Dynadot

poll Who is the best registrar in the business? 2019 Edition

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Who is the best registrar in the business?

  • 1st

    NameSilo

    223 
    votes
    24.4%
  • 2nd

    GoDaddy

    192 
    votes
    21.0%
  • 3rd

    Dynadot

    169 
    votes
    18.5%
  • 4th

    NameCheap

    81 
    votes
    8.9%
  • 5th

    Epik

    54 
    votes
    5.9%
  • 6th

    Uniregistry

    45 
    votes
    4.9%
  • 7th

    Porkbun

    26 
    votes
    2.8%
  • 8th

    Name.com

    21 
    votes
    2.3%
  • 9th

    Google

    17 
    votes
    1.9%
  • 10th (tie)

    NameBright

    14 
    votes
    1.5%
  • 10th (tie)

    Other

    14 
    votes
    1.5%
  • 11th

    NetworkSolutions

    12 
    votes
    1.3%
  • 12th (tie)

    101Domain

    votes
    0.8%
  • 12th (tie)

    1&1

    votes
    0.8%
  • 13th (tie)

    InternetBS

    votes
    0.7%
  • 13th (tie)

    Enom

    votes
    0.7%
  • 14th (tie)

    Fabulous

    votes
    0.5%
  • 14th (tie)

    Hexonet

    votes
    0.5%
  • 15th

    Cloudflare

    votes
    0.4%
  • 16th

    Domain.com

    votes
    0.3%
  • 17th

    Moniker

    votes
    0.2%
  • 18th (tie)

    Dotster

    vote
    0.1%
  • 18th (tie)

    Register.com

    vote
    0.1%
  • 19th (tie)

    DirectNic

    votes
    0.0%
  • 19th (tie)

    Hover

    votes
    0.0%

equity78

Top Member
TheDomains Staff
TLDInvestors.com
Impact
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Screenshot_2019-05-04 Who is the best registrar in the business (1).png

It's been over 18 months since the last big poll here. So let's take a new poll on best registrar. GoDaddy won the last two, the last one was closer with @namesilo coming in second, 253 votes vs 191 or 29.8% vs 22.5%. The previous big poll saw GoDaddy run away with it 303 votes or 52%.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
I notice that (as of writing this) the 5 registrars obtaining the most votes all have an integrated domain marketplace. Do you think that is a key factor in why they have so many more votes than some of the other choices that do not? While I am not at all surprised that the top 5 are NameSilo, Dynadot, GoDaddy, Namecheap and Epik, as of now, their domination in the voting somewhat surprises me. Number 6 in voting Uniregistry also of course has a marketplace.
Bob

I don't think this is a factor for Dynadot. Nobody seriously uses it for selling domains because of it's payout restrictions.
 
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I notice that (as of writing this) the 5 registrars obtaining the most votes all have an integrated domain marketplace. Do you think that is a key factor in why they have so many more votes than some of the other choices that do not? While I am not at all surprised that the top 5 are NameSilo, Dynadot, GoDaddy, Namecheap and Epik, as of now, their domination in the voting somewhat surprises me. Number 6 in voting Uniregistry also of course has a marketplace.
Bob

For me, its nothing to do with Marketplace. For me its mainly Support and Price. As long as the registrars with good support maintains industry average prices, I will not consider moving to a registrar with bad support to save couple of dollars.

Also in reseller point of view, domains registered with popular registrars are comparatively easier to sell than an Alien registrar.
 
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Re marketplaces, while I would not give it priority over trust, competitive prices, and a sound interface / responsive user support, it is one factor I consider. In the 60 day lock period I usually list on the registrar marketplace as then the transfer can happen without issue. Also, if I am liquidating a domain near expiry date at low price I find that domain marketplaces work well.

There has been a lot of good discussion in this thread, and I have learned some things I did not know. I am surprised there has not been more discussion around which marketplaces support the Sedo MLS registrars or Afternic Fast Transfer. Is that because people generally don't use fast/automatic transfer, or for some other reason? When the price is almost the same, I do like to choose a registrar that supports that.

Bob
 
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which marketplaces support the Sedo MLS registrars or Afternic Fast Transfer.
Sedo/Afternic fast transfer support is important, no doubts. Uniregistry, for example, might show better poll results with such a support - but it is likely incompatible with their current business model. However, both netsol and registercom do have fast transfer support afaik - but it did not help them in any aspect.
 
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There has been a lot of good discussion in this thread, and I have learned some things I did not know. I am surprised there has not been more discussion around which marketplaces support the Sedo MLS registrars or Afternic Fast Transfer. Is that because people generally don't use fast/automatic transfer, or for some other reason? When the price is almost the same, I do like to choose a registrar that supports that.

Bob

Afternic Fast Transfer is becoming my major source of income since I started using them some 6-9 months ago. I think in another year they will be the main source of income for me (if this trend continues to expand). Which is in my plan to. I'm only just scraping the surface at the moment. I only have a very small sliver of my domains currently setup on fast transfer. Most registrars are usually belonging to both networks. I don't see the need to use both networks. They are pretty much identical. Except with Afternic the domains are listed on GoDaddy. Which is a big plus. I've been surprised at the price levels. I have had no problem adding their 20% commissions to my prices. People are still buying. Now I'm not saying that I'm selling heaps of domains. But enough to pay for my expensive renewal schedule. At a faster pace than in previous years.
 
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I don't see the need to use both networks. They are pretty much identical. Except with Afternic the domains are listed on GoDaddy.
This is an idea that I think warrants more discussion. I have a bunch of mine on both Afternic and Sedo, so liked registrars that are fast transfer for either, but wonder if, as you suggest, there is little to be gained by using both and one or the other is just fine. In fact, if we get to the point that searchers use Dofo, then being on any one of the major marketplaces is all that you need.
Bob
 
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Why NameSilo is taking number one in this poll is beyond me. Aren't we got no class? A registrar that has nothing to offer, and looks like early 90s blog. This is the registrar you're voting number one? #SMH

That explains why 90% of registered domains are crap. Why people spends tones of USD on Sedo to promote craps that will never sell.
 
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This is an idea that I think warrants more discussion. I have a bunch of mine on both Afternic and Sedo, so liked registrars that are fast transfer for either, but wonder if, as you suggest, there is little to be gained by using both and one or the other is just fine. In fact, if we get to the point that searchers use Dofo, then being on any one of the major marketplaces is all that you need.
Bob

Another advantage is you don't have any problems remembering to remove sold domains from the other platform, in case they get sold twice :)
 
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Why NameSilo is taking number one in this poll is beyond me. Aren't we got no class? A registrar that has nothing to offer, and looks like early 90s blog. This is the registrar you're voting number one? #SMH

That explains why 90% of registered domains are crap. Why people spends tones of USD on Sedo to promote craps that will never sell.

Which explains why their Expiring Domain Auctions are so full of it too :) Don't get me wrong about NameSilo though. I'm agnostic about them mainly because, they are a small company which has made good. They deserve a lot of credit for that.

But I do share your thoughts about their recent cPanel makeover. It was awful, really awful, before. It's seems they have reproduced the same core code with a new (not great) outer skin. It would have been a cost effective solution. But lacks a lot of new design flair. IMHO. When I have pointed out flaws about the design to them. Nothing ever changes. It's like speaking to yourself. They don't appreciate we are only trying to help.
 
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Which explains why their Expiring Domain Auctions are so full of it too :) Don't get me wrong about NameSilo though. I'm agnostic about them mainly because, they are a small company which has made good. They deserve a lot of credit for that.

But I do share your thoughts about their recent cPanel makeover. It was awful, really awful, before. It's seems they have reproduced the same core code with a new (not great) outer skin. It would have been a cost effective solution. But lacks a lot of new design flair. IMHO. When I have pointed out flaws about the design to them. Nothing ever changes. It's like speaking to yourself. They don't appreciate we are only trying to help.

So why do you think they are in the lead here? A scrappy upstart, they are active and advertise here?
 
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So why do you think they are in the lead here? A scrappy upstart, they are active and advertise here?

They must be doing SOMETHING right to reach the size of the portfolio they have. I take my hat off to them. They don't even have the cheapest prices. There are probably at least a handful of registrars on the list which have cheaper prices. Even with everything included. By advertising as a cheap registrar, they will certainly attract cheap customers. Apparently lots of customers with small/tiny portfolios. I cannot fathom what else they are doing right, to be this successful. For the pole. I would say it is reflecting NameSilo's success in the market. Votes are mostly coming from those wanting the cheapest prices. They see that as so critical they are happy to put up with a less than stellar Control Panel. Price is important. But it's not the only thing to evaluate with a registrar. The Control Panel and Support need to be great as well. I think Dynadot's Control Panel and Support are both superior to NameSilo's, and with cheaper prices. I can understand why they are doing so well in the pole, and can understand why they are 2nd to NameSilo. It's because NameSilo's portfolio is larger than Dynadot's. The pole is reflecting the market dynamics.

What is the biggest single outlier in this pole is GoDaddy. How the mighty have fallen. Their performance at this point in time, in third place, is SHOCKING. Simply because of their volume of registrations they should be in 1st place in every poll of this type. Something has drastically gone wrong here. Maybe it's because there are not a lot of GoDaddy customers on NP's. Unlike NameSilo customers. Maybe NP's is chock-full of Cheap Charley domainers/registrants. I really would like to know why GoDaddy have dropped to a dismal 3rd place. Which they should be winning by at least double the next highest Registrar. IMHO. Given the market dynamics they have.
 
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But it's a complex matrix for the voters to weigh with only 1 vote to be cast. Which would only be resolved by making the poll even more complex next time this poll is raised. I think we should have been able to rate them by Price, Control Panel, Support, and Overall. So each registrar would have 4 ratings, Overall/Price/Control Panel/Support. I wouldn't get too complicated by weighting the options. Just rate by the overall rating. My proposal for the ratings would be Excellent/Good/Adequate/Poor. As I said. More complicated for such a dumbed-down poll. It would help if we could sort the various columns, ie in spreadsheet format. All options have flaws. I think what has been achieved, I'd rate as Good :)
 
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Many good ones but i'm mostly satisfied with Dynadot, Great customer service, fair pricing, many useful tools and i had absolutely zero issues with them, Keep going on the right path Dynadot! :)
 
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But it's a complex matrix for the voters to weigh with only 1 vote to be cast. Which would only be resolved by making the poll even more complex next time this poll is raised. I think we should have been able to rate them by Price, Control Panel, Support, and Overall. So each registrar would have 4 ratings, Overall/Price/Control Panel/Support. I wouldn't get too complicated by weighting the options. Just rate by the overall rating. My proposal for the ratings would be Excellent/Good/Adequate/Poor. As I said. More complicated for such a dumbed-down poll. It would help if we could sort the various columns, ie in spreadsheet format. All options have flaws. I think what has been achieved, I'd rate as Good :)

I get what you are saying, I like making it who you think is the best so you would have to have one choice.
 
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So why do you think they are in the lead here? A scrappy upstart, they are active and advertise here?
They don't even have representatives on this forum? I never ever clicked on their "Signup" button, let alone register there. I am a kind of first impression person. And they simply don't make that vital first impression.
 
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Maybe NP's is chock-full of Cheap Charley domainers/registrants.
That's just the point... Cheap Charley domainers are what we have in here.

The only explanation to why namesilo is in the lead
 
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Everyone has a different experience as some companies give better perks based on relationship value.


namesilo makes it a pain to pay via credit card
👏
 
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I get what you are saying, I like making it who you think is the best so you would have to have one choice.

No arguments with that. Although I thought about it :)
 
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That's just the point... Cheap Charley domainers are what we have in here.

The only explanation to why namesilo is in the lead

I would have thought it obvious from my comments. It's because of the market dynamics. They have many more domains under registration than Dynadot. You would expect them to garner more votes. The real SHOCKING stats is why GoDaddy is not running away with this poll? (apologies for my pole misspellings above. To late to edit). They should be easily winning this poll because they have so many more domains under registration.

To explain that. GoDaddy might be under-represented with NPer's and NameSilo might be over-represented with NPer's. Or maybe GoDaddy users are not so happy with GoDaddy any more.
 
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Registrars must let reg at low price handreg for those who own more than 100 domains.
Not as discount for some holiday but always..
@namesilo, make us $1-$2 first year !!
 
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NameSilo is #1 because they earned it. They worked their asses off to get to where they are. I prefer their old-school interface because it is familiar and functional.

If it wasn't for me being a loyal dog till' you screw me, NS would be my top pick.
 
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I like namecheap. their support has been great. I've had no issues with namecheap.

Godaddy charges extra for things namecheap offers for free... like the privacy guard for example.
 
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Does the activity of a registrar's reps on NPs influence people's choice? A few of the choices are very active here, while others seemingly not at all. Other things being equal, I think that is a plus. @Joe Styler has so often helped solve things through his presence here, or at least explained them. While @Rob Monster has said too much on some topics, I would say :xf.sick:, nevertheless he has been outstanding in informing and individually helping our community.

It is interesting how influenced people are by who they use. On the one hand you know that registrar best, and might vote for them, but on other hand there is more chance something would go wrong with some domain and that might make you feel negative.

I too am somewhat surprised that NameSilo is doing so well. I am not a fan of their interface (either the original or the mod one). But what I think the community is responding positively is the competitive prices that are not linked to special offers, coupons, etc.

I am not sure why the negative comments re domainers being cheap. If they are fine on other measures, I will usually go to the cheaper alternative. But I know I am cheap! :xf.eek::xf.cool::xf.grin::-P

I honestly think we are so fortunate to have many registrars who offer excellent service and prices.

Bob
 
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Epik = cheapest I currently have, namesilo the best interface.
 
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I like namecheap. their support has been great. I've had no issues with namecheap.
NameCheap is a fraud. I would never put my names in there after they stole and dropped MY.PE from me. Only thing they are good for is their Free DNS service
 
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