Best Canadian Domain Registrar in 2023

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C$22.99 / yr

When you’re looking to get started on your online journey, whether it be building your website or setting up a professional email, I understand that it can be quite overwhelming for beginners. With so many domain registrars and web hosts offering in Canada (seemingly) the same thing, It’s no wonder that it can be confusing to choose one. This is why I am going to break down in a completely unbiased approach, the pros & cons of each of the top 9 domain registrars in Canada.

• ELITEWEB.Co
• Namecheap
• Godaddy
• Domain.com
• Bluehost
• Google Domains
• Ionos
• Hostgator
• Network Solutions

What is a Domain Registrar?

A Domain Name Registrar is a company that allows you to purchase and register domain names. All authorized and official domain registrars are accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). ICANN is a non-profit organization that is responsible for managing all domain names.

If we didn’t have domain names, accessing a website would be a long and tedious task for any individual. You would have to enter individual IP addresses to reach the website, which would make it extremely hard to remember your favorite brand’s website pages. Domain names solve this issue by allowing you to use words and phrases instead, making your domain name more memorable.

Choosing the right Domain Registrar in Canada.

When it comes to picking the right Domain Name Registrar in Canada there are a few things that should be considered before committing.

Pricing

When looking for a Domain Name the first thing that you want to look at, is the price. Whilst many web hosts/registrars appear to have extremely low rates for domain names, these are often just for the first year, and the renewal prices will usually be much higher. Keep an eye on this in particular. If you’re serious about your business then why would you only want one year? Check the price for a minimum of 2 years when purchasing a domain name in Canada as domains are prone to yearly price increases.

Domain Name Transfer

Domain names are always transferrable. Should you have any issues with your registrar, or you’re moving your domain name for any other reason, transferring your domain should be made easy and a registrar should never charge to transfer a domain away from them. There are a few registrars that make this process difficult, and some even incur extra fees for transferring your domain and removing the domain lock, this, by Canadian law must be written in their terms and conditions. These are foul tactics in order to make you stay and something to avoid from the get-go.

As a full-time web developer, I have a wealth of experience in moving domain names to eliteweb.co and in the process, I and my colleagues have found that in the last 12 years, the slowest registrars to transfer domain names in Canada (and also to propagate to an external website) are the likes of 123-reg.co.uk, ionos.co.uk (formerly known as 1and1.co.uk) and doteasy.com (guilty of charging to remove the domain lock). I also recommend that if a service provider requires you to host your domain name with their web service i.e wix.com, then find a suitable alternative that doesn’t.

Domain Name Add-on services

Domain add-ons should be standard for all domain registrars in Canada. Before registering your domain with a registrar you should ensure that they have domain add-ons such as;

• Domain Parking
• Domain Privacy
• Extended expiration protection
• WHOIS protection
• Hijack protection

Even though you may not require some of these features now – having them readily available is a must. eliteweb.co and GoDaddy to name a few, both add domain privacy as standard free of charge/inclusive of the domain purchase cost for Canadian customers.

What is the best Domain Registrar to buy a Domain Name from?

Now we know what a Domain Registrar is and some basics of what you should expect from a good domain registrar. Let’s compare the top 9 domain registrars in Canada and see what they all have to offer.

1. ELITEWEB.Co

ELITEWEB.Co is one of the fastest-growing domain registrars in 2022. Like many, eliteweb.co offers far more than just domains, they also offer a wide range of services, including; Website Hosting, Email, Security, Marketing, and Website builders all at an extremely competitive rate. This is why I believe eliteweb.co to be the most cost-effective, one-stop-shop for all online services. They have proven to offer the lowest domain name prices available in Canada, along with WHOIS protection (FREE), Domain parking, Extended expiration protection, and multiple levels of Domain Privacy. Furthermore, if you don’t have auto-renew active, you will receive regular emails to remind you to renew.

With eliteweb.co, a .com domain name is just $9.99 per year. The great thing with Elite is that there are no hidden costs or surprising renewal fees. The price you see is the price you pay – every year!

2. NameCheap

NameCheap is another great one-stop-shop web shop, offering all the hosting, security, email, and domains that you need to begin your online venture. A great thing with NameCheap is that you get FREE WHOIS protection, helping you keep your identity private from the rest of the world.

With NameCheap a .com name has a low registration fee of $6.98 for the first year and it then increases to $13.98 per year. This low registration fee is also only applied if you choose to register for 1 year. If you want to pay for 2 years, the offer does not apply i.e for 2 years it will cost you $27.96.

3. Godaddy

GoDaddy definitely deserves a spot on this list. With 24/7 expert phone support, you will get all the help you need with any product you purchase from them. GoDaddy, once again is one of the most complete one-stop web services shops out there, and being the largest of all domain registrars in Canada is by far the most safe place to register and hold your domain names. Myself and my colleagues love this company so much that we’re partnered with them – in fact, aside from our development team, the only difference is eliteweb.co is cheaper.

4. Domain.com

Domain.com started in 2000, and is one of the most popular domain name registrars. Domain.com does offer more services, such as; email, hosting, and security. However, these plans seem limited and only appear to be suited for much smaller businesses.

With domain.com a .com domain costs $9.99 for the first year and $10.99 for every renewal after i.e two years will cost you $20.98.

5. BlueHost

BlueHost is another great one-stop web shop known for its great web hosting, although slower than the others, It is reasonably priced and has appealing product bundles. A .com domain at BlueHost will cost you $12.99 per year, without any basic protection.

6. Google Domains

Google Domains is a very straightforward registrar, it is easy to use and navigate and includes free domain privacy. Whilst it does offer fair pricing and FREE WHOIS privacy, this is all it offers. If you’re looking for something more complete, so you can keep all of your online tools in one place, then we would recommend another registrar.

Google Domains offers a .com domain for $12 per year, with no hidden costs or fees.

7. Ionos

Ionos offers various hosting and email plans. Whilst Ionos appears to have extremely low prices, it is important to check the renewal prices. For example, a .com domain can be registered for just $1 for the first year, and then it rockets up to $15 per year. Furthermore, when they changed from 1and1.co.uk to ionos.co.uk our customers in Canada complained that they were not made aware of this change, nor did their existing login details work, making it extremely hard to transfer domains away from them.

8. HostGator

HostGator is another reliable registrar that offers hosting and domains in Canada. However, HostGator doesn’t offer any premium extensions that you may need as your online presence expands.

HostGator offers a .com domain for $12.95 for the first year, and it renews at $18.99 thereafter. If you’re just looking for a domain and a web host, HostGator may be a good choice, however, it is a bit on the expensive side.

9. Network Solutions

Network solutions is another registrar that is regarded as a reliable one-stop-web-shop. Whilst it does offer everything you need, it is known for being quite expensive… a .com domain itself will set you back $25 per year!

Summary

From my experience, I would personally recommend going with eliteweb.co. They are a perfect choice if you’re looking to save money and get a brilliant service in Canada. Having the ability to house all of my online tools under one roof makes managing my products easier.