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I looked into many places to get my domain name for this site. After searching the top results in Google these domain registrar came up frequently. Below you can see the features each one has. I recommend to shop around because many of these domain registrars have cheap first years but then cost way more during annual renewals.
Top 5 Domain Registrars
| WHOIS Privacy | SSL Certificate | Hosting | Site builder | ||
| Domain | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid |
| GoDaddy | Free | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid |
| Namecheap | Free | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid |
| Porkbun | Free | Free | Free & Paid | Paid | Paid |
| Hover | Free | N/A | N/A | Paid | N/A |
Domain
Domain was founded in 1998, and is one of the oldest trusted domain registrars. It offers many paid services including hosting, a sitebuilder, custom website consultations, WordPress hosting, email, SSL certificates, WHOIS privacy. A unique service they offer is sitelock, it scans the website for malware, hackers, and viruses. Their team also provides a service to build your website from scratch. If you want a trusted brand consider using Domain.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy was founded in 1997 in Arizona, and is one of the biggest and oldest domain registrars. It offers WHOIS privacy for free, but you must pay for a SSL certificate. Other services they offer include hosting, email, WordPress hosting, a sitebuilder, and even a custom website service. The standout point is that they offer a multitude of services beyond domain registration. If you want someone who offers services for all types of customers consider using GoDaddy.
Namecheap
Namecheap was founded in 2000, and offers a varied amount of services. It offers WHOIS privacy for free and paid SSL, hosting, email, a sitebuilder, and WordPress hosting. They have the same level of trustworthiness of Domain.com and Godaddy.com, and offers extras besides domain names. One interesting service they provide is fastVPN, a VPN service that allows you to browse the internet anonymously. If you want more services than just a domain name then consider Namecheap.
Porkbun
Porkbun was founded in 2014 in Oregon, and is known for having a varieties of top level domain names. (i.e. .biz, .art, .cloud, .shop, etc.) They have competitive pricing on their domain names and offer free WHOIS privacy and SSL certificate. Other services include paid hosting, email, a sitebuilder, and WordPress hosting. They offer free basic hosting. If you’re looking for a good deal or an unique top level domain then you should consider Porkbun.
Hover
Hover was founded in 2008 after three domain registries combined. It is more barebones and focuses on the domain registry part of its’ business. It offers WHOIS privacy for free, and you can pay for email. Unfortunately because this domain registry does not offer hosting they also do not offer SSL certificates. If you are looking just for a domain name and can get the SSL certificate elsewhere then consider using Hover.
What Next?
Now that you have your domain name decide on how to run your project. You need hosting to put your website on the internet. Then decide if you want to build, design, or hire someone to do it for you. Good luck in your endeavor.