerce and includes more than $450 in upgrades and add-ons. This makes Bluehost’s online store plan a great value for your business.
Domains cost $12.99 a year unless you buy a hosting package, which includes your domain and SSL. Also, domain-only purchases do not have an SSL certificate, though you can buy one for an additional fee. Similarly, Bluehost does not offer free domain privacy. If you’re just looking to secure a domain name and have no plans to build a website, you’re better served by IONOS or GoDaddy, which both include an SSL certificate with their domains.
Even without the free SSL and domain privacy, if you plan to build a website on WordPress, Bluehost is one of the best places to buy a domain. Domains are $12.99 a year, and you can get a domain free with an SSL certificate and business email for $2.95 a month for the first year. This makes Bluehost one of the most affordable and comprehensive ways to take your small business online, especially for WordPress users.
ScalaHosting: Best for Shared Web Hosting
Pros
- Shared web hosting plans have a free domain starting at $5.36/month.
- All web hosting plans support unlimited bandwidth and emails.
- Your web hosting also comes with SSL security.
Cons
- Scala Hosting offers standalone hosting, but it’s more expensive than average starting at $16.95 a year.
- Priority support is reserved for the highest tiers of service.
- Small businesses that need higher security or cloud-based virtual private server
- Businesses needing an all-in-one web hosting service along with their domain
Product/Plan | .com Domains From | .net Domains From |
|---|---|---|
Cost per Year (First Year)* | $16.95 | $17.95 |
Renewal Cost | $16.95 | $20.95 |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | ✕ | ✕ |
Domain Transfer Cost | $16.95 | $17.95 |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
*With annual billing | ||
Product/Plan | Website Hosting | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mini | Start | Advanced | Entry Cloud | |
Cost per Month (First Year)* | $2.66 | $5.36 | $8.96 | $9.98 |
Renews at | $9.95 | $12.95 | $16.95 | $24.95 |
Free Domain | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | 10GB | 50GB | 100GB | 50GB |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email Accounts | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
*With annual billing | ||||
ScalaHosting is not the most affordable domain hosting service, but it is very reasonable nonetheless. Its big selling point is its high-security cloud service, which gives users a secure host for their website from $5.36 a month. These web hosting plans already come with SSL security and unlimited email and bandwidth, along with a free domain. Scala Hosting also does daily offsite backups for an extra layer of security.
In addition to its cloud services, ScalaHosting provides shared hosting and WordPress hosting solutions. In fact, with unlimited email addresses and bandwidth on all tiers of service, ScalaHosting is a worthy competitor to the other domain registrars and hosting providers we reviewed for its cloud hosting, value, security, and reliability.
Hostinger: Best Domain Host With an AI Website Builder
Pros
- All Hostinger’s website builder plans come with a free domain for one year from $2.49 a month.
- It has the most affordable domain-only package at $4.99 (first year) with free domain privacy.
- It also uses Litespeed servers for high performance plus WHOIS privacy for protection.
Cons
- Your domains won’t come with SSL security (although it has WHOIS privacy).
- Transferring domains from other registrars costs extra.
- Anyone still needing to build a website with a custom domain
- Businesses needing only a single email address
- Those seeking hosting with assured speed and performance
Product/Plan | .com Domains From | .net Domains From |
|---|---|---|
Cost (First Year)* | $4.99 | $9.99 |
Renewal Cost | $15.99 | $15.99 |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ |
Domain Transfer Cost** | $9.99 | $14.99 |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
*Billed annually for the first year. Renews at a higher rate. **Typical cost for most domains to transfer to this provider | ||
Product/Plan | Premium | Business |
|---|---|---|
Cost per Month (First Year)* | $2.99 | $3.99 |
Renewal Cost | $7.99 | $8.99 |
Free Domain | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | 100GB | 200GB |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | 1GB | 1GB |
*Billed annually for the first year. Renews at a higher rate. | ||
Hostinger is a registrar and web hosting provider known for providing an affordable hosting solution for small business websites. It’s also included on our list of best web hosting services. However, it stands out most for its AI website builder, which can help you build your website faster and better. Its website plans also come with a free domain. Also, because it’s primarily a hosting provider, transitioning from a domain-only purchase to a hosting plan is simple.
The Single hosting plan has the features most small businesses will need. That includes a free SSL, WordPress page builder theme, and weekly backups. Noteworthy is Hostinger’s use of Litespeed servers, which ensures a high level of speed and reliability. If you are serving up a lot of website content to your customers and you value rapid and sure delivery, this is a serious consideration.
Hostinger’s site builder plans come with a free domain and unlimited free SSL (you can build up to 100 websites using its site builder). For domain-only purchases, you can get a .com domain for $4.99 for the first year and $15.99 a year thereafter, which makes Hostinger one of the more affordable domain solutions we reviewed. And no matter how you register a domain with Hostinger, free domain privacy is included.
Squarespace Domains: Best for Squarespace Users
Pros
- All your domains come with SSL security and WHOIS privacy.
- It offers a one-year free Google Workspace account.
- Squarespace has several value-added services like SSL, privacy, domain, and email forwarding.
Cons
- It only offers its own platform as a website builder option.
- It has high introductory pricing for .com domains ($14)
- Those looking at using Squarespace as their website builder and host of choice
- Users wanting a lot of free value-added services at a reasonable price
Product/Plan | .com Domains From | .net Domains From |
|---|---|---|
Cost (First Year)* | $14 | $4 |
Renewal Cost | $20 | $20 |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | ✓ | ✓ |
Domain Transfer Cost** | Varies | Varies |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
*Billed annually for the first year. Renews at a higher rate. **No transfer fee, based on renewal of domain cost | ||
Product/Plan | Basic | Core | Plus | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month (First Year)* | $16 | $23 | $39 | $99 |
Renewal Cost | $16 | $23 | $39 | $99 |
Free Domain | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email** | ✕ | 2TB on Google Workspace | 2TB on Google Workspace | 2TB on Google Workspace |
*Billed annually for the first year. Renews at a higher rate. **One free Google Workspace account is provided for one year with the selected pricing tiers. Renews at the regular rate. | ||||
Often a go-to for sleek, modern design templates and easy-to-use web-building tools, Squarespace is not normally thought of as a domain registrar. However, in September 2023, Squarespace acquired Google Domains, which brought with it a robust registration service and attractive value-added services like free WHOIS and SSL.
In addition to free services, Squarespace also offers other generous free benefits such as Domain, URL and email forwarding, two-factor authentication, and ad-free parking pages for your unbuilt website should you choose to buy a domain and wait to start your build.
Squarespace offers a free AI-powered domain name generator into which you can insert a brief company description, and it then creates a list of possible brand names and the accompanying domain name options. It also can toggle between various modes for just the right brand style: neutral, playful, professional, friendly, informative, and quirky.
If Squarespace is a strong contender for your website builder of choice because of its excellent look and feel, SEO, analytics, and ecommerce tools, we suggest considering its hosting options as well.
Hosting Your Domains & Website Separately vs All-in-One Hosting
While many small businesses want to simplify their IT solutions by finding a single provider of domains, websites, and email hosting services, others take the opposite tack.
Known as “vendor lock-in,” having all services with one provider can sometimes increase costs, making moving away difficult if you take issue with pricing or policies with your provider. Splitting your hosting services can sometimes save money and keep your options open if you’re willing to deal with the additional effort if you choose to take your business elsewhere.
SiteGround: Best for Easy Ecommerce Website Building
Pros
Cons
- Storage space is very limited (40GB on the highest plan), and the number of visitors is limited by plan.
- Renewal price is higher than average.
- Transferring domains comes at an extra cost.
- Beginners who are building an ecommerce site
- Small businesses that will need multiple email addresses
- Companies committed to a carbon-neutral hosting solution
Product/Plan | .com Domains From | .net Domains From |
|---|---|---|
Cost per Year (First Year)* | $17.99 | $19.99 |
Domain Transfer Cost | $14.95 | $17.99 |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
*With annual billing | ||
Product/Plan | StartUp | GrowBig | GoGeek |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month (First Year)* | $3.99 | $6.69 | $10.69 |
Free Domain** | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | 10GB | 20GB | 40GB |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
*With annual billing **Free first-year domain extension choices limited to .com, .us, .org, and.net | |||
SiteGround is a domain registrar and hosting provider that is ideal for novice users who need a website builder and ecommerce solution. Every SiteGround hosting package comes with free access to either WordPress or Weebly, an easy-to-use ecommerce site builder from Square that’s also one of the best drag-and-drop site builders for small businesses.
This platform’s plans start at $3.99 a month for the first year, plus a free domain—if chosen from the most popular types of TLDs Top-level domains (.com, .net, .org, and .us). More creative TLDs incur additional costs. While SiteGround is a good choice for beginners and startups on a budget, its low prices do jump up in year two, so be prepared.
SiteGround is a great place to get a domain and web hosting if you need a good deal on a great website builder and aren’t overly concerned about traffic volume or storage. SiteGround plans limit the number of visitors depending on which plan you choose (though at relatively high numbers for most small businesses), and storage space is also limited. If you need more storage space or unlimited visitors, consider DreamHost or Bluehost instead.
Another plus is its carbon-neutral hosting through Google’s net-zero data centers. For certain ecommerce businesses, especially those with a climate-friendly pledge to their customers and an average level of traffic, SiteGround could be the ideal solution.
Porkbun: Best for Bulk & Unusual Domains
Pros
- It offers great value and transparent pricing for unusual domains.
- Porkbun has free SSL and privacy with domains.
- This provider offers numerous website hosting options, from small link-in-bio sites to WordPress websites.
Cons
- Porkbun has no in-house website builder of its own, so you should already have a website before using it.
- Shared hosting plans have limited storage and bandwidth.
- It has no free domain with hosting plans.
- Businesses needing creative domain extensions
- Small businesses needing PHP, Static, or WordPress hosting
- Website owners who love cute cartoon pigs
Product/Plan | .com Domains From | .net Domains From |
|---|---|---|
Cost per Year (First Year)* | $7.49 | $12.50 |
Renewal Cost | $11.06 | $12.50 |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | ✕ | ✕ |
Domain Transfer Cost | $10.37 | $12.50 |
Free Year With Transfer | ✓ | ✓ |
*With annual billing | ||
Product/Plan | Website Hosting (Weebly Site Builder) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic | Starter | Pro | Performance | |
Cost per Month (First Year) | $3 | $6 | $12 | $26 |
Renewal Cost | $3 | $6 | $12 | $26 |
Free Domain | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
Free Domain Privacy/Cost | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage | ✓ | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Unlimited Bandwidth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Free Email | $2/month | $2/month | $2/month | $2/month |
Porkbun is an out-of-the-box but excellent value-priced domain host. We include it in our list of best domain registration services for its great bulk, domain, pricing, and specialization in creative domain extensions.
The platform features very affordable pricing both for registration and renewals, and unlike some other domain hosts, it offers other extras for free, including WHOIS privacy, SSL certificates, and email forwarding. All of this pricing is provided transparently to help small businesses make good, long-term budgeting decisions—though it varies widely based on your chosen TLD.
Porkbun offers a Weebly-based website builder and WordPress hosting on shared hosting services. You can also build a static page or create a PHP-based site if that’s your thing. For small businesses, its web hosting services are a good value and offer flexible options.
On the downside, while Porkbun is a great domain and website host, as businesses’ websites grow in size and complexity, they may begin to feel limited in terms of storage capacity and bandwidth. Growing businesses may eventually require other providers to expand to enterprise-level web hosting services.
If buying multiple domains—especially creative ones—is important to your business, definitely give Porkbun a whirl. To top it all off, it has a friendly, fun vibe and customer service team, and even a store with their Porkbun-branded merch, making them a joy to work with.
How We Evaluated the Best Domain Registrars
Getting the right business domain name for your website and professional email is a vital part of your business branding. However, with so many ways to register a domain, it can be confusing to figure out which offers the most value for your business. To help you choose, we ranked the best domain name registrars for small businesses based on factors important to small enterprises, including the following:
- Cost: Ideally, domain registration should start at $10 or less for the first year for a .com domain, or $20 per year for providers with no first-year pricing. Other TLDs can cost more, such as .io, which can run up to $40 a year. The registrars we reviewed all offer inexpensive .com domains. Top domain name registration providers with options for free .com domains scored higher as well.
- Ease of use/transparency: Some domain registrars make registering a new domain easier and more transparent. We chose providers that eliminate needless steps and clearly lay out your options, such as privacy, email, and website plans. Most even have domain name generators to give you domain name ideas should your first choice be taken.
- Features: Domain registrars that provide additional features beyond domains are more valuable to small businesses. These features can be anything from SSL certificates to website building to free email forwarding, which saves you money.
- Customer service: Every domain name registrar on this list has to be reachable. That means they provide effective, timely support. Most of the providers we included here provide some version of 24/7 support. This means you can get your problems solved when you need to.
- Customer reviews: We look at top-rated customer review sites: G2, TrustRadius, and Trustpilot. We average scores (where sufficient reviews are available) and review a sampling of opinions. We then take these results into account in scoring based on our methodologies.
- Security: All the domain name registrar services on this list have to offer significant security features, including verification steps, WHOIS privacy, and a free SSL (if purchased through hosting plans).
- Firsthand experience: Nothing substitutes for first-hand experience. We have worked with all of the domain registrars included here and know from our own experiences the value and service they offer to customers.
Key Considerations When Choosing a Domain Registrar
Selecting the right domain registrar is one of the most important decisions you can make when securing your small business’ presence on the internet. There are several key considerations to note and questions to ask before you make your final decision.
- Domain cost
- Does the registrar offer introductory pricing?
- What is the regular annual domain registration fee after the introductory period ends?
- Can I reduce costs with multiyear registration?
- Features you need
- Are you just buying the domain(s) to protect your brand identity?
- Are you looking to build a website and build a brand presence online, host a company email, or maybe add productivity tools?
- Does the registrar you’re considering provide the features to accomplish these goals?
- How does it all pencil out if you continue to expand your use of services?
- Features included with the domain
- Does the domain registrar provide free value-added features like free SSL certificates, domain privacy, or email forwarding?
- Do these free services continue beyond year one?
- Does the provider offer productivity tools such as Google Workspace? Are these tools cheaper to purchase with the domain or hosting package?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When it comes to safety and security, TLD registrars like IONOS, GoDaddy, and Hostinger are all on pretty even ground. All must follow exacting standards to maintain their status with ICANN. These standards include providing optional domain privacy and securing your domain registration with features to deter would-be domain thieves from attempting to steal your domain. They also offer other means of locking your domain to prevent transfers.
Certainly. Domain registrars vary wildly in terms of price and features. Some include value-added features like free SSL and domain privacy, while others allow you to host websites and company emails. If you need WordPress CMS, some registrars specifically focus on this marketplace. Ultimately, the registrar you choose will be determined by the features you need most.
Domain privacy keeps the contact information used to register your domain on WHOIS private, which would otherwise be public because WHOIS is a public database. It reduces spam and junk mail and is especially ideal for businesses that want to keep their physical addresses private (like home-based businesses). Some domain registrars include this free, while others charge around $11 to $20 per year—but the added security is well worth it.
Bottom Line
Like most service providers, it’s worth considering your total business IT needs. If you like a particular company for its hosting packages, website-building tools, and other add-ons, a few dollars saved on a domain name elsewhere is probably not worth the hassle of spreading out your domain, web, and email hosting services.
Looking at domain name and website hosting as a total package, we found the top domain name registrar for small businesses is IONOS. Domains are available through IONOS for as little as $1 a month for the first year. WHOIS domain privacy is included, and there are several inexpensive, expandable, and reliable web and email hosting options to meet your needs.
