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If you don’t have time to read the whole article, feel free to skip it. For most people, the best domain name registrar is NameSilo or Namecheap .
The best overseas domain name registrars are affordable, easy to use, and guaranteed to be secure.
However, with thousands of foreign domain registrars available online, it can be overwhelming. From setting up privacy and security to DNS management, it can be confusing.
In my years of registering domain names and building websites, I have used many domain name registrars. Here I recommend the 6 best domain name registrars.
In this article, I compare various domain name registrars and tell you how to choose the best domain name registrar. I highly recommend it to those who are ambitious to create their own website and start their own business.
Let’s get started!
Top 5 best foreign domain name registrars
| Domain Registrar | Features | Register.com | .com Renewal |
| NameSilo | Suitable for bulk domain name registration | $13.95 | $13.95 |
| Namecheap | Cheapest Domain Registrar | $5.98 (new customers) $10.28 (existing customers) | $13.98 |
| Domain.com | Only the first 2 years are cheaper | $11.99 | USD 21.99 |
| GoDaddy | The most famous domain name registrar | $11.99 | $18.99 |
| Bluehost | Suitable for purchase together with website hosting server | $0 (Purchase Host) $12.99 USD |
USD 21.99 |
How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar
I have been registering domain names and building different niche websites for many years. I am very familiar with domain name registrars.
Of course, I don’t always use the same domain name registrar. Different domain name registrars have different advantages and features.
Below we have compared the prices of domain name registrars and are the factors to consider when choosing the right domain name registrar.
Registration period and renewal fees
Most domain name registrars offer discounted prices on your first purchase. Some limit initial registrations to one or two years, while others allow for registrations of up to five or ten years.
If you want to save money, it is best to choose the longest registration period. This way you will not forget to renew the domain name and someone else will register it first.
Namecheap offers registrations for up to ten years, so it’s also a good choice.
Number of domain names
Some companies purchase multiple domain names, including:
- Common spelling errors in the company’s primary domain name
- Various domain name extensions, such as .org and .net domain names
- Similar domains
Why? To ensure that no one else can buy a similar domain or intentional misspelling to steal traffic. By purchasing multiple similar domains, you can guarantee that your website will be accessible even if someone doesn’t know how to spell it or what extension you use.
While this is a good idea, it’s not necessary, especially when you’re just starting out and running a website.
If you are interested in purchasing more than 50 domain names, then NameSilo is your best choice. However, if you only need one, it is recommended to useNamecheap .
Moreover, if you also need web hosting, then choose Bluehost , which provides a domain name for free in the first year. Therefore, if you need a domain name + web server hosting, Bluehost is the best choice.
Domain Management
It seems that buying a domain name is a “once and for all” thing, and you don’t have to worry about it after buying it. In fact, this is not the case. Domain names also require continuous management, including renewal and ensuring domain name security.
Different domain registrars may have different ways of managing domain names, so it is important to understand how the domain name company you choose operates.
For example, most registrars offer auto-renewal services so that you don’t have to manually renew your domain name every year.
Or, you may need to terminate your domain name and want to do so easily.
Additionally, you may need to manually connect your domain or use DNS management to authenticate other services. Therefore, make sure the domain registrar you choose allows you unrestricted access to your DNS records.
WHOIS Privacy Protection
When registering a domain name, users need to provide personal details to the domain name registrar. In this way, your information will be recorded and published on the Internet.
If you don’t want others to find out your domain information, you can use the privacy protection feature of WHOIS. This feature hides private information such as your email, address, phone number, etc. This way, hackers or anyone looking for your information cannot see it.
Some registrars charge for this feature, while others offer it for free.
I highly recommend you use it unless you registered the domain with something like your company’s address and phone number.
Note : Namecheap and NameSilo provide privacy protection for free.
Domain Transfer
If you want to change your domain registrar later, you will have to transfer your domain. Some domain registrars offer domain transfers for free, while others charge for it.
Therefore, it is important to understand the registrar’s domain transfer policy before making a final decision. It is important to choose a company you can trust, even if you are moving to a different registrar.
Otherwise, moving your domain could cause unnecessary downtime or instability to your website.
Domain extension
The most common domain extension is .com, although there are other extensions including .org, .net, .io, .tech, etc. Additionally, there are country-specific extensions as well.
If you are registering a .com domain, you can choose any domain registrar from this list.
However, if you want to find other extension suffixes, you need to search for different registrars online. For example, for .cn, you can only consider domestic domain name registration companies.
Different Types of Domain Registrars
You can purchase a domain name from a lot of different places. However, I strongly recommend that you purchase it through a domain registrar or with your web hosting provider.
Domain Registrar
The domain registrar takes care of the technical aspects of assigning IP addresses to domain names and reserving domain names.
You are responsible for purchasing domain names and managing and maintaining them.
Web Hosting Companies
If you also need web hosting, it is recommended to purchase a web server from Bluehost, which will give you a free domain name for the first year.
Domain Reseller
Domain resellers are in the business of reselling domain names, but domain resellers usually charge extra fees to make money. In addition, they usually do not have dedicated technical support.
This is why I don’t recommend buying through a dealer.
All of the suggestions in this list are either domain registrars or web hosting companies.
You can check the list of authorized domain name registrars through ICANN . If a company is not on the list, they are most likely a reseller.
Detailed recommendation of the best foreign domain name registrars
1. NameSilo – Best for buying domains in bulk
If you are ready to purchase multiple domain names, then NameSilo is the best choice.
They offer bulk order discounts if you purchase more than 50 domains at once.
However, if you only need one domain name (or less than ten), I recommend using Domain.com. It’s a bit more expensive, but it’s easier to use.
Your domain purchase includes:
- Lifetime free privacy protection
- DNS Management Tools
- Email and Domain Forwarding
- Domain Defender Protection
- Lock/Unlock Function
- 24/7 customer support
Namesilo Coupons
The following Namesilo coupon can only be used once per account, enter the coupon code to get $1 off.
[affcoups id=”1520″]
For 1 – 49 domains, you pay $9.95 per year per .com. However, that price stays the same when you renew, rather than increasing by a few dollars each year.
For 50 – 100 names, it’s $9.85 per domain per year. For 101 – 500 domains, it’s $9.85 per domain. The more domains you buy, the better the discount. So the more you buy, the cheaper it is.
And, these discounted prices will apply at renewal time as long as you have the same number of active domains in your account.
Finally, don’t forget to check the box for WHOIS privacy protection when you check out. It’s free, but you must check it to enable it.
For people who need to buy a large number of domain names, NameSilo is the best choice because it offers the cheapest prices in the long run.
2. Namecheap — The cheapest domain registrar
NameCheap is one of the best domain name registrars that offers low registration prices for top-level domain names. It is a well-known domain name registrar that currently manages more than 11 million domain names.
The .com domain name is $5.98 for the first year, and the renewal price is $13.98/year.
Registering common TLDs like .COM, .ORG, and .NET costs between $10 and $15 per year, which is cheaper than many competing platforms, and you can often find discounts that take first-year registrations to less than $10.
Although price is only a small factor, if you want to buy the cheapest single domain name, you should choose Namecheap . Namecheap often has sales, and you may be able to get a lower price.
They also have other extra services including, DDoS protection, web hosting, private email, G Suite, and EasyWP. You don’t have to select these options if you only register a domain.
They can also be purchased separately if desired.
advantage:
- Low price for domain name registration
- Domain name renewal fees are not high
- Free (WHOIS) privacy protection
- Domain Name Security
- 24/7 live chat support
- knowledge base
- Full DNS access
shortcoming:
- DDoS protection is available at an additional cost
Here you can register a domain name for up to ten years, saving you the trouble of frequently renewing the domain name.
Please note that domain renewals after the initial purchase are $13.98 per year (discounts apply for multi-year renewals).
3. Domain.com — Cheaper in the first two years
Domain.com powers more than 1.2 million websites worldwide. It is easy to use and suitable for beginners to build websites. You can buy as many domain names as you want here.
Domain.com offers cheap domain names. The discounted price for a first-time .com domain is $11.99/year. A 2-year plan is $23.98, and renewals thereafter are $21.99/year.
advantage:
- Cheap domain name registration
- Domain transfer lock available – TLS
- Complete DNS Control
- 24/7/365 Customer Support
- Includes domain knowledge base
shortcoming:
- Domain privacy and DDoS protection are available for an additional fee
It also offers hundreds of different domain extensions, including .blog, .co, .net, .org, .tech, .online, and .fun. The annual fee ranges from $5 to $13, and the registration fee only covers the domain name itself. You’ll need to pay an additional $8.99 per year to enjoy WHO.IS privacy or access any of Domain.com’s other online services.
Domain.com also offers some upsells, including G Suite and web hosting. You can choose to buy them or not.
4. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is the world’s largest domain name registrar, currently hosting more than 60 million domain names. This accounts for nearly 18% of the entire domain name market. The number of domain names hosted by GoDaddy is six times that of the second most popular domain name registrar, Tucows. So, if you want to register a domain name, GoDaddy is the registrar you can’t avoid.
All of their domains come with free WHOIS privacy and free domain locking.
advantage:
- The cheapest price is 2 years
- You can purchase other services such as hosting at the same time
- 24/7 live chat and phone support
shortcoming:
- Purchasing domain privacy is expensive
- Domain name protection is expensive
- Domain name renewal prices are high
GoDaddy not only provides domain name registration, but also provides website hosting services, email hosting, website building tools, WordPress hosting, website security services, etc. Its product line is very complete.
Domain price: .com domain name $11.99/year, but the renewal fee is more expensive at $18.99/year. When purchasing a domain name from GoDaddy, you can purchase the domain name alone or with other services.
5. Bluehost — Best to Buy with Managed Hosting
Bluehost is the number one hosting provider I recommend. I currently have multiple websites hosted on Bluehost. If you purchase their hosting service, you will get a domain name for free for the first year, and you will need to pay for it after renewal.
If you plan to start building a website right away, especially if you want to use WordPress.
However, if you want to buy multiple domains, it is recommended that you purchase them through the domain registrar NameSilo , which is cheaper if you only buy domains. When you need to purchase hosting and domains at the same time, it is most cost-effective to go through Bluehost.
advantage:
- If you purchase a hosting account, you will be given a free domain name in the first year.
- Domain Management Panel
- Free SSL Certificate
- Automatic renewal
- Domain Lock
- Complete DNS Control
- 24/7 technical support
- Domain Name Knowledge Base
shortcoming:
- Renewal fee is expensive
- No domain privacy
.com starts at $12.99 (renews at $21.99). It’s a decent price for the first year, but renewals are a bit more expensive.
Therefore, it is not cost-effective to buy a domain name alone through it. It is best to buy it together with the host.
If you want to learn how to buy a domain name and set up a website through Bluehost, you can check out our Bluehost website creation tutorial .
Summarize
You can choose any of the foreign domain name registrars I recommended above. What’s important is to get the domain name and extension you want and the necessary protection and security at a reasonable price.
That being said, Domain.com is a great fit for most users, and if you also need web hosting, Bluehost offers a free domain name for the first year.
However, both charge extra for privacy protection.
On the other hand, NameSilo and Namecheap offer domain protection for free.
If you need to register a few hundred domains, NameSilo is a good choice, while Namecheap is the cheapest domain registrar for .com domains.
If you want to get the biggest discounts on your domain purchases, check out our coupons page:
Whatever your needs, registering a domain name is easy and you can buy a new domain name in just a few clicks.
Article Updates
- August 15, 2024: Updated domain registration prices and removed Google Domain
