A domain registrar is an organisation accredited by ICANN (for gTLDs) or national registries (for ccTLDs) to register domain names on behalf of end users. When you "buy" a domain, you are actually renting the exclusive rights to use it for a period, managed through a registrar.
How Domain Registration Works
- You search for a domain name at a registrar's website.
- If available, you register it by paying the annual fee.
- The registrar records your ownership in the TLD registry's zone file.
- The registry adds NS records pointing to the registrar's (or your chosen) nameservers.
- You configure DNS records to point to your hosting.
Major Domain Registrars
- GoDaddy — Largest by volume. Known for aggressive upselling.
- Namecheap — Popular for competitive pricing and clean interface.
- Google Domains (now Squarespace) — Clean, simple, no upselling.
- Cloudflare Registrar — Sells at wholesale cost (no markup). Requires existing Cloudflare account.
- Porkbun — Competitive pricing, simple interface.
What to Look for in a Registrar
- Transparent renewal pricing (first-year discounts are common; check the renewal cost)
- Free WHOIS privacy (not charging extra to hide your personal data)
- Easy nameserver and DNS management
- Two-factor authentication on the account
- Domain locking (prevents unauthorised transfers)
Registrar vs DNS Provider vs Hosting
These are three separate services that are often (unnecessarily) conflated. You can register at Namecheap, use Cloudflare for DNS and host at any provider — they work independently via NS record configuration.