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Getting a new website up and running is always exciting. Of course, the first step to setting up any website is to choose your domain name—the address of your website. To buy a domain name, you will need the services of a domain name host.
Choosing the right hosting for you will depend on a lot of factors, including cost, support options, speed, privacy, and overall user experience. Based on these criteria, we have compiled a list of the top 10 best domain name hosting providers of 2024.
Read on for an overview of everything you need to know about domain name hosting and domain name registration so that you can make an informed decision when buying your domain.
When you buy a domain name, you are purchasing the right to use that name exclusively for a certain predetermined length of time. On the back end, your domain name host will register that domain name using the Domain Name System (DNS), so that you can use it for websites, email, or other domain services.
Domain name hosts usually offer more than just domain name registration services. Many of them will offer hosting for websites as well as domain names. They will also provide data storage services and security features to protect your domain name from theft.
The most common way to use your domain name is for a website, but many hosts also allow you to use it for one or multiple email addresses, or to forward users to another domain.
Domain name hosts typically offer technical support, since you might need their help to set up security features for your site, connect a website builder, or do some other technical task.
Since every host is different, and every user has different needs, choosing the right host for your domain name is a very individual process. Read on for some common features to take into account while choosing a domain name host that suits your specific needs.
Consider the hours of availability for customer support and what channels are available—live chat, telephone, email, etc. If you have an issue with your website, are you confident that you can address it alone? If not, having reliable support can be important.
Website security is important to keep in mind when shopping for a domain name hosting provider. At the very least, your website should have an SSL certificate. In time, you should also consider getting a firewall and malware scanning capabilities for your server.
Some hosting providers will offer these services free of charge, while others will offer them as a paid add-on. Or, you can get some or all of your security features from a third party.
If you are looking to host a website on your domain, consider the speed and storage space provided by your host. Generally speaking, the more heavy graphical content you have on your website, the more storage space and speed you will need.
A small website, with just a couple of images and no videos or built-in web applications, will probably get by on less than 5GB of storage, while a large online store could easily use 100GB or more.
Since plans with lots of storage and high speeds are expensive, make sure you get a plan with enough storage and speed for your specific needs, but no more. If your needs grow with time, you should be able to upgrade at a later date.
Last, but definitely not least, is cost. Domains vary drastically in price, anywhere from less than $10 to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some hosts also offer other services like email and website hosting, which will also affect your costs.
Consider carefully which services you actually need, then compare what each host charges for them to help you narrow down your final choice.
To understand how domain name hosting works, it is essential to understand how a domain name actually works. When you enter a domain name into your internet browser, it sends a request to the Domain Name System.
The Domain Name System then looks up the name servers associated with that domain name. It communicates your request to the name servers, which then forward that request to the web server hosting the site. The web server then relays the information associated with that site back to the browser.
The name servers are managed by the domain web host, and the web server is managed by your website host. The domain name host’s responsibility is to register your domain name with the DNS and maintain the name servers so that your domain name remains active online.
While comparing domain name hosts you are bound to run across certain industry terms. Knowing what these terms mean is key to making an informed decision, so we have provided a basic definition for some common terms here.
A domain name is a string of characters that represents a specific entity on the internet, like a specific personal computer, server, or website. Domain names are registered in a hierarchy called the Domain Name System, which provides a set of standard naming rules and facilitates communication with the internet.
A domain registrar is a business that sells domain names, handles their reservation, maintains name servers, and ensures proper registration with the DNS once a domain name is reserved. It also assigns an IP address to each domain name. Another term for a domain registrar is a domain name hosting provider.
An IP, or Internet Protocol, address is a unique identifier that is associated with a specific network or device connected to the internet. Every internet-connected network must have an IP address in order to connect to the internet. If one network wants to communicate with another across the internet for any reason, it does so by locating that network’s IP address and sending information to it.
Your domain name is hosted on a name server, essentially just a powerful computer that you pay your hosting provider to maintain. Unfortunately, no computer is perfect, and there will be times when they crash or have to be taken offline for maintenance. This is referred to as downtime, while the time when they are up and running is referred to as uptime.
Your domain host will typically promise a certain amount of uptime, e.g, 99%. Before choosing a hosting provider, read the terms and conditions carefully, and make sure you are okay with their promised uptime.
Remember that big numbers like 99% can look more impressive than they actually are. A server with 99% uptime is down 3-4 days a year on average, while 95% uptime means about 18 days of downtime per year.
Do domain name hosts have any hidden fees?
Good domain name hosting providers are generally transparent about their fee structure. That said, most of them follow an annual subscription model with auto-renewal enabled by default. This can come as a surprise if you are no longer using the website and receive a sudden bill. Make sure to disable auto-renewal if you aren’t sure whether you’ll need your site in future years.
What is dedicated hosting?
With shared hosting, your site shares space on a server with other websites. With dedicated hosting, you have a server of your own dedicated to just your site. Dedicated hosting is better if you need more resources for a high-traffic website, but is also more expensive than shared hosting. There is also free hosting, which is even more basic than shared hosting, and usually does not allow you to use your own custom domain name.
Why are disc space limitations important to consider?
Disc space limitations control how much content you can put up on your site. If your site is heavy on videos and images, or just very large, you might run up against your hosting provider’s limit on disc space. This usually just means you need to buy more in order to run your site effectively, but take disc space into account while shopping for a hosting provider.
You’ll no doubt be familiar with GoDaddy, the somewhat snarky, slightly scandalous, and seriously silly domain hosting service that combines humor and domain hosting in a professional and reliable way. Between that and perks like affordable pricing and a free SSL certificate with most plans, GoDaddy is a great deal.
1&1 IONOS offers a wide variety of domain hosting options ranging from shared and WordPress-optimized hosting to dedicated servers and VPNs.
Domain.com is responsible for powering more than 1.2 million websites, a task that this industry-veteran handles with ease. Founded in 1998, Domain brings more than 20 years of experience to small and medium-sized businesses, offering comprehensive hosting plans and smart website design capabilities and competitive prices.
