A domain registrar is a company accredited by ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to sell and manage domain name registrations on behalf of customers. Registrars handle the registration, renewal, transfer, and DNS management for domains across one or more top-level domains (TLDs).

The registrar is the customer-facing layer in a hierarchy that also includes registries (which run individual TLDs like .com) and ICANN (which oversees the whole system).

What a registrar does

A typical registrar:

Sells domain registrations for available names
Manages renewals (annual or multi-year)
Provides a DNS management interface
Handles transfers between registrars
Offers WHOIS privacy (hiding the registrant’s contact information from public records)
Provides ancillary services (email forwarding, basic web hosting, SSL certificates)
Acts as the intermediary between the registrant and the registry

Common domain registrars

Registrar	Notable characteristics
Cloudflare Registrar	Sells domains at wholesale cost (no markup); requires using Cloudflare DNS
Namecheap	Long-established, competitive pricing, broad TLD support
Porkbun	Competitive pricing, modern interface, strong customer support reputation
Google Domains	Discontinued in 2023; existing domains migrated to Squarespace
GoDaddy	Largest registrar by volume; known for upselling
Hover	Streamlined interface, no upsells
Gandi	French registrar, strong privacy stance, broad ccTLD support
Dynadot	Competitive pricing, developer-friendly tools
Name.com	General-purpose, mid-tier pricing
101domain	Specializes in unusual TLDs and ccTLDs
Tucows / OpenSRS	Wholesale registrar behind many resellers

How registrars differ

Major distinctions between registrars:

Pricing. Registration and renewal prices vary; introductory rates often differ from renewal rates
Interface. Self-service quality varies widely
DNS interface. Some registrars have powerful DNS panels; others are minimal
WHOIS privacy. Free at most modern registrars; some still charge
Customer support. Varies in availability, knowledge, and response time
Upsells. Some registrars aggressively upsell hosting, email, SSL; others do not
Transfer policies. Lock-in periods, transfer fees, ease of moving away
TLD support. Not all registrars sell all TLDs

Registry vs registrar vs registrant

The domain system has three roles:

Role	Function	Examples
Registry	Operates a TLD (e.g., `.com`, `.org`); maintains the master database	Verisign (`.com`, `.net`), Public Interest Registry (`.org`)
Registrar	Sells domain registrations to end users	Namecheap, Cloudflare, Porkbun, GoDaddy
Registrant	The customer who owns the right to use the domain	An individual or business

A registrar is a middleman between the registrant and the registry.

Choosing a registrar

Common factors:

Renewal price (often more important than initial registration price)
DNS quality and ease of management
WHOIS privacy (included or extra cost)
Support reputation
Transfer policies (whether moving away later is straightforward)
TLD coverage (does the registrar sell the TLD you want)
Account security features (two-factor authentication, registrar lock)
Two-factor authentication for the account

Registrar lock and transfer

Most registrars offer a “registrar lock” or “transfer lock” feature that prevents a domain from being transferred out without first unlocking. This is a security measure against unauthorized transfers.

To transfer a domain to a new registrar:

Unlock the domain at the current registrar
Obtain the authorization code (also called EPP code or transfer secret)
Initiate the transfer at the new registrar with the auth code
Approve the transfer (some registrars send confirmation email to the registrant)
Wait 5–7 days for the transfer to complete (ICANN policy)

Some TLDs have transfer restrictions (e.g., a domain registered or transferred within the last 60 days typically cannot be transferred again).

Common misconceptions

“All registrars are the same.” They differ in pricing, interface quality, support, and policies.
“The cheapest registrar is best.” Renewal pricing, support, security, and transfer ease often matter more than introductory price.
“You must use your registrar’s DNS.” Most registrars allow setting custom nameservers, moving DNS management to providers like Cloudflare or AWS Route 53 while keeping registration at the original registrar.
“Switching registrars loses your domain.” Properly executed transfers retain the same domain registration; only the management interface changes.