# Best(Cheapest?) place to buy domain names? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2012, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138 "2012-11-26T10:24:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/1 "2012-11-26T10:24:01Z")
What company is the best to register a domain name at? _ **Please no new posters.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/2 "2012-11-26T13:25:03Z")
Um… all of them? Honestly, it’s not a service that has much variation. Though I find Google’s tools hard to use and Yahoo’s prices a bit higher than everyone else. Are you going to be making a website, or do you just want a URL? If you’re making a website, be sure to sign up for hosting and the URL at the same place, it greatly simplifies things. If you’re just looking for a URL, I use [bluehost.com](http://bluehost.com) and they’re super cheap and easy to use. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/3 "2012-11-26T16:03:57Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > If you’re making a website, be sure to sign up for hosting and the URL at the same place, it greatly simplifies things. I beg to differ on that. I’ve spent countless HOURS on the phone trying to wrench away a domain name for a client that is switching hosting because they bought their domain name and hosting together. If the host is not a registrar themselves (like GoDaddy), then that means they went and bought your domain name under their own account somewhere else (like Network Solutions or GoDaddy) and it’s not technically in your name and it’s a pain in the ass to get control of it because then it’d be easy for you to leave their hosting. Buy your domain name at [GoDaddy.com](http://GoDaddy.com) and then shop for hosting. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/4 "2012-11-26T16:21:31Z")
I agree do NOT buy your Domain Registration services from the same company as your hosting services. Registrars I would NOT touch: 1and1, NetworkSolutions, GoDaddy. I use Hostgator for most of my web hosting, so do not use them for domain registration, but I do not like their backend domain name registration services (Enom) anyway. I’m currently using [namecheap.com](http://namecheap.com) and they work for me because I have multiple domains and they include services that I want in the base price and I’ve never had any problems with them. If you’re just registering one domain, they might be good for you. I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/5 "2012-11-26T18:59:23Z")
Wordpress may be worth looking into. Although they’re known for blogging they have templates for actual websites if you’re just looking for something simple. It’s $18 a year for basic registration and they have a bunch of additional options. ETA: There’s a difference between [wordpress.com](http://wordpress.com) and [wordpress.org](http://wordpress.org) just in case you’re not familiar with it. [Wordpress.com](http://Wordpress.com) is where you can register a name and build a website very cheaply and they host it. [Wordpress.org](http://Wordpress.org) is for building a site but it has to be hosted elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/6 "2012-11-27T21:21:25Z")
[namecheap.com](http://namecheap.com) has been good for me for 5+ years, both in price and easy to use website. I have 4 or 5 names registered with them. Network Solutions has a somewhat better website IMO, but they are a lot more expensive. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/7 "2012-11-27T21:32:13Z")
“Cheap” is about the worst criteria you can use. Domain registration is usually the cheapest part of a web site’s cost. It makes no sense to save $3 if it means you’re stuck with a registrar that has unreliable billing or a back end that’s frustrating to use. I’ve heard good things about Namecheap and I’m considering moving my domains to them. Not because of the cost, but because their admin seems robust and they don’t pester you with upselling. ---
**Author:** ![drew870mitchell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drew870mitchell/32/3946_2.png) [@drew870mitchell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drew870mitchell)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/8 "2012-11-27T22:23:41Z")
**Do not** get hosting and domain from the same provider. Good lord don’t. I’m not sure if they are they cheapest any more but I have been using Netfirms for a few years and I’ve had no problems with them. If you do go with them try to find coupons first. Spamming referral codes on most forums is very bad etiquette, so I won’t do it here, but if you do decide on a provider on the advice of a friend, many of the large providers have referral programs. If you use their code to sign up you could kick a few bucks your friend’s way. I honestly have no idea if Netfirms does referrals. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/9 "2012-11-27T23:36:12Z")
Thanks for the replies > [@tellyworth](#): > > “Cheap” is about the worst criteria you can use. Domain registration is usually the cheapest part of a web site’s cost. It makes no sense to save $3 if it means you’re stuck with a registrar that has unreliable billing or a back end that’s frustrating to use. Yes, I suspected as much… that’s why I didn’t automaticly go with the cheapest I found. ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/11 "2013-01-03T10:57:32Z")
.:dubious:. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/12 "2013-01-03T11:38:20Z")
I wouldn’t touch GoDaddy with a three meter pole. GoDaddy failed to bill me one year, and grabbed my domain. They’ve been sitting on it for 4 or 5 years now. I guess their $80 price for my domain ain’t working for them. Too bad. I got a similarly named domain at Tiger Technologies and am very happy. ---
**Author:** ![tetranz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@tetranz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetranz)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/13 "2013-01-03T12:23:34Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > [namecheap.com](http://namecheap.com) has been good for me for 5+ years, both in price and easy to use website. I have 4 or 5 names registered with them. Network Solutions has a somewhat better website IMO, but they are a lot more expensive. I’ve been happily using NameCheap for many years. They recenty sent me an offer for web hosting which, on the face of it, looked pretty good and I was looking for hosting but I found some pretty bad reviews about their web hosting. I have no idea if the reviews were fair or not but even so … it’s good advice to keep domain registration and hosting separate. I don’t think I’d use them for other services but for domain registration they’ve been excellent. If you’re looking for a .com, .net or .org then they’re all much the same price. ---
**Author:** ![Fool\_in\_the\_Rain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fool\_in\_the\_Rain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fool_in_the_Rain)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/14 "2013-01-03T12:26:51Z")
I use Hover. $10 a year, no muss, no fuss billing. I setup auto-billing, and haven’t looked back in nearly 10 years with them. You have control over the transfer lock, nameservers, forwarding and they give you an authorization code to verify any changes. I use another company for hosting. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/17 "2014-04-06T14:56:15Z")
Reported. ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/19 "2020-07-06T17:37:54Z")
This thread lures them like flypaper, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cheapest-place-to-buy-domain-names/642138/20 "2020-07-06T17:46:15Z")