Updated October 16, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team
Top domain registrars compared
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. How we rank
| # | Software product | Score | Features | Key facts | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 421 |  GMO Internet Group | Not rated |
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| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 422 | Gojo Host | Not rated |
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| 423 | GuateHost | Not rated |
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| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 424 |  Loopia Norway | Not rated |
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| 425 |  Hetzner | Not rated |
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| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 426 |  Makedonski Telekom | Not rated |
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| 427 | Mauritius.biz | Not rated |
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| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 428 |  Host.do | Not rated |
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| 429 | hoster.by | Not rated |
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| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
| 430 |  Hosting.com.py Free assisted migration from another provider: Migration at no additional cost | Not rated |
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| ReviewCompareSee alternatives |
About Top domain registrars compared
Domain registrars look interchangeable until the renewal notice arrives. This ranking sets out 452 brands and reads the same details for each: what a .com costs to register, what it costs to renew, what a transfer costs, how large the extension catalogue is, and how you reach a person when a name is locked or a renewal fails. The category median for .com registration is €11.56, while renewals sit higher at €14.99, and across collected data introductory prices run €0 to €39.46 against renewals of €6.95 to €39.46. That gap is the trade-off the ranking is built around: a brand can look cheap on the day of purchase and expensive afterwards. Support routes, catalogue breadth and free WHOIS privacy settle the remaining places, and members quoting a renewal close to their entry figure rise as a result.
How we picked
The score is fixed before any copy is written. Cost carries 40%, the offer carries 40% and trust carries 20%, so what a domain costs and what comes with the plan account for most of the ranking, with the remainder going to the standing of the company behind it. Each figure is taken from the brand's own material: registration, renewal and transfer prices from its domain pages, audience, base and support routes from its about, contact and support pages, the legal entity from its terms, and catalogue counts from its extension listings. Medians and ranges come from collected site data rather than from review sites or comparison blogs. Nothing is scored on reputation alone, and close calls are settled on support reach, then on catalogue breadth. Partners are placed ahead of scored entries in any group, and where a group holds none the order follows the weights and the published prices.
How we rankWhat to look for
- Introductory price
- The sticker price on the day of purchase says little on its own. The typical .com entry in this category is €11.56, and collected data puts the whole spread at €0 to €39.46. Read it as an opening offer rather than a running cost.
- Renewal price
- This is the figure that decides most placements. A typical .com renewal here is €14.99, with collected renewals running €6.95 to €39.46. Set the renewal against the introductory price on the same brand before committing to it.
- Transfer cost
- Moving a name you already own is priced apart from registration. The typical transfer in this category is €12.12, and collected transfers run €0 to €32. Brands that charge for transfers are pricing you to stay put.
- Support routes
- Registration problems surface at renewal time, so contact routes matter. In this category 83.5% of the brands take calls and 87.3% run a help centre, while email reaches 87.8%. Live chat sits lower at 66.4%.
- WHOIS privacy
- Registrant contact details sit in the public record unless privacy is included. Here 67.5% of the brands in this category include it, against 32.5% that do not. Check whether it is bundled or charged as a separate line.
- Trial and refund terms
- A trial gives a buyer room to test a wider range before the renewal clock starts. The typical free trial here runs 14, and the typical money-back window is 30. With a single-product purchase like a domain, treat both as comfort factors.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the renewal price matter more than the entry price?+
Because a domain is renewed year after year, while the registration price is paid at purchase. VPS.org lists $12.51 to register and $12.51 to renew, and the two match, while other brands quote a renewal well above their entry figure. That difference repeats every cycle, which is why the renewal line is the fair comparison, and why €14.99 sits above the typical entry of €11.56.
How do I compare registrars that quote in different currencies?+
Convert before deciding, and compare the ratio rather than the raw figure. Afrihost quotes ZAR 289 in South African rand, Host Chile quotes CLP 16,900 in Chilean pesos, and EuroDNS quotes €10.99 in euros. Currency movement hits the registration line and the renewal line together, so the gap between them is the part that matters.
Does free WHOIS privacy matter when I register a domain?+
It decides how much of your contact data ends up in the public record, and plenty of buyers care. In this category 67.5% of the brands include it at no extra cost. Some members here state that it is not part of the standard price, so keep it as a separate budget line there rather than assuming it is bundled.
What support route should I look for as a domain owner?+
A phone line and a help centre cover most of what registrars get asked. In this category 83.5% of brands take calls and 87.3% run a help centre, with email reaching 87.8%. Members such as ProfitServer list written routes only, which suits buyers who prefer a written trail on transfers and renewals.
Is a free trial useful when buying a domain?+
Only when you are registering more than the name. A trial typically runs 14 in this category and covers hosting or site building alongside the domain, not the domain itself. West.cn lists a free trial in its wider range and Afrihost points to a free plan, and neither changes the price of a .com.
How many registrars are covered and where does the data come from?+
The category holds 452 registrars, and this page sets out the group ordered by score. Prices are read from each brand's own registration, renewal and transfer pages, company details from its about, contact and terms pages, and the medians and ranges come from collected site data rather than from review sites.
Top domain registrars compared by country
Related by the facts
The data behind this ranking
| Metric | Value | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Median price from | 5.03 EUR | 123 |
| Lower quartile price from | 2.19 EUR | 123 |
| Upper quartile price from | 8.77 EUR | 123 |
| Lowest price from | 0.49 EUR | 123 |
| Highest price from | 437.6 EUR | 123 |
| Free plan: true | 30.3 % | 145 |
| Free plan: false | 69.7 % | 145 |
| Median free trial days | 14 | 51 |
