nameThe Best Cheap Domain Registrars (2023)
Looking for the best cheap domain registrars to kick start your website?
Choosing the right domain registrar is so important. It not only helps you protect your brand but also makes it easy to migrate your website if you need it.
We compiled the best cheap domain registrars for you, along with pros, cons, and our very own Nameboy rating. We based our choices not only on price but quality, reviews, and commentary from the people that use it most.
But first, let’s get on the same page about domain name basics.
What Is a Domain Name?
A domain name is a unique name that identifies your website. For example, nameboy.com is our domain name.
WPBeginner says it best in the beginner’s guide to understanding your domain name – in simple terms, if your website was a house, then your domain name will be its address.
Confused about the difference between domain names and web hosting? Let’s chat about it.
Domain vs web hosting
Your web hosting is different from your domain name because they have two different jobs.
If the domain name is the address of your website, then web hosting is the home where your website lives. To create your website, you will need both a domain name and web hosting. Not to fear, we have recommendations for hosting coming right up.
If you’re looking for a good domain name, we can help you find a lot of good ideas at Nameboy. We know it can be quite overwhelming. The good news is that we can help you pick your domain name with the domain name generator! That’s what we do at Nameboy.
A domain name generator is a tool that takes your “key” words (or potential domain name) and generates possible ideas for available domain names for you to choose from. Easy right?
More on that later. Let’s help you find the best domain at the right price first. Ready to learn the cheapest domain registrars? We are too.
7 Cheapest Domain Registrars
Here are the 9 best cheap domain registrars:
- Bluehost – best hosting with FREE domains
- Domain.com fully featured domain registrar
- GoDaddy – popular cheap domain registrar
- HostGator – cheap hosting with free domain
- Namecheap – popular cheap domain registrar
- DreamHost – reliable cheap domain and hosting
- Shopify – good eCommerce domain registrar
We are going to review the facts about each, usability perks, and pricing. Let’s find out which one is right for you.
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the top 20 largest web hosts, collectively hosting over 2 million domains. They are also an official WordPress hosting partner. As part of their hosting service, they offer domain name registration.
Usability
We like how Bluehost makes it easy to get your website up and running. They have an easy-to-use cPanel interface that’s ideal for beginners and easy for experts. Overall, it’s generally fast, has reliable servers, and excellent security features for a cheap domain registrar.
Bluehost uses CPU Protection for all plans that are on a shared hosting server. If you’re good with shared hosting, you will have a lower monthly cost.
Perks
Bluehost has been a popular choice for those that need a provider for the basic necessities. With 1-click WordPress install, 24/7 support, and 99.99% uptime, Bluehost is a great first choice when it comes to the best cheap domain registrars.
See our full review » Bluehost Review: Domain, Hosting, & Pricing.
Pricing
FREE domains with hosting plans starting at $2.75 per month.
Nameboy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2. Domain.com
Founded in 1998, Domain.com provides web hosting solutions and an array of services around the globe. They’re considered to be one of the largest web hosting and domain name providers in the WordPress community, powering more than 1.2 million websites and counting.
Usability
With Domain.com you get a secure website with a free SSL. Additionally, shared hosting customers get access to DomainCentral, an in-house custom control panel. The overall consensus is that it is easy to use and navigates you through the steps for set up.
Perks
Additional features include the ability to automatically forward email addresses under your domain, DNS management and protection over your domain from any unauthorized hackers.
When it comes to privacy, Domain.com is considered top-notch. They offer WHOIS Domain Privacy which implements a procedure for you to control who’s able to gain access to your contact information. Whenever you buy a domain name, no matter what domain registrar you use, you are subject to the ICANN rules, so it’s important to use a reputable service that knows privacy.
See our full review » Domain.com: Is it Any Good? (Features, Cons, & Cost)
Pricing
You can get a domain name for as low as $2.99 per year with Domain.com.
Nameboy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3. GoDaddy
GoDaddy manages more than 80+ million domain names for 18+ million customers. They have been around a long time and are a pretty popular domain registration company in the community.
Usability
With a simple domain design you don’t need any technical skills to get it up and running. The good news is you get up to 100 subdomains to create a custom web address. GoDaddy also has a powerful easy to use domain management interface which allows you to transfer your domain name or update its settings.
Perks
Their prices are competitive, and they offer discounts regularly. They also offer a wide variety of popular domain name extensions that will help narrow down your choice. Additional features include real-time monitoring, simple tools to forward your domains, and of course, world-class support from their GoDaddy pros.
See our full review » GoDaddy Review: Are the Domain & Web Hosting Plans Good?
Pricing
Plans at GoDaddy start at $0.99 per month and go up from there.
Nameboy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4. HostGator
HostGator is another popular company offering shared website hosting and considers itself a one-stop-shop for domain names. Plus, the blue gator is pretty cute.
Usability
Most of today’s shared hosting plans allow for one website, and they cost a fraction of those offered by the competition. With HostGator, you get unlimited email accounts and domains, storage, databases, and bandwidth, plus the ability to install PHP, Perl, and MySQL.
Perks
HostGator also offers a number of custom applications with its shared hosting plans, and security is included. Don’t let the fees stack up when it comes to adding those customizations!
Their plans get you two domains (called domains for life), along with unlimited storage, email, web space, and monthly data transfers. You also get a free domain for a year for anyone who signs up.
See our full review » HostGator Review: Is It Better Than Other Hosts?
Pricing
HostGator shared hosting costs $2.75 per month for the first domain, with a discount for the second.
Nameboy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5. Namecheap
Namecheap is another to add to the best cheap domain registrars on the market. Founded in 2000, they are an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar that provides domain name registration and web hosting to over 11 million registered users and 10 million domains.
Usability
Namecheap can be used in a variety of platforms. Depending on your needs, you can update easily. You can use Namecheap across all of your devices because it works seamlessly with mobile systems such as iOS, Android, and Windows.
Their website is incredibly easy to use, especially on their domain management pages, which can be very helpful.
Perks
At Namecheap, they love their free stuff. You will receive free privacy protection for life with WhoisGuard Privacy Protection, a free email address and free DNSSEC security. It’s nice to see free security when it comes to domain names.
They also offer domain add-on services like premium DNS. Another nice thing about Namecheap is that they offer 24/7 support service and easy migration if needed.
See our full review » Namecheap Domain and Hosting Review: Is It Any Good?
Pricing
Starting at $2.98 per month, you can choose from their hundreds of domain names.
Nameboy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6. DreamHost
DreamHost is another one of our best cheap domain name registrars! Founded in 1996, they have been around and know the value of being a web host service provider. DreamHost offers 400+ TLDs and they service over 1.5 million websites.
Usability
Buying a domain name with DreamHost is simple and they have a wide array of services offered. They have their own custom-made dashboard that’s easy to use and very responsive. The interface has a clean layout and intuitive navigation setup.
Perks
After buying your domain name, you’ll receive free WHOIS Privacy Protection, auto-renewals, unlimited subdomains and a custom domain setting control panel. They are offering a free domain name with domain privacy included for anyone signing up for their Shared Unlimited hosting plan.
Additionally, DreamHost offers in-house customer support, guaranteed performance and uptime, 1-click installs, and an intuitive control panel to make managing your websites easy.
Pricing
With hosting + a free domain starting at $2.95, you are getting quite the package deal.
Nameboy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7. Shopify
Shopify is your go-to eCommerce platform that is also a popular domain name registrar that allows you to quickly set up your store using a custom domain name. Founded in 2006, they power over 1,000,000 businesses with a 99.99% average uptime.
Usability
Shopify is easy to use. It was designed for beginners and is built on simple interfaces and screens. Building an eCommerce store can be done with their drag and drop builder easily. You can then manage your store in a customized interface that gives you all of the tools and integrations accessible for success.
Perks
Along with being a good option for a cheap domain registrar, they offer 100+ international payment gateways, unlimited bandwidth and products, a website builder and full-featured blog that is search engine optimized. Plus, you can completely customize your store with Shopify apps.
They don’t offer email addresses for domain names but instead encourage you to use email forwarders or a third-party email service like G Suite or Office365.
Pricing
To create a Shopify account, plans start at $20 per month. You can buy a domain name separately on their platform at an average cost of $15-$17 per year.
Nameboy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Which Domain Registrar is the Best?
Don’t let the number of cheap domain registrars out there have you feeling overwhelmed! We can help. At Nameboy, domains are kind of our thing.
When it comes to choosing the right one, it’s important to be strategic and also plan ahead! Your website will grow and so will the tools you’ll need.
In our humble opinion, Bluehost is the best domain registrar in the market for small businesses as well as large companies. They offer the most reasonable pricing and have all the features needed for success.
If you’re looking to build a website, then you can get a free domain name from both Bluehost and HostGator when you sign up for their web hosting. And remember to try out our free domain name generator at Nameboy!
We hope this article helped you learn how to choose the best domain registrar for yourself or your agency. Just for reading this article, you are eligible for a free domain with hosting at Bluehost!
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