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Best Domain Registrar in the UK 2023

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Kyle Tapping

Published: June 24, 2022

Last updated: February 17, 2023

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The Best Domain Registrar in the UK 2023

Find Cheap Domains

Transfer & Save On Renewals

Find a Domain

Transfer & Save On Renewals

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 in the UK offering (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 available in the UK.

What is a Domain Registrar?

A Domain Name Registrar is a company that allows you to purchase and register British 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.

Domain Name VS IP Address

Choosing the right Domain Registrar in the UK.

When it comes to picking the right Domain Name Registrar in the UK 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 the UK 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 British 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 UK 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 the UK (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 the UK. Before registering your domain with a registrar you should ensure that they have domain add-ons such as:

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 UK 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 the UK 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 the UK, 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.

ELITEWEB.Co domain registrar comparison 2022
Full Domain ProtectionUltimate Domain Protection
– Protects your domain against hijacking attempts in the UK
– Get alerts on high risk actions & provide your consent through 2-factor authentication
– Protects against accidental transfer
– Everything in Full Domain Protection
– Protects your domain from being deleted due to an expired credit card or other payment failures
$9.99$29.99

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!

ProsCons
Low registration pricesLimited product bundles
Low renewal prices
Free WHOIS privacy
24/7 phone support in 56 countries including the UK
All in one web services shop

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.

ProsCons
Fair registration pricesDomain privacy costs extra
24/7 chat support in the UKHigher renewal prices
Free WHOIS protectionNo phone support

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 the UK 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.

ProsCons
24/7 phone support in 56 countries including the UKHigh registration and renewal prices
One-stop web shop
Largest registrar
Well established – peace of mind

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.

ProsCons
Fair registration pricesBasic Domain privacy costs extra
24/7 Phone/Live chat support in the UKDDoS protection cost extra
WHOIS protection costs extra
Higher renewal prices

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.

ProsCons
24/7 phone support in the UKNo free WHOIS protection
One-stop web shopadded costs
High renewals on most products, including domains.

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.

ProsCons
Fair pricesNo DDoS protection
24/7 chat support in the UKExtremely limited extensions
Free WHOIS protectionNo phone support in the UK
Transparent pricingNo add-ons

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 the UK 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.

ProsCons
Low registration pricesBasic Domain privacy costs extra
24/7 support in the UKDDoS protection cost extra
Free email with domain purchaesWHOIS protection costs extra
Higher renewal prices

8. HostGator

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

ProsCons
24/7 support in the UKHigh registration and renewal prices
Expensive domain privacy
Limited domain extension options

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!

ProsCons
24/7 chat support in the UKHigh registration and renewal prices
One-stop web shopLimited phone support in the UK
Expensive domain privacy
Hidden prices
Expensive DDoS protection

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 the UK. Having the ability to house all of my online tools under one roof makes managing my products easier.

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Picture of Kyle Tapping
Kyle Tapping
Kyle joined the Elite team in 2018. With a background in website development and search engine optimization, Kyle takes great satisfaction from spreading his knowledge to help others succeed in the world of the web. His interests include website development, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, coding, and graphic design.

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