9 Best Places to Buy Domain Names in 2022

Welcome to my guide on the best places to buy domain names in 2022.

In this all-new guide, you’ll learn:

• Common mistakes to avoid when choosing a domain name registrar
• Things to look out for when choosing a domain name registrar
• My personal review having worked with all 9 of the best places to buy domain names mentioned in this guide

So, if you are wanting to get your domain name registered but don’t know who to go with, this guide is for you.

Let’s get started.

Table of contents

1. What is a Domain Name Registrar?
2. Common mistakes to avoid when choosing a Domain Name Registrar
3. Things to look out for when choosing a Domain Name Registrar
4. Best Places To Buy Domain Names
   1. Cloudflare Domain Registrar
   2. Google Domains
   3. VentraIP
   4. Domain.com
   5. Bluehost
   6. Network Solutions
   7. Namecheap
   8. NameSilo
   9. GoDaddy
5. Conclusion

What is a Domain Name Registrar?

A domain name registrar is a company that allows you to legally register website domain names. For example, you could purchase www.yourname.com from a domain registrar and set up your website on it.

A domain name extension is the part after the last dot in the URL e.g .com, .net, .org. Costs for domain names vary depending on the type of domain name extension. Additionally, the period of time you decide to register a domain name will affect the price.

Aside from handling the registration process, domain name registrars can offer a variety of other services. For example, you can choose to install an SSL certificate so your domain name becomes HTTP-secure (HTTPS). A domain name registrar is not an email or website hosting company. However, many domain name registrars offer email and website hosting as add-on services.

Common mistakes to avoid when choosing a Domain Name Registrar

Although registering a domain name seems simple, it’s easy to make mistakes that may leave you paying a lot more than what you bargained for.

Many domain name registrars try to aggressively undercut each other on registration prices. Some registrars go as far as offering domain name registration at a loss to their business. They do this so they can make their profit by charging you extra for services that other registrars include as standard. Here’s a list of the most common ploys I’ve come across

• Charging you significantly more to renew the domain after the first year of registration
• Charging you a premium if you choose to move your domain over to a different register. Usually, this is done to ‘lock’ you into the registrar so they can get you on the first point
• Charging you to edit/access your domain name server (DNS).  If you want to host your website with another company, you’ll need to edit your DNS to do so, which incurs a charge. Or, if you want to set up a business email address with Google or Microsoft, you’ll need to edit your DNS. Some registrars make you pay to upgrade to their ‘premium’ DNS for you to edit it
• Not supporting free SSL certificates. If you want your website to be HTTP-secure, you’ll need to encrypt your domain with an SSL certificate. This is an important security procedure that every domain owner should do. Let’s Encrypt SSL is the world’s most popular free SSL with over 265 million installations. Some domain registrars choose not to support Let’s Encrypt so they can charge you for their own SSL certificates
• Making you pay to make your domain registration details private. When you register a domain, your personally identifiable information can be made public. You can opt-out of having your personal information made public at the point of registration. Some registrars will charge you extra if you choose to make your personal information private

Things to look out for when choosing a Domain Name Registrar

As you can see from above, there are a number of tactics domain name registrars use to get you to pay more than just your domain registration fee. With that said, here’s what to look out for when choosing a domain name registrar:

• Decide how long you plan on owning the domain. Then, check the company’s renewal fees and calculate the total cost of ownership over the timeframe you plan on owning the domain for
• Try to avoid registrars that charge a premium if you decide to transfer your domain name away from them. Also, avoid registrars that lock you into their services for longer than 90 days after you registrar your domain. You can usually find this information in the terms of service
• Avoid registrars that charge you extra to edit your DNS, install SSL certificates & make your registration details private

Next, I’ll review some of the best places to buy domain names against the criteria I have outlined above.

Best Places To Buy Domain Names

Cloudflare Domain Registrar

Cloudflare is a leading global cloud network offering web security and performance solutions. Recently, Cloudflare has added domain name registration services to its product lineup.

What’s best about registering your domain with Cloudflare is they only charge wholesale prices. Unlike other domain name registrars on this list, they do not mark up the price to register a domain.

In addition to domain name registration, Cloudflare offers the following useful services:

• Content Delivery Network (CDN)
• Free and premium SSL services
• WHOIS privacy protection & domain locking
• Domain name forwarding

Aside from cheap domains, the biggest benefit you get with Cloudflare is you can automatically take advantage of their world-class performance and security infrastructure.

You can reach their customer service team via ticket support if any questions. You can also access the Cloudflare knowledge base for further help.

Cloudflare Domains Pros

• Wholesale domain pricing makes it one of, if not the cheapest place to register domain names
• Automatically gain access to Cloudflare’s free and paid web security and performance services
• It’s a free and simple way to make your website load faster

Cloudflare Domains Cons

• Limited, but growing support for top-level domain extensions (TLDs), as well as country code top-level domains (ccTLDs).
• Requires technical knowledge to get the most out of the platform
• Customer support is limited – you’ll be on your own unless you upgrade to a paid plan

Pricing

.com domains start from $8.57 per year. You can see a list of currently supported top-level domains here. For country-level domain support, check out the Cloudflare blog.

Google Domains

Launched by Google in 2014, Google Domains is Google’s very own domain name registrar. In addition to domain registration services, Google Domains offers DNS hosting, dynamic DNS, domain forwarding, and email forwarding.

What’s great about Google Domains is it makes getting started with Google Workplace super easy. Having your domains together with your Google Business Email accounts cuts down on double-handling and managing different logins.

In addition to domain name registration, Google Domains offers the following value-added services:

• Domain Name Server (DNS) hosting
• Dynamic DNS features
• Bulk domain registration
• WHOIS privacy protection
• Domain and email forwarding

You can reach their customer service team via live chat or ticket support if any questions. The Google Domains Help Centre is extensively documented should you run into any issues.

Google Domains Pros

• Simple and fast to get up and running with Google products such as Workspaces and Websites etc.
• World-class Google DNS infrastructure
• Simple domain registration pricing that’s flat and transparent

Google Domains Cons

• Domains cost a bit more to register when compared to other domain registrars on the list
• May not be the best option if you do not plan on using Google Workplaces

Pricing

.com domains start from $11 per year. You can see a full list of supported domains including pricing here.

VentraIP

Founded in 2010, VentraIP is Australia’s largest privately-owned domain registrar.

If you are a local Australian business and you want to host your domains with an Australian company, VentraIP is the best domain name registrar. I’ve been hosting domains with VentraIP since the early 2010s and I’ve never had an issue with them.

VentraIP not only offers domain hosting but website, email, VPS and SSL certificates.

Their domain name hosting service comes with the following features:

• Unlimited DNS management
• Free domain forwarding
• Free WHOIS privacy protection

You can reach their customer service team via phone, live chat or ticket support if any questions. Their support centre is also well-documented.

VentraIP Domains Pros

• Local Australian technical support team
• Flat and transparent pricing
• Australian registered and accredited company

VentraIP Domains Cons

• Non-Australian domains cost more when compared to other domain registrars
• Might not be the best option for non-Australian businesses

Pricing

.com domains start from $21.95 AUD per year. You can see a full list of domains including how much they cost here.

Domain.com

Domain.com was established in 2000 and is the most well-known domain name registrar. You can register any top-level domain extensions (TLDs), as well as dozens of country code top-level domains (ccTLDs).

Domain.com offers a fast domain search tool you can use to help with your domain name research. You can also search for premium domains.

The company also offers the following useful features:

• Bulk domain name registration
• WHOIS privacy protection
• DNS transfer
• Domain name forwarding

The company also offers add-on email and website hosting.

You can reach their customer service team via email or live chat if you have any questions. You can also access their extensive knowledge base and find helpful guides.

Domain.com Pros

• Supports free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates
• It lets you forward email addresses under your domain to other email addresses
• It offers a quick domain search tool

Domain.com Cons

• Privacy protection is not free
• Prices can increase on renewal for popular domain extensions like .com

Pricing

.com domains start from $8.99 per year without privacy protection. You can see the domain name registration and renewal prices for all supported domain names here.

Bluehost

Bluehost, one of the most reputable hosting companies in the world is an official WordPress partner. They also offer domain registration as part of their web hosting services.

Bluehost offers website hosting customers a free domain, a free SSL certificate and a discount on web hosting. This is a good deal for someone that wants to register a domain and create a website on it.

You can get started for as low as $2.75 per month and receive a new domain name at no cost.

Although Bluehost isn’t in my top three WordPress hosts, they offer good value with this deal. Their interface is easy to use for beginners with WordPress pre-installed. They also offer excellent chat support.

Bluehost Domains Pros:

• Free domain name with all the hosting plans
• Free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates
• Does not cost extra to edit your DNS records

Bluehost Domains Cons:

• Domain privacy is not included meaning you’ll need to pay extra for it

Pricing:

.com domain registration starts at $12.99. You can view all domain name registration and renewal fees for Bluehost here.

Network Solutions

Network Solutions has over 7 million domains under their registrar. There are many domain extensions that you can register, including the most popular.com,.net,.org,.biz,.info and all other niche TLDs.

In addition to domain name registration, Network Solutions offers:

• Website hosting, builders and security tools
• Business email addresses
• Online marketing, SEO & IT support

They can act as your one-stop-shop for all things online.

You can get a free domain if you buy their WordPress hosting plan or any other website/eCommerce hosting package.

Network Solutions pros:

• Bulk domain name registration allows you to register all your domain name extensions at once

Network Solutions cons:

• Slow signup process that forces you through multiple upsell steps prior to checkout
• No free SSL support or domain privacy protection
• Expensive when compared to other registers
• High renewal rates

Pricing

.com domains start at $25 for the first year without hosting or privacy protection. They do not publish all of their domain name prices, so you’ll need to go through the checkout process to get a price. 

Namecheap

Namecheap is another popular domain registrar. Their domain search tool is powerful and can help you find the perfect domain name. It also suggests domain names that might be available.

What sets Namecheap apart is the free privacy WHOIS service for all domain names.

Namecheap Pros:

• Domain privacy protection is free forever with new domain purchases
• 24/7 live chat with experts & 2-hour ticket response time

Namecheap Cons:

• Renewals cost more than registration fees
• SSL is free for the first year then you have to pay for the renewal
• You need to pay for their ‘Premium DNS’ to edit your DNS records

Pricing

.com domains start at $8.88 for the first year. For all domain extension pricing and renewal fees, go here.

NameSilo

NameSilo provides domain name registration services, domain transfer, domain bidding, and more. You can perform both a single and bulk domain search using the search tool.

Domain privacy is also available for a huge discount on domain registrations and bulk transfers.

All domains include:

• DNS management tools
• No cost domain privacy
• Registry lock
• Domain defender protection
• Portfolio management

NameSilo comes with a marketplace that lists all domains that have been listed by customers or other non-renewed domains. You can either buy your desired domains through auction or pay the buyer directly.

You can also transfer existing domain names to NameSilo in just three steps. Verify your domain name and enter your EEP authorization number in the transfer form. Finally, add the domain to your cart. Within 5 to 7 business days, the domain will be transferred.

NameSilo Pros:

• Free WHOIS domain privacy with every purchase
• Domain renewal rates are the same as the registration rate for most domains

NameSilo Cons:

• Does not provide free SSL certificates
• Additional fees apply if you choose to transfer your domain out of NameSilo

Pricing

.com domains start at $9.95 for the first year. You can view NameSlio’s full pricing list here. 

GoDaddy

GoDaddy is the oldest and most well-known domain registration company. Over 18 million customers have registered more than 77,000,000 domain names through GoDaddy.

They offer a large variety of popular domain extensions. Also, they have very competitive prices and may even give you a substantial discount for the first year.

GoDaddy offers a range of web services, including website building, email marketing and hosting.

GoDaddy Pros:

• Free 1-year extension on many domain transfers
• You can sell your domains through GoDaddy Auctions and Afternic
• It provides tools like the GoDaddy Appraisal tool to help you determine your domain’s worth
• Get up to 31% off when you register or transfer six or more .com domains simultaneously
• Easy to get started with GoDaddy’s website and landing page building tools

GoDaddy Cons:

• Does not support free SSL certificates meaning you’ll need to purchase one
• Domain privacy and protection is not included and is an additional fee
• Renewal fees are high when compared to registration fees

Pricing:

.com domains start at $11.99 for the first year. For more information on domain name prices, go here. 

Conclusion

So there you have it. That’s my top 9 best places to buy domain names. Now I want to hear from you: which domain name registrar do you swear by?

Will you register your next domain with a company from my list?

Or, are you already using one of the companies? If so, how are you finding their service?

Are there any domain name registrars that you would recommend?

Let me know how you rate them by leaving a comment below.