One of the most important things in business is accessibility, and having an online presence goes a long way in keeping your business current and in front of the right customers. It is a quick and easy way to interact, sell, and grow, all while serving as an invaluable communications platform that helps bridge the gap between owner and consumer. However, to create and maintain an online presence for your business, you first need a domain registrar and name seller to help you present your company to the world. That is where these companies can help.
These are the best domain name sellers to register your business and grow your online presence in 2021.
Best security features
At a glance
When you register your new domain with Bluehost, you get access to WordPress and Google tools with built-in SEO controls to easily manage and market your site. You also receive a free Google My Business profile that is integrated right into your Bluehost dashboard for easy accessibility and account management with visitor analytics.
Bluehost also includes Google Ad Services with added security features that include free SSL and malware detection with automated security updates. To get you started, there are free customer consultations with 24/7 customer support if you stumble.
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Pricing
The cost of Bluehost is less than $3 per month with introductory pricing.
There are three Bluehost plans to choose from:
- Shared Hosting: Normally $8.99/month, this plan is now on sale for $2.95 per month for a 36-month term with auto-renewal at the non-discounted rate of $8.99 monthly.
- Managed WordPress: For greater functionality, look at the Managed WordPress plan for $9.95 per month for 36 months with auto-renewal at $19.95 monthly.
- Online Stores: To add e-commerce to your site, pricing begins at $12.95 per month for 36 months with auto-renewal at $24.95 per month.
The amount you pay to register your domain depends on the type of domain that you choose.
Bluehost domain pricing
Domain type | 1st-year cost |
.blog | $22.99 |
.co | $27.99 |
.com | $12.99 |
.me | $17.99 |
.net | $14.99 |
.org | $9.99 |
.tech | $4.99 |
.website | $1.99 |
If you are not sure which plan is right for you, BlueHost customer representatives can provide a free consultation to help you decide.
Best website tools
At a glance
When you register your domain with Domain.com, you receive multiple services that include hosting, website design, and management. There are additional in-house services available if you need help designing your website, and once your site is up and running, your account integrates with several popular website tools, like WordPress, WebsiteBuilder, and SiteLock. There are more than 300 top-level domains (TLDs) with available premium domains for something a little more special.
Domain.com offers three plans that all come with scalable bandwidth and free SSL by Let’s Encrypt.
Plan name | Number of websites | Storage | Databases | FTP log-ins |
Basic | 1 | Unlimited | 10 | 5 |
Deluxe | Unlimited | Unlimited | 25 | 25 |
Ultra | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
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Pricing
The amount you pay depends on the term you choose when you purchase your plan.
Domain.com Plans
Plan name | 12-month pricing | 24-month pricing | 36-month pricing |
Basic | $3.75/mo $45.00 total | $3.75/mo $90.00 total | $3.75/mo $135.00 total |
Deluxe | $6.75/mo $81 total | $6.75/mo $162 total | $6.75/mo $243 total |
Ultra | $13.75/mo $165 total | $13.75/mo $330 total | $13.75/mo $495 total |
You also must purchase your domain, but first-year pricing is very competitive, depending on the domain that you choose.
.co: $27.99
.com: $8.99
.me: $2.99
.net: $12.99
.org: $8.99
.tech: $4.99
Domain.com offers 24/7 technical support if you need help signing up.
Best uptime guarantee
At a glance
DreamHost proudly shares that it has won the “Editor’s Choice” award by PCMag for five years running. Its hosting options include website hosting or WordPress hosting, both priced the same, with free WordPress migrations, private registration, and WHOIS privacy with the option for free subdomains.
Plans include expanded security features such as Multi-Factor Authentication, auto-enabled SFTP, and free secure hosting with Let’s Encrypt. There is 24/7 customer support, and additional Cloud hosting is available for you at $0.0075 per hour. DreamHost is so confident in its services that there is a 100% uptime guarantee to give you even more peace of mind.
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Pricing
DreamHost offers three plans for your website hosting:
Plan type | Prepaid 3-year plan pricing | Monthly plan pricing |
WordPress Basic | $2.59/mo | $4.95/mo |
DreamPress | $16.95/mo | $12/mo |
VPS for WordPress | $27.50/mo | $30/mo |
If you choose the WordPress Basic or DreamPress plans, you receive free migration for your WordPress site
You may also purchase your domain using the following price structure:
- .blog: $4.99
- .club: $1.99
- .com: $7.99
- .design: $5.99
- .io: $29.99
- .me: $2.99
- .online: $1.99
- .org: $11.99
- .shop: $2.99
- .tech: $2.99
- .xyz: $0.89
To help, there is 24/7 expert support available.
Best for expanded tools
At a glance
GoDaddy is one of the most well-known domain registrars with over 20 million customers and over 82 million domains. You can get started for free with no credit card required, but there are a total of six plans to choose from for hosting once your site is up and running. Plans include SSL security with dedicated server hosting, up to 100 subdomains, and optional WordPress and website design services. You can also add an online store with added email and Microsoft 365 access.
GoDaddy is truly the multi-faceted domain registrar that has what it takes to grow with you as your website expands.
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Pricing
GoDaddy offers six plans for hosting with monthly pricing.
GoDaddy Plans
Plan | Starting monthly price | Features |
Web Hosting | $5.99/mo | Basic websites |
WordPress Hosting | $6.99/mo | WordPress sites |
WordPress Ecommerce Hosting | $15.99/mo | Online store |
Business Hosting | $19.99/mo | High-traffic sites |
VPs Hosting | $4.99/mo | Web designers & developers |
Dedicated Server | $129.99/mo | Highly customized applications |
Domains are available for purchase for one to ten years using the following price structure.
- .buzz: $1.99/mo, $49.99 normally
- .com: $11.99/mo, $18.99 normally
- .email: $5.99/mo, $27.99 normally
- .net: $14.99/mo, $19.99 normally
- .site: $0.99/mo, $39.99 normally
- .VIP: $6.99/mo, $21.99 normally
- .ws: $4.99/mo, $34.99 normally
- .xyz: $0.99/mo, $15.99 normally
GoDaddy offers 24/7 support if you need help at any point.
Best for Google Tools
Integrating with your existing Google account, Google Domains offers you access to over 300 domain endings with extra tools to make designing your website a breeze once you purchase and register your new domain. However, once you purchase your domain, your options from web hosting will come from other providers, such as Wix, Weebly, Shopify, and Blogger.
There are several tools that come included, such as email forwarding, extra privacy protection, and one-click DNSSEC with Google’s 2-Step Verification. Plus, Google Workspace is built-in with up to 100 email aliases and convenient access to Google Ads.
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Pricing
Domain pricing for Google Domains begins at $7 per year with over 100 domain extensions.
.app: $14/yr
.biz: $15/yr
.ca: $12/yr
.co: $30/yr
.com: $12/yr
.dev: $12/yr
.et: $12/yr
.me: $20/yr
.org: $12/yr
.us: $12/yr
There is 24/7 customer support to help you decide and guide the process.
Best for All-Inclusive
HostGator hosts over two million websites with easy one-click install that is compatible with popular systems like WordPress, Magento, Drupal, and Joomla. SiteLock also integrates to give your site improved security with malware removal.
There are a few things that come with each HostGator plan, like one-click WordPress installs, unlimited storage, and free WordPress/cPanel website transfers. Plans feature unmetered bandwidth with free SSL certificate and 99.9% uptime for added reliability. With HostGator, you also get free site transfers and a free domain for your first year. If you want a head start on your advertising, there is $150 in Google Ads credit to get you started.
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Pricing
HostGator offers free first-year domain hosting. From there, pricing depends on the domain that you choose. Introductory pricing lasts one year and then auto-renews at the prevailing rate.
.com: $12.95/first yr, $17.99 thereafter
.info: $12.95/first yr, $17.99 thereafter
.me: $15.00/first yr, $19.95 thereafter
.net: $12.95/first yr, $17.99 thereafter
.online: $1.95/first yr, $15.00 thereafter
.org: $12.95/first yr, $17.99 thereafter
.site: $0.95/first yr, $15.00 thereafter
.tech: $3.95/first yr, $30.00 thereafter
.website: $0.95/first yr, $15.00 thereafter
There are five web hosting plans from HostGator.
HostGator Hosting Plans
Plan | Number of websites | Introductory price |
Hatchling | 1 | $2.08/mo |
Baby | Unlimited | $2.98/mo |
Business | Unlimited | $4.48/mo |
HostGator also offers 24/7/365 support so someone is always there to help.
Best for Email Forwarding
Hover specializes in just two things: domain registration and professional email services. You will not find the multiple hosting plans of other companies. However, Hover offers the option to either purchase a new domain or transfer an existing one, with websites set to auto-renew with your choice of either an annual basis or within a set number of years. Your account benefits from added security features that include WHOIS privacy and two-factor authentication, plus there is the Hover Connect tool to easily transfer your existing site.
If you choose to add professional email to your domain, Hover is compatible with IMAP, POP, and Webmail. You automatically get to enjoy account bonuses like email forwarding, vacation autoresponder, and built-in anti-spam and virus tools.
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Pricing
Hover offers straightforward domain pricing that includes your registration rate, renewal price, and transfer price for at-a-glance pricing, leaving no room for confusion.
Hover Domain Pricing
Domain | Registration rate | Renewal rate | Transfer rate |
.ca | $15.99/yr | $15.99/yr | $15.99/yr |
.co | $25.99/yr | $25.99/yr | $25.99/yr |
.com | $12.99/yr | $14.99/yr | $12.99/yr |
.info | $17.99/yr | $17.99/yr | $17.99/yr |
.io | $49.99/yr | $49.99/yr | $79.99/yr |
.me | $9.99/yr | $19.99/yr | $19.99/yr |
.mobi | $19.99/yr | $19.99/yr | $19.99/yr |
.net | $15.49/yr | $17.49/yr | $15.49/yr |
.news | $26.99/yr | $26.99/yr | $26.99/yr |
.online | $4.99/yr | $34.99/yr | $34.99/yr |
.org | $13.99/yr | $15.99/yr | $13.99/yr |
.tech | $7.99/yr | $49.99/yr | $49.99/yr |
.us | $14.99/yr | $14.99/yr | $14.99/yr |
This is the pricing providing for up to nine domains, with extra discounts that apply the more domains you buy.
There is also professional email that you can add to your site:
Small Mailbox: For $20 per year, you receive 10GB of storage.
Big Mailbox: For $29 annually, Hover offers 1TB of storage.
Email forwarding: $5 per year
If you need help, prepare to do some research online as Hover does not offer the 24/7 customer support standard with most companies.
Best for Plan Options
NameCheap is the provider of over two million customers with over 1.5 million websites, and it has the services to help websites of all sizes. There are several hosting plans, so many that it categorizes them based on whether you are a new online user, small business, or large company. Either way, plans are extensive and include free hosting migration with a 30-day money-back guarantee for eligible customers.
There are lots of add-on services to better customize your plan, like cloud storage for some plans and private email plans that feature a free 60-day trial period.
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Pricing
NameCheap web hosting plans are designed around your needs, with the company categorizing its services based on the three types of customers it serves: individuals, small businesses, and large companies. For each one, there are several options.
NameCheap Hosting Plans
Plan | Promo cost | Renewal rate |
Individuals | ||
Stellar | $1.58/mo for first year | $2.88/mo |
Stellar Plus | $2.68/mo for first year | $4.88/mo |
EasyWP Starter for WordPress | $0/mo for first month | $3.88/mo |
Starter | $0/mo for first 2 months | $11.88/yr |
Small businesses | ||
Stellar Business | $4.80/mo for first year | $8.88/mo |
Nebula | $17.88/mo (unspecified term) | $19.99/mo |
Easy WP Turbo for WordPress | $0/mo for first month | $7.88/mo |
Pro | $0/mo for first 2 months | $33.88/yr |
Large companies | ||
EasyWP Supersonic for WordPress | $0/mo for first month | $11.88/mo |
Quasar | $14.88/mo (unspecified term) | $19.88/mo |
Xeon E3-1240 v3 | $40.88/mo for first month | $52.88/mo |
Domain pricing varies based on the domain that you choose for your new site. If you subscribe to the Shared Hosting plan, you could receive a free domain for your first year. Otherwise, pricing varies based on the following:
.ai: $8.88/yr first year, $12.98/yr thereafter
.co: $7.98/yr first year, $23.98/yr thereafter
.com: $8.88/yr first year, $12.98/yr thereafter
.io: $32.98/yr first year, $34.98/yr thereafter
.net: $10.98/yr first year, $14.98/yr thereafter
.org: $9.18/yr first year, $14.98/yr thereafter
If you need help, grab your computer, because there is 24/7 expert chat support.
How did we choose these products?
There are many companies to choose from when you need to register your new website, but it is critical that you choose a reliable and trustworthy company to entrust with your website. These are some of the critical factors we consider when choosing the best domain registrars and domain name sellers for 2021.
Domain names: There are some domain registrars that offer several hundred domain names while others barely offer one hundred, so it is important to consider what kind of variety you would like available for your new domain extension.
Pricing: The exact same domain extension can vary significantly in price from provider to provider, so shop your preferred domain extension to see which service offers the most competitive pricing for your first-year and renewal rates.
Security: Many domain registrars also offer security tools to help protect your new website, but some may carry a fee or depend on the web hosting plan that you choose.
Customer support: Even expert users can stumble when creating or migrating a website, but customer service options can vary significantly based on your provider.
Which is the right one for you?
Choose this domain registrar… | If you… |
Bluehost | Want extra security freebies for your new website |
Domain.com | Need extra tools and help for your domain management |
Dreamhost | Prioritize website up-time and reliability |
GoDaddy | Have a growing business or large enterprises |
Google Domains | Are an existing Google user |
HostGator | Want all-inclusive service without the upsells |
Hover | Just want to register your domain with email access |
NameCheap | Want the room to grow and still have tons of options |
What are domain extensions?
A domain extension is the text that comes after the name of your website, such as the popular .com extension. There are several hundreds of domain extensions available today but your choices will depend on the domain name seller that you choose.
How long does my domain last?
You cannot permanently purchase a domain name forever, but you can buy a domain name from a provider for a certain amount of time. Some plans will then auto-renew, while others may require you to renew the name yourself.
Why do I need a domain registrar and name seller?
Not only does a domain name seller provide the unique webname for your site, but it also can provide invaluable extras like security tools, professional email, and online ecommerce options to grow your business.
Are there alternatives worth considering?
Some other options for domain registrars and name sellers in 2021 include these companies:
Gandi: Receive 50% off your first-year pricing with email and web hosting
Hostinger: Affordable web hosting solutions with excellent customer support
HostPapa: Domain registrar with small business solutions
IONOS: Domain theft protection with domain registration
InMotion Hosting: 99.9% uptime with a money-back guarantee
Name.com: Bulk capability with the benefit of Google tools
Source: Networking - zdnet.com
