In this article · 5 sections
Buying a domain takes two minutes, so most people pick whichever registrar shows the lowest first-year price. Five years later, that choice can mean higher renewals, upsell pop-ups and a painful transfer. Here's what to compare instead.
Prices and policies change; always check the registrar's current terms.
The main things to compare
1. Renewal price, not first-year price
Many registrars sell the first year at a discount and renew at a much higher rate. Look for the renewal price on the pricing page or at checkout. Over five years, renewal costs matter far more than the first-year offer.
2. WHOIS privacy
Privacy protection hides your personal phone and address from public WHOIS lookups, which reduces spam calls. Many registrars include it free; others charge yearly. Note that some country-code domains (like .in) have their own privacy rules.
3. DNS management
You'll need to edit DNS records to connect hosting, email and verification for Google and Meta. Good registrars have a clean DNS editor. See DNS records explained.
4. Transfer policy
Can you transfer the domain out easily? Is there a fee? The domain lock and authorisation (EPP) code should be available from your dashboard without calling support.
5. Upsells and checkout
Some registrars add extras at checkout (email, site builders, "protection" packages). Read the cart carefully before paying.
6. Security
Two-factor authentication on your registrar account is essential. If someone gets into it, they can redirect your website and email.
Common choices
GoDaddy: Very well known, wide TLD range, India support. Watch renewal prices and extras at checkout.
Hostinger: Convenient if your hosting is there; domain and hosting are managed in one panel. Check renewal prices.
BigRock / ResellerClub family: Common in India, many Indian resellers use it. Prices vary by reseller.
Namecheap: Popular internationally; transparent pricing and free privacy on many TLDs.
Cloudflare Registrar: Sells domains at cost (no markup) for supported TLDs, with no upsells. You must use Cloudflare's DNS, and not every extension is supported, including some country domains.
Should domain and hosting be with the same company?
Pros of keeping them together: one bill, one login, simple setup.
Pros of keeping them separate: if you change hosting, your domain stays put; if one account has a problem, the other isn't affected.
For most small businesses, either is fine, as long as you own the account. See who should own your domain and hosting.
.com or .in?
- .com: global, familiar, best if you might serve customers abroad
- .in / .co.in: signals an Indian business, often cheaper, good for local services
If both are available, many businesses register both and point one to the other. More in how to choose a domain name.
A simple checklist
- [ ] Registered in your name or company name
- [ ] Your email receives renewal notices
- [ ] Auto-renew on, with a valid payment method
- [ ] Two-factor login on
- [ ] Renewal price noted in your calendar
- [ ] Privacy on (where available)
You can search and register domains through our domain store, with the domain registered in your own name.