Top Domain Registrars
A few things are required to get a website online. A website design, web hosting, and domain name are the minimum requirements. It is possible to get both and a domain name at the same time. Domain registrars that offer affordable and quick hosting as well as domain names will help you get online quicker.
This guide will review the top 7 hosting services that double as domain registrations. It will also help you to choose the best one for your site.
GoDaddy – Secure & reliable domain hosting solution, complete for any website
Hostinger – Best for domain protection and privacy
Domain.com – Scalable hosting solutions for fast websites
NameCheap – Scalable domain hosting solutions for fast websites
PorkBun – Scalable domain hosting solutions for fast websites
HostGator – Scalable domain hosting solutions for fast websites
BlueHost - Empowering Websites With New Age Solutions
Table of Contents
GoDaddy
GoDaddy offers web hosting plans that are flexible and scaleable for any website. Hosting up to 50 websites is possible with GoDaddy. All hosting plans include unlimited bandwidth and solid state storage. All web hosting plans include 24/7 support and daily backups.
Pros
- Affordable Domain Privacy Protection
- One-Click Domain Name Setup
- Great Customer Support
Cons
- Upselling and Cluttered Interface
- Performance and Loading Speed
GoDaddy’s drag-and-drop website builder is what sets it apart. It is easy to use and comes with free templates. GoDaddy also supports ecommerce and online appointment scheduling, which is crucial for small businesses.
Its domain registrar allows you to register new.com domains starting at $0.01 per year with a two year purchase (renews at $19.99/year). All domains come with privacy protection and up 100 subdomains to your website.
GoDaddy Domain Pricing
GoDaddy integrates a lot of cutting-edge technology in its services. Even the basic plans have many technology-rich features. GoDaddy Web Hosting uses cPanel to add a layer of third-party familiarity and a vast array of proprietary services.
Site builders don't have to be able to manage the administrative side of things. Basic plans (Economy or Deluxe Web Hosting) allow 50 FTP users, while other plans allow unlimited users. This is also true for GoDaddy DNS management. The basic plans include a domain-naming system. The premium plans (Ultimate Web Hosting and Maximum Web Hosting), have premium DNS. This allows users to have complete control over the structure of their online projects.
Other technologies may be less obvious, but they are still useful for creating unique products or services. GoDaddy Bookkeeping runs accounting behind the scenes, and the auction service is totally out of the box.
GoDaddy Domain Features
GoDaddy is a fully-featured web hosting service. Sign up for the Annual Web Hosting plan to get a domain free for the duration of your initial plan.
They also include free Office 365 email the first year, 125+ free apps including WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla; unmetered bandwidth; unlimited storage with Deluxe, Maximum, & Maximum plans; premium DNS with Ultimate & Maximum Plans; a free SSL certificate for a year (free for the entire term with the Maximum plan).
There are many Business Hosting, VPS Hosting, and Dedicated Server Hosting options available for larger web projects.
GoDaddy is a well-known name in web hosting. It has grown a lot since its humble beginnings as a domain registrar. This web host is reliable, affordable, and offers many options. GoDaddy offers a wide range of options and flexibility for online projects of any size or scope. Tech-savvy developers will also love the GoDaddy toolbox.
Sometimes it can be difficult to get the help you need if you are not at home with cPanel. GoDaddy's Websites + Marketing is a better option for beginners. It allows you to create a website without having to be a web expert.
Hostinger
Hostinger is a great option if you’re looking to scale up your website and traffic. This host provides its clients with shared hosting plans that have unlimited bandwidth and databases. Even better, VPS hosting plans start at just $3.49 per month and can be customized to suit your site’s needs.
Pros
- Best Domain Hosting for Website Security
- Shared hosting includes email
- Add-on marketing services available
Cons
- Customer Support Quality
- Upselling and Limited Resources
Hostinger also offers dozens of top-level domains to choose from, with .com domains starting from just $9.99 per year. Shared hosting plans include a free domain name for one year along with an SSL certificate and 24/7 customer support.
Hostinger does not offer a website builder. Hostinger does offer a website builder, but all shared hosting plans include a managed WordPress install and one-click installers of popular content management system.
Hostinger Domain Pricing
Hostinger integrates a lot of cutting-edge technology in its services. Even the basic plans have many technology-rich features. Hostinger Web Hosting uses cPanel to add a layer of third-party familiarity and a vast array of proprietary services.
Site builders don't have to be able to manage the administrative side of things. Basic plans (Economy or Deluxe Web Hosting) allow 50 FTP users, while other plans allow unlimited users. This is also true for Hostinger DNS management. The basic plans include a domain-naming system. The premium plans (Ultimate Web Hosting and Maximum Web Hosting) have premium DNS. This allows users to have complete control over the structure of their online projects.
Other technologies may be less obvious, but they are still useful for creating unique products or services. Hostinger Bookkeeping runs accounting behind the scenes, and the auction service is totally out of the box.
Hotinger Domain Features
Once you have a domain name it is time to link it to your website. This process is simple if you have your website hosted with the same company that you bought your domain. You can connect your domain and website in your account settings.
There are additional steps required to connect your domain to a domain purchased from a company other than the one hosting your website. Your domain registrar must give you your domain name system address (DNS). Locate the control panel of your website on your web host’s website and copy this DNS address to the DNS address box.
Before the domain change takes effect, your registrar might ask you to verify that you have added the DNS address to a website. Your new domain may take a few hours to point visitors at your site.
Domain.com
Domain.com offers reliable and powerful hosting for businesses of all sizes and in every industry. You can securely host any website on Domain.com with a 99.9% uptime warranty. The plans are flexible, domains can be customized, and service is quick and simple. Domain.com offers solid email plans, a drag-and-drop website creator, and security features.
Pros
- Security Plans Available
- Email hosting at your domain
- 500+ top-level domains available
Cons
- Limited Hosting Features
- Customer Support Quality
Domain.com began as a simple domain name registrar. However, it has grown to be the leading service for hosting. It offers hosting plans that are customizable and can scale to any size. Domain.com offers a variety of hosting options, including shared, dedicated, WordPress, and VPS.
Domain.com - Domain Pricing
Domain.com’s website building tool is drag-and-drop, making it easy for anyone to create a stunning website in just minutes. It was easy to use and we loved the customizable options. It is possible to start with a pre-made template and add sections already constructed. Then, you can tailor it to your liking.
Everything is pre-built so you don’t need to worry about design elements or coding. Domain.com offers mobile-friendly themes that can be used by businesses who want a mobile-friendly website that looks great on all devices.
Domain.com also offers a free website builder. You can design up to six pages free of charge, get access to SEO tools and mobile- and desktop-ready templates. PayPal integration is also available.
You will need to pay extra for advanced features such as Google Analytics, HD Video embedding and coupon codes. Domain.com is great because it offers a free account.
Domain.com has this as its only complaint. It doesn’t offer cPanel for its default control panel. Users can access WHM and cPanel on higher-tier VPS plans. However, it is not available by default and only if they choose the higher tiers.
DomainCentral is a custom control panel that only shared hosting plans have access to. It’s not bad at all. The control panel is easy to use and has good functionality. Domain.com also has a solid knowledge base that can provide additional information about how to use the system.
Domain.com Features
Once you have a domain name it is time to link it to your website. This process is simple if you have your website hosted with the same company that you bought your domain. You can connect your domain and website in your account settings.
There are additional steps required to connect your domain to a domain purchased from a company other than the one hosting your website. Your domain registrar must give you your domain name system address (DNS). Locate the control panel of your website on your web host’s website and copy this DNS address to the DNS address box.
Before the domain change takes effect, your registrar might ask you to verify that you have added the DNS address to a website. Your new domain may take a few hours to point visitors at your site.
NameCheap
Namecheap is true to its name. They offer great domain names at very affordable prices.
You can also purchase domain names quickly with them. It takes 2 minutes to purchase and register domain names.
Pros
- Most Competitive Renewal Rates
- Free WHOIS and SSL Certificate
- Affordable and Easy to Search
Cons
- Limited Upscaling
- Customer Support Quality
Here’s my suggestion: When you reach checkout, which upsells should you ignore? There’s no need to buy anything extra. Namecheap offers domain privacy through a WhoisGuard subscription. This privacy protection prevents your personal contact information being visible in the public WHOIS database. It’s completely free.
Namecheap will not charge you for WhoisGuard as long as your domain remains with them. GoDaddy charges $10 per annum for WhoisGuard, while most other web hosts that offer domain registration cost $12 per annum.
NameCheap Domain Pricing
Namecheap’s bare-minimum plan gives you unlimited bandwidth. This is an uncommon benefit that you’ll enjoy as your website grows. You also receive a free SSL certificate for the first year. As with many free SSL certificates, the first year is completely free. Every year thereafter, you will have to pay. Namecheap also offers the same.
One of our favorite things about this service is the fact that backups are free twice per week. While other providers only offer backups once per week, this is an added bonus. Backups are essential because you never know what could go wrong with an update, which could cause your entire website to crash.
It doesn’t end there. The basic plan also includes three websites. This is a significant upgrade to the one website hosting most services offer with their cheapest plans. This perk is great if you are looking to manage a business or personal website.
You also get 50 email addresses. Many providers give you only one email address, while others don’t offer any. 50 is an incredible bonus.
You also get 50 MySQL databases. Most providers offer much less
NameCheap Domain Features
After you have purchased your domain, the dashboard will be clearly laid out.
Namecheap’s knowledgebase is extensive and very helpful. It is important to have great documentation, as buying and setting up domains is not something most people are skilled at. This is not something you do every single day.
Namecheap offers 24/7 support via live chat and a two hour response time for tickets.
PorkBun
Porkbun is relatively new to this list but has made a name themselves with their affordable and competitive pricing. They also offer renewals where not many domain registrars can. Porkbun is dedicated to keeping its prices low, and offering a wide range of options.
Pros
- Creative Domain Extensions
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting
Cons
- Limited Additional Services
- Lack of Advanced Hosting Options
There are so many domains on.com that have been snapped up, or they are too expensive. It’s great to be able take advantage of other domain extensions that will make your URL and your brand more memorable.
Porkbun’s keyword search will bring up a variety of trending domain extensions. Start a blog about the best camping gear. Get .review and .camp. You want to showcase your portfolio and find new gigs. You can try .studio, .art or .ink.
PorkBun Domain Pricing
Porkbun offers many of these unique, but simple-to-remember extensions for less than $8 per year. There are literally hundreds of options, allowing for almost endless combinations with desired keywords. They also offer .com domains starting at $4.75 to register one.
You can now get a .shop extension to your web store for as low as $2.04 per year. This is an amazing deal, and the extension will renew at $26.85/year thereafter. This is a better renewal price than any other on the list.
You can also buy more than one year upfront up to 10. You can also purchase more than one year upfront, up to 10. The same .shop extension can be secured for ten years at $228.93, a lower rate than their renewal pricing.
Every domain purchase includes the following additional features:
- WHOIS Privacy
- SSL certificate
- Forwarding URLs and emails
- Porkbun offers free trial of its site builder, web hosting and email hosting
PorkBun Domain Features
The first half of domain hunting is now about finding the right combination keywords and extensions. This can be difficult if you don’t know what’s available. Porkbun has helpful pages that provide information about the most popular domain extensions as well as their best deals to help you find something affordable and effective. Porkbun currently has over 200 extensions available at the lowest price. They also have more than 500 domain extensions available.
Your URL can be creative and memorable. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Register your domain through Porkbun to find your unique home.
HostGator
HostGator has some of the best domain names and website hosting options available. HostGator offers shared hosting plans starting at $2.75 per monthly for up to 3 years (renews at $11.95/month) and a free domain for 1 year. All plans include unlimited bandwidth, 24/7 customer support, and free SSL certificate.
Pros
- Cheap introductory pricing for domains
- Simple website builder
- Shared hosting includes a CDN
Cons
- Shared hosting includes a CDN
- Performance Issues on Shared Hosting
Website builder plans start at $3.84 per month (renews at $9.98 per month). HostGator’s website builder is not as flexible as other builders but it is easy to set up a new website in under 30 minutes. It also offers a large selection of top-level domains. There are many options for domains, including .co, .org and .tech addresses.
HostGator Domain Pricing
HostGator offers managed WordPress hosting with 3 options, just like the other services. You get 1 site managed, 100k monthly visits, 1GB of backup storage, and a free SSL Certificate. The Standard Plan is your next option. This doubles your options. You can manage two sites with 200k visits each month and 2GB backup storage space. The Business Plan allows you to manage 3 sites with 500k visits per month and 3GB backup.
HostGator’s WordPress hosting service is very attractive, regardless of plan. It guarantees up to 2.5x faster loading times due to its cloud architecture hosting servers. There are a few technical details that we won’t get into. Businesses on the internet appreciate faster load times.
HostGator offers many hosting options, as you can see. HostGator will also transfer your website and all data completely free of charge. This offer comes with some limitations. For example, you must complete it within 30 days of signing up. Also, the number and type of sites that can be migrated may vary depending on the plan. It’s still an amazing deal.
HostGator Domain Features
HostGator is a top-three web hosting brand. It’s not an exaggeration. HostGator offers a remarkable service to any business, including free website transfers and a 45-day money-back guarantee. HostGator is a top-rated service thanks to its easy-to-use control panel, affordable pricing, and 24/7/365 support.
BlueHost
Bluehost offers web hosting, domain registration, and website management. Bluehost offers many services including shared and virtual private servers (VPS) web hosting, a drag-and drop website builder, professional email services, and online marketing.
Pros
- Creative Domain Extensions
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting
Cons
- Limited Additional Services
- Lack of Advanced Hosting Options
Bluehost shared hosting plans come with a one-year domain. You also get a free SSL certificate as well as a content delivery network (CDN) for one year. A.com domain can be purchased individually for $12.99 per annum.
Bluehost is a great choice for hosting WordPress websites. Bluehost offers managed WordPress hosting services for websites with basic functionality and online shops that use e-commerce plugins. Bluehost offers managed hosting that includes customized themes, 24/7 support and daily backups to your website.
BluehHost Domain Pricing
Bluehost’s website creation process is slightly more complicated than other website builders. Bluehost will first take you to your hosting dashboard. Once there, you can create a WordPress website. You will need to log in to your WordPress dashboard before you can select a template or make edits.
WordPress allows you to choose from over 300 pre-installed themes. Bluehost themes are not compatible with Bluehost’s site builder. However, you can apply any WordPress-compatible theme. It is not easy to modify themes later as you will have to rebuild your site.
Bluehost’s website creator can be accessed from your WordPress dashboard. Each section includes multiple elements, such as buttons, text boxes, image containers and buttons. There are many layout options available for each section. You can also choose which elements you want to show or hide.
BlueHost Domain Features
Bluehost’s website builder makes it simple to create WordPress websites. You can easily add sections and templates to your pages using the built-in editor. Bluehost’s managed WordPress hosting also includes the builder, which allows you to create unlimited sites and not worry about maintaining your software.
Bluehost’s website builder may be right for you, but it all comes down to your desire to create a WordPress website. Bluehost’s builder isn’t as flexible as Wix or standalone site builders. You still have access to WordPress’s amazing tools for blogging and media management. Bluehost’s site builders may be a good choice for small businesses and individuals who value flexibility and growth more than design capabilities.
Conclusion
Hosting providers that offer the best web hosting services provide a variety of hosting options, including managed hosting, shared hosting and cloud hosting. It is important to consider factors such as uptime, site speed, support, and maintenance.
Hosting providers that are able to scale with your website's traffic will be essential as your traffic increases. This guide will help you choose the right hosting provider, whether you are starting a new site or switching providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much you pay will depend on the type and package of services you choose. Prices can range from $1/month to $10/month. You can find more information in the pricing and value section.
Secure hosting companies provide specific features to protect your data. These include SSL certificates, secure file transfers protocols, firewalls, and protection against cyberattacks. HostGator and GoDaddy offer some of the best servers available.