Cheap Domain Registration
Needless to say, there are many domain registrars (companies that can register a domain name for you). Just as with any product, their prices, service quality and features vary. It is highly advised that you find a reputed domain registrar to get your domains and not through companies that might shut down anyday.
We recommend Netfirms for domain registration as they offer a great price plus some add-on features that make the deal a great one. They have been in the business for a long time and are a reputed ICANN accredited registrar, so you know you are dealing with genuine folks here. There are lots of domain registrars but we'll compare Netfirms and Godaddy (a popular domain registrar) to show you how they compare in terms of prices and features (for a .com domain).
| Domain Registrar | Netfirms | Godaddy |
| Price | $7.99 | $11.44 |
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Free Basic Hosting (supported by Advertisements) |
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| Domain Privacy (to be paid every year) | Free | $8.99 |
| Free WebMail | |
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| Domain Renewal Price | $11.99 |
$11.44 |
What is domain privacy?
When you register a domain, you will be asked for your details like your full name, contact phone number, email and your address. It is necessary that you provide accurate details for registering your domain name. Once you register, other people who might be interested in knowing the ownership of the domain you booked would be able to access your contact details (name, phone, email, address) online. However, if you would want to keep your details private and restrict other people from seeing your contact details, then you might have to buy domain privacy separately. This also prevents other people from spamming your email. You will have to do this separately for each domain you own (and pay for each domain every year). Domain privacy usually costs around $8-$10 if bought separately but some registrars like netfirms provide it for free for .com and .net domains.
What is domain renewal price?
Many domain registrars charge you a lesser fee for the domain for the first year. From the second year onwards, they charge a higher fee (optional).
So once I pay the fees, I own the domain name?
No. You pay the domain registration fee and lease the domain name. In order words you get the right to use the domain name for your purposes. However you don't OWN it. The ICANN owns it. And that is why you have to pay a renewal fee every year. As long as you keep paying the renewal fee before the stipulated expiry date, you can enjoy the privileges of the domain name.