Is Network Solutions the Anti-Christ?
Four years ago, I registered GotGame.com, my first domain, from Network Solutions for $174.75 for five years (that's $34.95/year!). Today, I register .COM domains for $5.99/year through 1 & 1.
Network Solutions has far worse DNS management features and so forth than 1 & 1, but they charge over 6x as much.
A few weeks ago, I decided to put this lens together after reading an article in the WSJ that mentioned that Network Solutions is still one of the largest registrars. That means that they are still ripping off large numbers of unsuspecting consumers every day. I felt compelled to do my part to put this practice to an end.
Here's a short summary of what's to come.
If you register between 1-50 .COM or .US domains per year, then you should register your domains through 1 & 1, GoDaddy, or Aplus.Net (if you register primarily .NET domains, then you should use Moniker).
If you register between 50-400 domains per year, then you should join Moniker's discount domain program (its free, but you have to pre-pay for the bulk registrations, which means that you need some visibility as to your domain spending patterns).
If you register over 400 domains per year, then you should pay the $89.95 annual fee to join GoDaddy's Discount Domain Service, so that you can take advantage of the best discount domain prices in the industry.
Finally, never ever register a domain through Register.com or Network Solutions, unless you plan on having one of them develop the website or you really like their SEO tools. Both companies charge $34.95/year for domain registrations and, in my opinion, offer far worse DNS management tools and customer support than their vastly cheaper competitors (go figure!).
My qualifications to write this review are as follows:
- I'm the webmaster at GameTLD.com, the fastest growing reseller of premium gaming domains
- I manage a portfolio of over 3,000 premium domains
- I'm passionate about domaining; I'm constantly seeking manner by which to better optimize my portfolio
Hope this helps,
Win
Top-Rated Domain Name Registrars by GameTLD.com
Critical Reviews and Analysis
Top-Rated Domain Name Registrars(1) 1 & 1
(2) GoDaddy
(3) Aplus.Net
(4) Hostway
(5) Yahoo!
(6) Moniker
(7) Dotster
(8) Network Solutions
Domain Name Registrar Feature Comparison
1 & 1, GoDaddy, and Aplus.Net Offer the Best Features
(1) 1 & 1$5.99 domain transfers
24/7, toll-free phone support
Free URL forwarding
Free email forwarding (POP3 and IMAP supported)
Free domain privacy
Easy starter website builder (up to 5 pages with 5 sub-domains)
Free site submission to the top search engines
Free domain security and DNS management tools
Host up to 5 external domains
Domain access with or without the "www" prefix
(2) GoDaddy
GoDaddy gives customers their first domain for $1.99/1st year
$6.95 transfers
Best-in-class, 24/7 phone & email support
Free URL forwarding and masking
Free blog site builder
Free online photo filer
$6.99 private registration through Domains by Proxy
Free web hosting for a month with a domain name
$19.99 extra for an email account
Free DNS security and management tools
(3) Aplus.Net
$7.95 domain transfers
24/7, live toll-free phone support
Free URL forwarding
Free email forwarding (100 email forwarders)
Free site builder
Free DNS security and management tools
Customizable domain parking page
CNET editor's and reader's choice as "Best Domain Name Registrar" for 312 weeks straight
(4) Hostway
$7.95 domain transfers
24/7, toll-free phone support
Free URL forwarding and maskin
Customizable parking page (add your business card for free)
$4.95 domain privacy
Free DNS security and management tools
Customizable domain parking page
Hostway has some of the best international TLD prices that we have seen, particularly for European and Asian TLDs (they are timing a big sale with the launch of the .ASIA TLD in a few months)
(5) Yahoo!
Yahoo gives new customers their first domain for $1.99/1st year
$9.95 domain transfers
24/7, toll free phone support
Free URL forwarding
Free email forwarding ("catch-all" account)
Free website starter page site builder with each registration
Easy to use DNS management control panel
Customizable domain parking page
Yahoo is a good choice for someone who is new to domaining, but it lacks strong bulk domain management tools, so if you plan to build a large domain portfolio (e.g., 20+ domains), 1 & 1, GoDaddy, Aplus.Net, or Moniker
(6) Moniker
Free domain transfer with every domain renewal
$4 for domain privacy
$6 for URL forwarding
$6 for email forwarding (catch-all account)
Free DNS security and management tools
Moniker handles the most respected domain appraisals in the industry
(7) Dotster
$8.95 transfers
Dotster has my favorite domain control panels with respect to design and functionality (the domain control panel has a "Google-esque" appeal with respect to its sleek look and simple functionality)
$4.99 private registration
DomainSync offered for domains to sync .com and .net expiration dates across your portfolio
$22.50 email forwarding, URL forwarding, and DNS management package
"NameSafe" and "TransferLock" domain security
Dotster will offer a deal for bulk registrations, if you call them
(8) Network Solutions
$34.99 domain transfers
24/7 toll free phone support
$12 extra for URL forwarding
$1.67/month per e-mailbox for 1-5 e-mailboxes; $1.34/month per e-mailbox for more than 5$9.00 extra for private registration
Network Solutions is known for offering great website design, hosting, and search engine optimization services
If you plan to build a website on your domain, then Network Solutions, despite its high prices, is worth a look
Domain Reseller Discount Pricing Programs
Moniker Leads the Way for Professional Domainers!
(1) MonikerIf you pre-pay for bulk registrations, you can get fantastic discounts on domain purchases
The rates for .COM domain registrations are not quite as good as GoDaddy's discount domain program; however, there is no annual fee
Note: the rates for .NET registrations are, however, better at Moniker than at GoDaddy
Summary: If you register 50-400 or more .COM domains per year, then Moniker should be your registrar of choice (strictly on a price basis); however, if you register 400+ domains per year than you should be at GoDaddy
(2) GoDaddy
20% discount on registrations if you join the Discount Domain Program for $89.99
Free access to GoDaddy's cash parking program
5 free appraisals
Free access to the GoDaddy domain after market at TDNAM.com
Cheapest .COM Prices
1 & 1 is #1 for Cheap .COM Domain Names
Cheapest .COM RegistrarsCheapest .NET Prices
Moniker is #1 for Cheap .NET Domains
Cheapest .NET RegistrarsCheapest .US Registrars
1 & 1 is #1 (Again!) for .US Domains
Cheapest .US RegistrarsWhat's Your Favorite Registrar?
Please vote here and leave feedback in the guest book. Hopefully, this will stop some of our fellow lens masters from getting ripped off by the Network Solutions of the world.
by win0678
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