Overview
Hover is the retail registrar of Tucows, based in Toronto, and it deliberately keeps its product narrow: domains, professional email and nothing else. There is no hosting or website builder to upsell. Instead, Hover Connect applies ready-made DNS settings to connect a domain to services such as Squarespace, Shopify or Ghost.
A .com costs $18.99 a year to register, renew or transfer, a price Hover set when Verisign's September 2024 increase took effect. That is flat, but it is well above registrars that sell .com near $10 to $11. Accounts with ten or more domains get lower renewal prices.
Free WHOIS privacy is included on supported extensions, and every account signs in with two-factor authentication. Hover's DNS handles standard record types, but its own nameservers do not sign zones: Hover's help centre says you can add DNSSEC DS records only when the domain uses another DNS provider. Support is available by phone, ticket and live chat.
Pricing and plans
checked 28 Sept 2026| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $18.99/yr | Registration, renewal and transfer |
| Volume renewals | Discounted | Renewal savings start at ten domains in an account |
What it does
- Free WHOIS privacy
- Your contact details are replaced with Contact Privacy Inc. on supported domains at no cost.
- Hover Connect
- Links a domain to common website and hosting platforms by applying preset DNS records.
- Two-factor authentication
- Sign-in and account changes use 2FA.
- Mailboxes and forwarding matched to your domain, sold separately.
- DNSSEC via DS records
- DS records can be added for domains that use third-party nameservers.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- No hosting or builder upsells
- Flat pricing with no teaser first year
- Free privacy and mandatory 2FA
- Human support by phone, ticket or chat
Limitations
- .com at $18.99 costs about $8 a year more than near-wholesale registrars
- Hover's own nameservers do not offer DNSSEC; you need external DNS for it
- DNS records can only be managed at Hover when the domain uses Hover nameservers
Who it suits
Good for
- Personal and small-business domains
- People connecting a domain to a hosted site builder
- Buyers who want a simple, quiet dashboard
Look elsewhere if
- Developers who want DNSSEC on the registrar's own DNS
- Large portfolios where price per domain matters
Alternatives to Hover
| Tool | From | Free option | Stages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Registrar At-cost domain registrar | $10.46/yr | ||
| DNSimple DNS hosting and domain management | $0.5/mo | ||
| Dynadot Domain registrar and aftermarket | $10.88/yr | ||
| easyDNS Managed anycast DNS and registrar | $20/yr | ||
| GoDaddy Domains Domain registrar | $22.99/yr | ||
| Hostinger Domains Domain registrar | $0.01/yr |
Questions
How much does a .com cost at Hover?
$18.99 per year to register, renew or transfer.
Is WHOIS privacy free at Hover?
Yes, on all supported domains.
Does Hover support DNSSEC?
Only by adding DS records for domains that use another DNS provider; Hover's own nameservers do not sign zones.
Who owns Hover?
Hover is operated by Tucows, a Toronto domain company.
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