In this article, we compare the domain registration offerings of some of the most popular registrars. The data was gathered on 6th August 2024, so it may not reflect the most recent offerings from these registrars.
The focus was to look at what’s available for a one-year registration of a .com domain. Some of these registrars offer much cheaper deals or have more features included if you opt for a longer registration. There are also different packages available from some of them if you purchase a web hosting package at the same time.
With those caveats out the way, let’s see how they compare!
Comparison Table
| Initial Registration Cost (.com) | Renewal Cost (.com) | Reviews Score | Email Included | Customer Service Options | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namecheap | $10.28 | $15.88 |  | No $14.88 per year for 1 account, $41.88 for 3 accounts | Support tickets Live chat 24/7 |
Go Daddy | $11.99 | $21.99 |  | No They resell Microsoft 365 | Telephone 24/7 Live chat 24/7 SMS 24/7 |
| Squarespace Domains | $14 | $20 |  | No They resell Google Workspace email. | Email Live chat Mondays to Fridays 4AM to 8PM EST |
| IONOS | $10 standard price, $1 for first domain for new customers | $17 |  | Yes 1 email account included | Telephone 24/7 Live chat 24/7 |
| Dynadot | $11.99 | $11.99 |  | Yes 1 email account included | Live chat 9AM to 6PM every day |
| NameSilo | $13.95 | $13.95 |  | Yes, forwarding only $2.99 per email account per month | Live chat 24/7 Telephone Mondays to Fridays 9:30AM to 4PM Arizona time |
| Network Solutions | $25 | $37.99 |  | No $2.40 per email account per month | Telephone 24/7 Live chat 24/7 |
| Hover | $17.99 | $17.99 |  | No Email forwards $5 a year each Email accounts $20 a year each | Telephone 8AM to 8PM ET Live chat 8AM to 8PM ET |
| Gandi | $17.75 | $23.99 |  | Unlimited email forwarding free 2 email accounts free for first year, then $3.99 per month each | Tickets Chat available occasionally |
| Hostinger | $9.99 | $15.99 |  | No $2.99 per email account per month or $19.08 per year | Live chat 24/7 |
Observations
The comparison reveals a wide range of pricing and services among popular domain registrars. IONOS offers one of the cheapest initial registrations at $10 or just $1 for your first domain, but its renewal cost is higher at $17.
DynaDot offers great value at $11.99 for registrations and renewals, especially as that also includes and email account.
Most of them score highly on Trustpilot, and indeed when we contacted some of them to gather data for this article, most were very responsive, with the exception of Gandi where the chat was unavailable despite it being business hours. If you do think you might need help, it’s worth noting not all of them offer 24/7 support.
Other TLDs
For this comparison, we looked at the .com TLD as it’s the most popular, but there is no reason you have to use a .com and there are many other TLDs to choose from. Different TLDs have different costs. .com domains are usually one of the cheapest types, but the availability is limited due to their popularity. Some TLDs can be very expensive and may not be included in some of the special offers some registrars have.
What do you think?
Do you have any direct experience with any of these registrars? Are there any other registrars you think should be added to this comparison? If so, let us know in the comments!