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Domain registrar · by NameSilo Inc.

NameSilo

Registrar with renewals never above registration price, free privacy and DNS, and a no-fee discount program that drops .com to about $11 when you pay from account funds.

Visit namesilo.com ↗ Alternatives Paid
NameSilo homepage
§1

Overview

NameSilo is a registrar that built its following among domain investors with plain, stable pricing. Its pricing page promises that renewals never cost more than registration, except for .mobi and special promotions, and all add-ons are free: WHOIS privacy, email forwarding, Domain Defender protection, custom WHOIS records and DNS management.

The retail .com price is $17.29 for registration and renewal, which on its own is higher than several competitors. The NameSilo Discount Program changes that: it costs nothing to join, and anyone paying from account funds (topped up in $50 minimum deposits) gets lower prices, starting at $11.05 for .com and falling to $7.75 at the largest portfolio tiers.

NameSilo's DNS manager covers standard records, but its default nameservers do not sign zones; NameSilo's own blog says to use a third-party DNS provider for DNSSEC and then add DS records in the domain manager. An API is available for bulk and automated work.

§2

Pricing and plans

Plan Price What you get
.com retail $17.29/yr Registration and renewal
.com Discount Program, entry tier $11.05/yr Pay with account funds; $50 minimum deposit
.com Discount Program, higher tiers Down to $7.75/yr Tiers depend on active domain count

The ICANN fee is included in NameSilo's displayed prices. Discount Program prices require paying with account funds (minimum $50 per deposit), cannot be combined with coupons and do not apply to transfers or drop-catching. The tier prices are read from NameSilo's pricing table and its discount-program page; tier thresholds by domain count were not listed on the pages read. NameSilo does not state a total TLD count there.

Source: www.namesilo.com/pricing · prices as published, excluding tax.

§3

What it does

Free add-ons
WHOIS privacy, email forwarding, Domain Defender, custom WHOIS records and DNS management at no charge.
Discount Program
No-fee program that lowers prices when you pay from account funds; .com from $11.05.
Stable renewals
Renewal never costs more than registration, apart from .mobi and promotions.
DS record management
Add, edit and remove DNSSEC DS records for supported registries.
Bulk tools
Volume discounts and bulk management for large portfolios.
§4

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Renewals capped at registration price
  • All common add-ons free
  • Large discounts for pre-funded and high-volume accounts
  • ICANN fee included in displayed price

Limitations

  • Retail .com price of $17.29 is high unless you use the Discount Program
  • Discount Program requires paying from account funds with $50 minimum deposits and excludes transfers
  • Default nameservers do not sign zones, so DNSSEC needs external DNS
§5

Who it suits

Good for

  • Domain portfolios and investors
  • Developers happy to pre-fund an account to save on renewals

Look elsewhere if

  • People who want DNSSEC on the registrar's own DNS
  • Buyers paying by card for one or two domains, who pay the retail price
§6

Alternatives to NameSilo

Tool From Free option Stages
Infomaniak Domains Domain registrar
CHF 13.60/yr Paid
easyDNS Managed anycast DNS and registrar
$20/yr Paid
Squarespace Domains Domain registrar
$20/yr Paid
GoDaddy Domains Domain registrar
$22.99/yr Paid
NameBright Domain registrar
$10.99/yr Paid
Namecheap Domain registrar
$10.98/yr Paid

All domain registrars →

§7

Questions

What does a .com cost at NameSilo?

$17.29 a year at retail, or $11.05 at the entry tier of the Discount Program when paid from account funds.

How does the NameSilo Discount Program work?

It is free to join; you pay for registrations and renewals from account funds, deposited in amounts of at least $50, and prices drop automatically.

Is WHOIS privacy free at NameSilo?

Yes, along with DNS management, email forwarding and Domain Defender.

Does NameSilo support DNSSEC?

You can add DS records for supported registries, but NameSilo's default nameservers do not sign zones.

Sources read for this page