Notes on domain name registrars

The problem

You want to establish an Internet presence for yourself or for your company. Or you may simply have come up with a great brand name that you want to reserve for future use. Or you may even be considering domaining, the business of investing in domain names like real estate. In all of these cases you need to register one or more Internet domain names, and to do that you have to become a customer of a domain name registrar.

Which domain name registrar should you choose? And does it matter? The second question is easy to answer: it matters a great deal. If you are even moderately successful in your endeavors, your domain name could easily become a very valuable asset. You want to ensure that no matter what you do, you do not lose control of it. Also, you want to ensure that the name continues to resolve (i.e. function) at all times.

Until 1999, Network Solutions (NSI) operated the .com, .net, and .org registries, and was the de jure registrar and domain name registry operator. In November 1999 the rules were changed resulting in the system we have now with over 900 ICANN-accredited registrars for the common top level domains. In addition to the accredited registrars there are also countless resellers.

In my opinion, you should only do business with accredited registrars directly, and never go through a reseller. Your domain name is way too important to have anything extra in between you and the registry. (The exception to this rule is if you want to register a domain name anonymously. More about this later.) But even this narrowing down does not help much in choosing a registrar as the list of accredited registrars is very long. And even after filtering out the fly-by-night operations there are still maybe 100 or so companies to choose from.

In this article I will present some ideas on what to look for when choosing a registrar. I will also list a few registrars you might want to consider.

Disclaimer

I consider much of what the domain name industry has become as rather silly. The original concept of the domain name system, with its delegation of responsiblity to subdomains and a couple of other novel ideas, was brilliant. But the system is no longer used that way. Instead we have the enormous load on the second-level namespace (especially .com), the ethically questionable practices in some forms of domaining, and the aftermarket phenomenon which certainly does not help advance humanity to any greater heights. But it is not the subject of this article to ponder about those issues. Here I take it as it is with no value judgement. This is about the practical aspects of choosing a registrar given the system we currently have.

My ideal registrar

Here's what my ideal registrar would look like (in no particular order):

  • Has a solid, easy to use website
  • Offers service in fluent English
  • Has reasonable prices
  • Represents a wide selection of top level domains
  • Accepts payment through wire transfer and other methods, not just credit card
  • Operates its own name servers, but does not mandate that the registrant uses them
  • Has a good track record of not losing domain names to theft
  • Is easy to transfer names to and (more importantly) out of
  • Is not based in the US, and ideally not in EU either
  • Is incorporated in a jurisdiction that respects the rights of the individual
  • Provides a service that keep's the registrant's WHOIS contact information private
  • Has been around long enough to have some stability in its operations
  • Does not spam its customers

Registrars to consider

I registered my first domain name in 1990, and have registered many more since. Over the years I have been a customer to about 10 different registrars. Here are the registrars I currently use or am considering, and also a couple that merit a mention for other reasons.

Network Solutions

I have been a customer of Network Solutions for almost 20 years and have never had a problem with them. Both their online tools and human customer support are very good. The only problem: their prices are about three times that of other registrars. The business of Network Solutions is largely based on the customer base they accrued during the years they had a monopoly (until 1999) and when prices were much higher than they are now. As a result, the company is now in a catch-22 situation. In order to compete with other registrars, they would have to lower prices. But that would immediately and dramatically drop the revenues they get from the automatic yearly renewals from their old customer base. Instead of lowering prices, they have opted to try to position themselves as an ‘elite’ registrar. This has not prevented them from steadily losing marketshare to other registrars.

If you only need one name, the higher prices may not matter. Personally, I am in the process of gradually transfering the names I have with them elsewhere.

GoDaddy.com

GoDaddy is the current market leader, passing Network Solutions in 2005. They have very low prices, and they offer all the standard extras one might need, including WHOIS privacy through a service called “Domains by Proxy”. Unfortunately, GoDaddy has had some well known bad incidents related to stability, security, and customer service. Also, their website is confusing and difficult to use. However, I still do recommend them. For example, it is the best choice for those cases where you know in advance that at some point you will be transferring ownership of the name to someone else. Perhaps you are a domainer attempting a quick flip, or you are registering the name with the intention of giving it away. All this will generally be easier with GoDaddy because it is the registrar the other party most likely already has an account with.

Perhaps the biggest gripe I have with GoDaddy is that they do not offer the use of their name servers (for resolving names to IP addresses) unless you also buy website hosting from them.

Key-Systems (domaindiscount24.com)

Key-Systems, based in Germany, has an impressive credit to their name: they have somehow managed to keep thepiratebay.org resolving despite sustained pressure from the copyright cartels. They appear to be a technology driven, no nonsense company that does many things right. They represent one of the biggest collections of top level domains in the industry. Also, their system is nicely integrated with Sedo's domain name marketplace. My only gripe is that they do not offer WHOIS privacy. Also, their website is somewhat difficult to read/understand. If you do not mind publishing your contact information on the WHOIS database, and you don't mind being exposed to some broken English, I highly recommend Key-Systems.

Moniker

Moniker, based in Florida US, is perhaps best known for their online domain name auctions. They are also affiliated with the drop catching service SnapNames, both being owned by Oversee.net. If you are a domainer whose modus operandi is to sell your names through auctions, you might want to consider Moniker as your registry. The reason is simple: to enter any name in a Moniker or SnapNames auction, it first needs to be moved to Moniker anyway.

But Moniker is also a good registrar in general. They offer WHOIS privacy, traffic monetization for parked names, and many other services. It loses to Key-Systems in being based in the US, which may put your names at greater risk with regards to laws of the land. On the other hand, Moniker is generally considered very good at protecting their customers' domain names. (They claim to have never lost a domain name to theft since their existence in 1999.) As a general registrar, the choice between Key-Systems and Moniker is a tough one and may depend on the names themselves.

Gandi

Gandi is based in Paris, France. They have reasonable terms and prices. They also support causes. They are a relatively new player in the field, at least internationally, and some people report that they may be having some growing pains (I wouldn't put much weight on this though). One negative is that they do not offer full WHOIS privacy. What they offer instead is a service where your otherwise publicly visible e-mail address is replaced by an encrypted address provided by Gandi. But the rest of your contact details (name, postal address, etc.) remain visible to everyone.

I have no experience with Gandi, but I like their attitude, and I see their jurisdiction as a slight plus. I may try them in the future.

Fabulous.com

If you are a domainer with valuable names you intend to keep, but not necessarily develop anytime soon, Fabulous.com is a good choice. Based in Australia, the company is considered a very secure place to park domain names. Also, their customer service is excellent. Their offerings are rather heavily designed with the domainer in mind. They do not offer WHOIS privacy, though, but reportedly are planning to offer it soon. Fabulous.com is highly recommended for the domainer.

MarkMonitor

Are you a well established corporation that would prefer to have someone looking after your brand name and trademark online in a more general way than just registering a .com for you? If yes, MarkMonitor might be what you are looking for. Personally, I have no experience with them, but big names like Apple and Google are using them so they must be offering something of value.

Katz Global

Katz Global offers anonymous domain name registration and web hosting. And by anonymous I mean anonymous. You can do business with them without ever disclosing so much as your first name let alone your address. Payment methods include e-gold, cash, etc. Also, they offer offshore hosting in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India and China.

I have not used Katz Global myself, but I note that they have been around for quite a while (in Internet years), since 1997 to be exact. This is crucial. When registering a domain name anonymously the name will be at the mercy of the registrar. There is no way to contest ownership later, for obvious reasons.

External Links

  • Registrar Judge – consumer reviews on domain name registrars
  • DNForum – a discussion group for domainers
  • NamePros – a discussion group for domainers