Where to Buy a Domain Name: What to Check Before You Buy
Disclosure: This article and the video tutorial included were sponsored by Wix. I work closely with Wix to create clear, accurate, educational content for Wix users.
TL;DR
Buy your domain name from an ICANN-accredited domain registrar with clear renewal pricing, privacy and security options, and an easy way to connect the domain to your website and email. Compare three numbers before you buy: the registration price, the renewal price and the cost of add-ons. Wix Domains is one ICANN-accredited option, and eligible annual Wix plans include a free first year of domain registration.
If you are ready to buy a domain name, plenty of companies will sell you one, and at first glance they all look alike. You search for your domain, see a price like $10 or $15, click buy and you are done. But where you buy your domain matters, because the first-year price does not tell the whole story. Renewal pricing, privacy, security, ease of management and how the domain connects to your website and business email all affect what you really get.
Where should you buy a domain name?
Buy your domain from an ICANN-accredited domain registrar with transparent pricing, strong privacy and security options, and ideally a setup that works directly with the rest of your website. This article uses Wix Domains as an example, since Wix is an ICANN-accredited registrar, but the checklist below applies to any registrar you are considering.
What is a domain registrar?
A domain registrar is a company that is authorized to register and manage domain names. You do not buy a domain forever. You register the right to use it for a set period, usually one or more years, and then renew that registration to keep it.
The first thing to check is whether the registrar is ICANN-accredited. ICANN is the organization that oversees the global domain name system. Accreditation means the registrar has met established requirements for registering and managing domains. Wix is an ICANN-accredited registrar, so you can search for, register and manage domains directly through Wix Domains.
Accreditation is only the starting point. Once you know a registrar is legitimate, the next question is what you get for your money.
What should you check before buying a domain name?
It is tempting to search for your domain, find whichever company advertises the lowest number and buy it there. Before you do, check these four things.
1. Renewal pricing
Check what the domain will cost after the first year. Many registrars use a lower introductory price to attract buyers. That is common and not necessarily a problem, but you should know the regular renewal price before you commit. If you are building a real business or website, you will likely keep this domain for years.
So do not just compare $9.99 and $14.99 today. Compare what you will pay over the next several years. A good registrar shows renewal pricing clearly, so you never have to hunt for what you will pay next year.
2. Privacy
Check what privacy protection is available. When you register a domain, your registration details are stored in WHOIS, a public directory of domain registration information. Domain privacy, sometimes called Private Registration, helps keep your personal contact details from being displayed there.
Find out whether privacy is included or sold as an add-on before checkout, not after.
3. Security
Look at the security options. Two terms you may see are SSL and DNSSEC. An SSL certificate lets your website use HTTPS, which creates an encrypted connection between your website and its visitors. DNSSEC adds another layer of protection by helping make sure visitors who type in your domain land on the correct website.
You do not need to be an expert in either. Just ask what is included, what is available and whether any of it costs extra. Wix Domains, for example, offers Private Registration and DNSSEC as a combined privacy and security option at checkout, so you can choose your level of protection.
4. Where everything will be managed
Think about where the domain will live alongside everything else you are setting up. A domain eventually connects to your website, hosting, business email, DNS settings and possibly other business tools. You can buy all of these from separate companies, but every extra platform means another account, another password, another bill and another dashboard to troubleshoot.
All else being equal, keeping things under one roof is simpler. If you are building your website with Wix, you can manage your domain, website, hosting and business email from the same Wix account.
Which domain extension should you choose?
Choose the extension that fits your business long term, not the one with the lowest price on the search results page. A domain extension, also called a top-level domain (TLD), is the part at the end of a domain, such as .com, .net, .org or .ai. Hundreds of extensions exist, and their registration and renewal prices can differ a lot.
For most general businesses, .com is still a straightforward choice when it is available. Depending on your industry, location or brand, another extension may make more sense. Instead of asking which extension costs the least, ask which one makes sense for the business over time, whether your audience will recognize it and what it will cost to renew.
What do domain privacy and security really cost?
Privacy and security can make two registrars with similar prices cost very different amounts. Say Registrar A advertises a domain for $10 and Registrar B advertises the same domain for $15. Registrar A looks cheaper. But if privacy protection and extra security options cost extra at checkout, you are no longer comparing $10 to $15.
That is why you should compare the total price at checkout, not the big number on the search page. A practical way to do this is to put the domain in your cart and walk through checkout without buying it, so you can see exactly what is included and what your final cost will be.
While you are there, check these questions:
Is privacy included or available?
Are there additional security options?
Will my website have SSL?
Are any of these included, or will they be added at checkout?
There is nothing wrong with paying extra for privacy or security. You just want to know what you are agreeing to before you buy.
How much does a domain name really cost?
Look for three numbers when you compare registrars:
Registration price: what you pay today.
Renewal price: what you pay when the registration renews.
Add-ons: extras such as privacy, security, email or other services offered at checkout.
One more thing can change the math: your website plan may include a domain. Eligible annual Wix plans include a voucher that covers the first year of a new domain registration. If you plan to build your site with Wix, check your plan before you buy a domain separately, because you may already qualify for a free first year.
After that first year, the domain renews at its regular price. The renewal cost is the number that matters most over the long term.
How do you search for and buy a domain name with Wix?
Here is the process using Wix Domains as an example:
Go to wix.com/domains, enter the domain name and extension you want, and click Search.
Check whether the domain is available. If the exact name is taken, explore other options or use the AI-powered domain name generator to come up with alternatives.
When you find the domain you want, click Get It.
Choose how long to register it. Wix Domains currently lets you select a registration period from one to 10 years.
Choose your privacy and security settings. You will see an option for Private Registration and DNSSEC, the combined option Wix recommends.
Review your purchase and complete checkout.
That is it. Your domain is registered.
What happens after you buy a domain name?
After you buy a domain, it has to point somewhere to be useful. If you use it for a website, it must connect to that website. If you set up professional email, records tied to the domain must connect to your email provider.
This is possible with separate companies, but it often means working across multiple dashboards and changing DNS settings by hand. If your domain and website are both with Wix, you can manage them together in the same account. For beginners, that is worth considering. Sometimes simplicity is worth more than saving a couple of dollars in the first year.
So, where is the best place to buy a domain name?
Do not choose based on the first-year price alone. Look for an ICANN-accredited registrar, check the renewal price, understand which privacy and security options you get, and think about where you will manage your website and email afterward.
If you are already planning to build with Wix, Wix Domains is an easy choice because you can search for, register and manage your domain alongside the rest of your website setup. Before you hit purchase anywhere, make sure you know what the domain costs today, what it will cost when it renews and exactly what is included.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best place to buy a domain name?
The best place is an ICANN-accredited registrar with clear renewal pricing, privacy and security options you understand, and easy management. If you are also building a website, a registrar that connects the domain to your site and email in one account saves time. Wix Domains is one example of this setup.
What does ICANN-accredited mean?
ICANN oversees the global domain name system. An ICANN-accredited registrar has met established requirements for registering and managing domains. Checking for accreditation is a quick way to confirm you are buying from a legitimate registrar.
Do I own a domain name forever once I buy it?
No. You register the right to use a domain for a set period, usually one or more years. You keep it by renewing the registration before it expires. With Wix Domains, you can register for one to 10 years at a time.
Is domain privacy worth paying for?
Domain privacy keeps your personal contact details out of the public WHOIS directory. Whether it is worth paying for depends on how comfortable you are with that information being public. The key is to check before checkout whether privacy is included or an add-on, so the final price is not a surprise.
Why is the renewal price more important than the first-year price?
Many registrars use a lower introductory price for year one, and the domain then renews at the regular price. If you plan to keep the domain for years, you will pay the renewal price far more often than the first-year price. Comparing renewal prices gives you a more accurate view of the long-term cost.
Can my website plan include a free domain?
Sometimes. Eligible annual Wix plans include a voucher that covers the first year of a new domain registration. After the first year, the domain renews at its regular price, so check the renewal cost before you commit.
Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/5q8YdvfXymk, on the Wix Made Simple channel.
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