Starter DOCSComparisons
🌐 Domain Registrars
| Use Case | Registrar | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Users | Cloudflare | $11.15 | At-cost pricing, enterprise security |
| Budget | Porkbun | $10.35 | Transparent pricing, no surprises |
| Bulk/Business | NameSilo | $17.29 | Unlimited search, volume discounts |
| Developers | Namecheap | $10.28 | 5000 keyword search, good API |
Top 5 Registrars
| Registrar | .com Price | Renewal | Bulk Search | Free Privacy | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | $11.15 | Same | Limited | ✅ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Porkbun | $10.35 | Same | 100 domains | ✅ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Namecheap | $10.28 | $15.88 | 5000 keywords | ✅ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| NameSilo | $17.29 | Same | Unlimited | ✅ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Dynadot | $10.19 | $11.99 | Advanced | ✅ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Popular TLD Pricing
| TLD | Use | Price Range | Best At |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | General | $10-12 | Porkbun ($10.35) |
| .net | Tech | $11-15 | Porkbun ($11.98) |
| .org | Non-profit | $7-12 | Namecheap ($10.69) |
| .ai | AI/Tech | $70-145 | Porkbun ($89.99) |
| .io | Developer | $35-50 | Porkbun ($39.99) |
Free Hosting + Custom Domain
Free Subdomain Services for Testing & Development
Deployment Platforms with Free Subdomains
| Platform | Subdomain Format | Best For | Free Limits | Custom Domain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vercel | project.vercel.app | React/Next.js | 100GB bandwidth | ✅ Free |
| Netlify | project.netlify.app | Static sites/JAMstack | 100GB bandwidth | ✅ Free |
| Railway | project.up.railway.app | Full-stack apps | $5 credit trial | ✅ Free |
| Render | project.onrender.com | Full-stack apps | 750h/month | ✅ Free |
| GitHub Pages | username.github.io | Static sites | 1GB storage | ✅ Free |
| Cloudflare Pages | project.pages.dev | Static sites | Unlimited builds | ✅ Free |
Avoid These Registrars
- GoDaddy: Aggressive upselling, high renewals
- HostGator: Poor interface, account issues
- Network Solutions: Overpriced, bad support
Essential Features Checklist
- ✅ Free WHOIS Privacy: Hides personal info
- ✅ Free DNSSEC: Security against DNS attacks
- ✅ 2FA: Account security
- ✅ Domain Lock: Prevents unauthorized transfers
- ✅ No Renewal Price Jumps: Avoid bait pricing
Quick Setup Guide
Buy Domain
- Choose registrar based on use case
- Search domain availability
- Enable WHOIS privacy
- Set 2+ year registration for savings
Volume Discounts
- 5+ domains: 20% off (Namecheap)
- 50+ domains: 10-15% off (NameSilo)
- Multi-year: 5-20% savings
Cost Optimization
| Strategy | Savings | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-year registration | 10-20% | Long-term projects |
| Volume discounts | 15-30% | Multiple domains |
| Avoid renewal traps | 30-50% | GoDaddy alternatives |
Bottom Line: Cloudflare for most users, Porkbun for budget, NameSilo for bulk operations.