Registrar
A registrar is an ICANN-accredited (for gTLDs) or registry-accredited (for ccTLDs) company that sells domain registrations to end-users. Registrars sit between the end-user (the registrant) and the registry (which operates the TLD). Examples: GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Porkbun, Dynadot.
In depth
The registrar is who you pay when you register a domain. They handle the customer relationship, billing, support, and the technical EPP commands that flow to the registry. They do not operate the TLD itself — that is the registry's job.
There are roughly 2,400-2,500 ICANN-accredited registrars worldwide. Most are small or specialist. The largest by registered-domain volume include GoDaddy, Namecheap, Tucows (and its many resellers including eNom), Alibaba Cloud / Xinnet (the dominant registrars in China), and Squarespace (which acquired Google Domains in 2023). Cloudflare Registrar is growing but is not in the top tier by total registrations.
Registrars set their own retail pricing within the wholesale price the registry charges them. They also set redemption fees, premium tier policies, and customer-facing features like privacy proxies and registrar locks.
For domain monitoring, the registrar of record matters because they control the lifecycle decisions. They decide when to auto-renew, when to escalate to redemption, and what redemption fee to charge.
Examples
- Common registrars: GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Porkbun, Dynadot, Network Solutions.
- Registrar resellers: Squarespace acquired Google Domains. Many small registrars are actually resellers of Tucows or eNom infrastructure.
- Premium registrar features: Cloudflare offers wholesale-cost pricing (no markup); Porkbun and Namesilo are popular for low-cost long-term holding.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a registrar and a registry?
The registry operates the TLD (Verisign for .com, Identity Digital for .info). The registrar sells registrations to end-users (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.). A registry typically does not sell directly — they wholesale to accredited registrars.
Can I change registrars?
Yes, except during the 60-day post-transfer lock or while a domain is locked at the registrar level. The standard transfer process: get an authcode from the losing registrar, supply it to the gaining registrar, approve the transfer.
How do I choose a registrar?
Considerations: pricing (especially renewals, not just first-year), security features (registrar lock, 2FA), API access if needed, support quality, and reputation. Cloudflare and Porkbun are popular for low-cost; Namecheap and GoDaddy for ease of use.
Are registrars regulated?
For gTLDs, yes — they are accredited by ICANN under specific operational requirements. For ccTLDs, accreditation is set by the relevant national registry (Nominet, AFNIC, DENIC, etc.).
Do all registrars offer the same TLDs?
No. Each registrar must be accredited for each TLD they sell. Large registrars cover most major TLDs; specialists may focus on specific ccTLDs or new gTLDs.
Related terms
References
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