Starting a blog requires very few items. One of them is a domain name. Even though you can start a blog without a custom domain, you want to spend a few bucks on that each year.
Successful bloggers want to build a brand name with the domain name and “own the traffic”.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links might be affiliate links. I might earn a small commission when you buy through my links. If you do, please know I only support brands or companies that I either use myself or fully believe are beneficial for my readers. Thank you!
A lot of hosting providers offer the option to buy a domain name with them, but I would always separate my domain purchase from my web hosting for:
- Platform risk
- Safety reasons
- They’re not domain registrars and will often charge more
Domain registrars are companies that are licensed to sell and manage domains. They make it possible for individuals and businesses to register any domain.
The list below is the ones I use, personally recommend, and are known amongst domain investors.
My recommendations are based on:
- Reasonable and cheap price for a .com domain
- Good reputation
- Reliable
- Good customer support
- Payment options offered
The list of domain registrars is:
Porkbun
Porkbun is relatively new compared to other domain registrars on the list, but quickly gained a great reputation. They started in 2014 and recently crossed the mark of managing a couple of million domain names.
Unlike traditional domain registrars, they took a quirky, cartoonish approach, and that worked in their favor.
What I love about Porkbun:
- Easy-to-use interface
- Often have promotions and discounts, including .com
- Wide variety of payment options, such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and credit cards
- Human live chat or email support, usually a response within a few hours
- The price for a .com is $11.06, including recurring renewals (no price hike)
Dynadot
Dynadot, founded in 2002, has grown into one of the most reliable domain registrars. It’s my secondary preferred choice because some local domain extensions aren’t available on Porkbun.
I noticed some fluctuations for the .com prices ranging between $8.99 to $12.99, which is probably due to do with the variety of promotions they’re running.
Despite being slightly more expensive than Porkbun, Dynadot has an impeccable reputation, making it a preferred choice among bloggers, domain investors, and companies.
What I love about Dynadot:
- Easy pre-pay option
- Live chat 24/7
- Nameserver templates
- Domain management tool
- Monitor your domains, including external ones
Namecheap
Namecheap is the most well-known domain registrar and by far the most popular.
With more than 10 million customers and 18 million domains under management, they became a household name for everyone who buys a domain or builds a business.
The company started in 2000. Two years earlier than Dynadot, but had exponential growth because of their aggressive marketing strategy, and possibly the brand name.
Sometimes they can be confusing, and their checkout can be overwhelming, which can cause accidental “add-ons” that you’re going to pay extra for.
The price for a .com domain is $11.28/year when you’re an existing customer, but the renewal fee comes at $14.98/year.
Why I still recommend Namecheap, despite being more expensive:
- Trusted, mature, and a leading domain registrar
- New accounts can get a .com for $6.49 in the first year
- Easy-to-use DNS/Nameserver options
- Live chat & fairly fast email support
- Plenty of payment options
Spaceship
A subsidiary of Namecheap that launched in September 2022.
First, I wondered why they would create a second brand, but it was clear that Spaceship went a more advanced and modern way.
The slick interface was a bit overwhelming at first, but they’re doing a great job refreshing a “boring industry” with new features and a modern interface, and a full suite of modern tools to manage domains.
A .com domain costs $9.98/year, which is cheaper than Namecheap, and maybe that’s their way of pushing clients to their modern version.
Why I recommend Spaceship:
- Owned by Namecheap
- Fresh dashboard, clean interface
- One of the cheapest domain registrars out there
- Plenty of payment options
- Tons of extra features to manage your domains
How To Find The Cheapest Domains For Every Extension?
There’s a simple tool that updates prices, promotions, and compares thousands of domain registrars in real-time.
Simply go to https://tld-list.com and start digging.
The most interesting part for me is the 3-year value projection.
Some domain registrars offer a hefty discount in the first year, but renewal fees can make it more expensive. So always double-check your costs after the first year.
Use this tool if:
- You’re hunting for a promo code or bargain
- If you’re looking for a specific domain extension that isn’t offered everywhere
- You want to know your costs without surprises
It might be better to register with a domain registrar that doesn’t increase the renewal fees after year one.
Final Word
Even though there are thousands of domain registrars, it’s not uncommon for some of them to go bust or have horror stories with a bad reputation, like SAV.
Never buy your domain name from your web hosting company. That would imply too much risk, in case you face account issues or the company goes bankrupt.
Always separate your domain registrations from your hosting.
Avoid places like GoDaddy, which charge 2-3 times the amount for a .com domain, and charge exorbitant fees for renewal.
With one of my recommendations, you can’t go wrong!