The best domain providers & hosts compared

Domain Provider Definition: What are domain providers and why are they needed?

One thing is for sure: Anyone who wants to run a successful business today must have an online presence. (Potential) customers, as soon as they become aware of a problem or need, now prefer to go online in search of specific solutions. This one fact alone leaves no doubt about the enormous relevance of having a website for a company. Not to mention: Online trade is still booming. More and more products or services can be purchased or booked online. In practically all sectors, customers therefore increasingly expect to be able to quickly obtain specific goods or services over the internet.

In both the operation of a company website and e-commerce, there are numerous factors that those responsible should take into account if they want to be competitive in the market. The selection of a domain that perfectly matches one's own business often gets overlooked. This is a mistake! An optimally aligned domain has a significant impact on advantageous search engine optimization (SEO), a good user experience (UX) (and thus once again on SEO), and last but not least on sustainable branding. These are undoubtedly three highly desirable values.

Once the right domain strategy is in place, one question remains: Where is the best place to buy a domain? So-called domain providers (also called domain registration providers, domain registrars, domain providers or domain hosts) provide a source for this. At these web services, interested parties can buy domains, compare them, and sometimes even claim additional domain services online. The comparison of domains, or a check for availability, is always at the heart of the services offered by domain providers. After checking the availability of the desired domain, if it is free, it can be registered or reserved immediately.

How do Internet Domain Providers Work?

A domain registrar is usually an online service that offers interested parties the opportunity to take advantage of various offers. These services allow domains to be purchased, rented, or reserved.

Most domain providers offer their users intuitive tools with which they can search for available names and filter out the best internet addresses for their purposes. This usually works by users simply entering their desired names into a search field. In combination with a domain extension (top-level domain - TLD), such as .com, they can check if the desired address is available. In this way, small deviations or possible alternatives from the originally intended, but already registered, name can be checked and domains compared very quickly. Once the suitable address has been found, there is a checkout process that is designed very similarly to what you know from shopping in online shops.

In practice, however, domains are usually not sold directly. Customers can only rent the names for a certain period of time. Furthermore, domains cannot be freely created and distributed by just any provider. There is a supervisory, non-profit authority for the administration of domains - the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names).

ICANN supervises domain registration on all domain sites. The addresses are managed in a central register (domain register). Only the domains that are in this register are valid and function. In fact, it is the domain register that organizes and maintains the domain names. Domain providers merely take on the task of selling or renting the respective names. To be able to act as a registration office for domains, domain providers must be accredited by ICANN.

At the very base, there is the opportunity to choose from various TLDs - for example .com, .de, .ch, .at, .edu, .info or .org. In this context, it is important for interested parties to know that not all domain registrars offer all endings. Which top-level domains are in the program depends on which copyright companies they work with. For example, Verisign is the rights holder for all .com domains. If a company wants a .com extension for its own website, those responsible must buy it from a registrar that cooperates with the copyright holder.

After selecting the extension, the name before it, i.e. the second-level domain (SLD), is defined. In the simplest case, the company name is chosen. To stay with the .com example: The domain provider ultimately informs Verisign about the booking and reserves the TLD plus SLD for operation. In the customer's name, the provider pays a fee to Verisign. The registrar includes this fee in the amount it collects from the company or website operator. The domain provider takes care of all contractual and legal aspects of using the domain or its extension.

In comparing domain providers, interested parties will quickly find today that domain registration offices now quite often offer a range of additional services, such as domain relocation services or even hosting. Customers are increasingly finding it easier to obtain the perfect domains and to use them as efficiently as possible.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of domain providers?

Web hosting packages today often include at least one domain. This can certainly be very practical, but sometimes it is still worth obtaining an address from an external domain provider. The following key arguments are in favor of this option.

• Flexibility: In contrast to web hosting packages with inclusive domains, interested parties have more options in a domain host comparison, which ultimately leads to finding the best domain provider for their own requirements. Web hosts generally do not offer all domain extensions. In contrast, external providers for domains can fully exploit this.

• Independence from the web host: If the services of the web host are no longer sufficient, a cheaper offer is found or the web presence is perhaps hosted internally at some point, the domain of an external provider can easily be taken over. While it is also possible to transfer addresses that are tied to a web hosting package, implementing this is more complicated.

• Cost saving compared to the web host: With some domain providers, domains can be obtained much cheaper than with the web host. Especially when it comes to buying additional addresses, external providers for domain hosting are a cheaper alternative. An individual low-cost domain provider is hardly determinable. Depending on the ending, the number of domains required and possible additional services, various services have their price advantages.

• Administration by the domain provider: Another advantage of domain registration via an external provider is that the respective service provider takes care of the ICANN requirements as well as the fulfillment of relevant legal requirements directly. So customers do not have to fear having to take on the responsibility of handling opaque paperwork despite using a service outside of their hosting.

And what about disadvantages? Of course, there are those too. The following difficulties are central. In fact, some of them can also occur if you opt for a domain from a web hosting package.

• Strategic weaknesses: Domain providers generally do not support their customers or do not support them in great detail in the strategically correct selection of their domains.

• Overwhelming choices: The flexibility that external domain hosts allow their users in choosing the domain extensions can be somewhat overwhelming. This means, among other things, an increased risk of unknowingly choosing an extension that is unsuitable for their own business.

• Domains do not belong to customers: Domains are usually not bought, but rented. This means that regular costs are incurred by the customers of domain sites.

• Additional effort: As good and comprehensive as the services of a domain provider may be, the external organization of domains always involves extra effort.

Finding the Best Domain Provider: How to Choose Suitable Domain Providers / What to Pay Particular Attention to?

A domain comparison is always worthwhile in terms of costs and flexibility in the selection of TLDs. These are two very important points that interested parties should pay attention to when searching for a domain hosting provider for the best domain: the price and the selectable TLDs. These and other criteria for a functional domain host comparison are explained in more detail below.

• Get domain hosting cheaply: The prices for domains can vary greatly depending on the ending and additional services. In terms of TLDs, the price differences sometimes seem marginal, but in the long run, it can be worth weighing up here more closely. You should also ask yourself whether potentially bookable additional services, such as a domain relocation service or personal support, are actually needed in the long term. Sometimes it is better to hire a professional once for such services than to continually pay the domain provider for them. Therefore, a detailed domain hosting price comparison should always be carried out.

• Registration period: In addition to the prices, or rather, in direct connection with them, managers should check for which registration period domains apply. Some domain providers offer very cheap domain hosting for the first year. However, the prices for the extension can then be much higher. Domains are normally to be registered for a period of at least one year. Some companies, however, require a longer registration period, such as at least two years. In some cases, addresses can be registered for up to ten years. This is usually done under relatively favorable price conditions. In most cases, it is recommended to register the address for at least one year. It is then usually possible to switch on an automatic extension so that the domain does not expire.

• Domain transfers: Domains can be automatically uploaded to an online presence via the domain provider, transferred from one website or web host to another, and even moved between domain registration offices. The first service is at least directly relevant after the purchase of the address, when it comes to connecting the domain with your own web presence. Those who have no experience here should go for a provider with a wide range of services. Additionally, interested parties should know that they cannot transfer a domain name to another provider within the first 60 days after registration (to their own website, of course). This initial period is set by ICANN. With most registries, the transfer of domains is possible without additional fees. However, some try to make the transfer more difficult or demand a fee for the cancellation of the domain lock.

• Policies for domain expiration: Domain names are registered for a certain duration. Customers can renew their domain registration before the expiry date. However, if they have forgotten to extend their address, it expires. Then anyone else can register it freely. For companies, this means that someone can take over their domain name. To prevent this, it is possible to set up an automatic renewal. Even if this function is used, customers of domain providers should inform themselves about the expiry conditions of their domain registration office. Some domain providers offer a grace period even after the domain has expired. This grace period allows the expired domain name to be extended retrospectively. Everyone who owns a domain should take advantage of at least one of the options mentioned here. Particularly popular, valuable addresses can otherwise disappear faster than you think.

• Selection of domain endings (Top-Level Domains - TLDs): The regional endings, such as .de, .at, or .ch, that are valid for the respective country in which the company is located should always be selectable. The international TLD .com also belongs to the good standard. However, there are many other extensions that can be very useful in different company contexts. Interested parties should make sure not only that the TLDs they urgently need are selectable, but also that there are generally as many options as possible. Because you might need more extensions later - for example in the event of strong international expansion. With a large number of available TLDs, the chances are not least greater that the preferred name before the TLD, i.e. the second-level domain (SLD), can really be registered. Keep in mind that particularly strong SEO terms or generally popular product descriptions in combination with .de or .com are often already taken. But in such a case, they may still be available with .org, .info etc.

• Additional services: In a comparison of domain providers, it should always also be checked which additional services the registry possibly offers and how flexibly these can be used. Even if they are not currently needed, it is good to know that they can be used if necessary. Especially in very technical matters, such as assigning an IP address, or with professional features, such as A and MX records, a wide range of services can be very worthwhile for (inexperienced) customers.

Domain Cost Comparison: How Much Do Domain Providers Cost?

A domain cost comparison can actually reveal a huge price range. These range from a few euros per month to several thousand euros per year. The determinants for the calculable expenses of a standard address are in particular the domain ending, i.e. .com, .org, .info etc., and any additional services provided by the provider. Classic top-level domains, which also include .de for example, are very cheap to obtain from almost all domain registrars. Here you have to calculate about ten euros per year. With generic TLDs, such as .berlin or .shop, you sometimes have to dig a little deeper into your pocket. Between 10 and 50 euros per month are quite possible here.

It gets really expensive when a company wants to secure a premium domain that has already been registered. These are not endings with freely selectable second-level domains, but already finished constructs from both. They often contain very SEO-strong keywords, generally important industry terms or even brand names. If such a premium domain is also or alternatively very memorable and/or particularly short, costs of 10,000 euros per year can quickly arise.

That such a domain is needed is rather the exception. Most companies can orient themselves to costs between 10 and 20 euros per year.