Ask HN: What is the best domain registrar?

13 points by jgwil2 ↗ HN
Customer service, business ethics, etc.

14 comments

[ 1.5 ms ] story [ 48.1 ms ] thread
namecheap? I've used them for a few years now for a personal domain. I've never had to deal with their customer service though so I can't comment on that.
Isn’t that the best customer service!?
Dealing with their customer service is a nightmare. Almost every request is outsourced to some low cost location where you encounter agents who stay strictly on script and cannot understand the context.
How do you define “best domain registrar”? If it’s just because of price or because of customer service, then there are a lot of registrars that fit that criteria.

Let’s talk about a registrar that will secure your domain. One that will make sure it doesn’t get stolen. One that will protect your privacy if you want it.

I’ve been a big fan of Namesilo. They seem serious, suggest secure practices, and recommend domains are locked with them. Unsure what happens when push comes to shove.
Namecheap Handsdown

I have more than 24 domains with them, they never fumble

I like Dynadot. I primarily chose them because they offer 2FA.
Godaddy, Daynot and Namecheap. I have tried three of them and their services are up to the mark.
From Australian POV:

Godaddy is expensive. Namecheap are not as cheap as they used to be. Have a look at VentraIP/Synergy.

Hover. Private registration is free and no bullshit trying to sell you something while they force you through a bunch of pages. Plus their default TTL is 15 mins. Perfect while moving stuff. Try setting anything less than 2 hours on others.
One can use different providers for DNS and domain registrations. I use Cloudflare for the former and Dynadot for the latter.
I have been happy with Gandi for a number of years. Namecheap is also good from what I hear.

GoDaddy has done a number of lousy business practices in the past so while they do work well and do offer a lot, I cannot recommend them.

Yes, perhaps a good follow up question is who should be avoided.