Epik vs Name.com
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Epik and Name.com.
Quick Verdict
2.5/5
Epik
0 reviews
3.6/5
Name.com
0 reviews
Name.com is rated higher (3.6 vs 2.5). US-based ICANN-accredited domain registrar (founded 2009) offering WHOIS privacy, bulk registration and marketplace tools. Sold to Registered Agents Inc. in 2023; under new ownership it repositioned toward small businesses with tighter terms of service. Owned by Identity Digital (formerly Donuts Inc.) since the 2017 Rightside acquisition; not part of Newfold Digital
Epik Domain registration with privacy protection and reseller support | Name.com Domain registrar with website builder bundle | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 2.5 (0 reviews) | 3.6 (0 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | paid | paid |
| Starting price | From $9.99/mo✓ | From $13.19/mo |
| Best for | Small-business buyers who want domains alongside the parent company's registered-agent and LLC-formation services, and existing holders who value the tightened post-2024 terms of service over price. | Developers and small platforms registering domains at scale who want a scriptable registrar with bundled privacy and published reseller pricing. |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | api access | api access |
| Visit Epik → | Visit Name.com → | |
Epik
Pros
- + WHOIS privacy included free on registrations — no per-domain privacy upsell
- + Published price table for common TLDs and bulk/marketplace tooling included in the platform
- + ICANN accreditation survived the 2023 ownership change; transfer was reviewed and finalised openly (31 January 2024)
- + New ownership has tightened abuse handling and repositioned the platform toward small businesses
- + Mid-scale operational footprint: 22nd largest US registrar as of January 2022
Cons
- - Expensive against mainstream registrars: .com $15.99 register/renew, $129 redemption ($229 for .shop)
- - September 2021 breach exposed ~180 GB including credentials and private keys; initially denied by the company
- - 2023 financial collapse and forced $5M sale to Registered Agents Inc., whose corporate structure drew press scrutiny
- - History of upstream terminations (Voxility, Linode, PayPal) tied to its old customer base and practices
- - Product story beyond domains is scattered; support depth lags top-tier registrars
Name.com
Pros
- + Free Domain Safe on eligible domains: WHOIS privacy, SSL certificate, and security locks included
- + Documented public REST API with pricing endpoints, plus published reseller tiers
- + Long operating history since 2003 with roughly 3.1 million gTLD domains under management
- + Full registrar toolkit: bulk tools, aftermarket, backorders, DNS management, URL forwarding
- + 24/7 live chat support with ticketing and a broad knowledge base
Cons
- - No DNSSEC support on Name.com's own nameservers — DS records only via third-party DNS
- - Renewal outliers: .info renews at $40.19 and .xyz at $21.19 after cheap first years
- - .com renewal of $20.19 is several dollars above near-wholesale registrars
- - Ownership has changed three times in a decade; current parent is a registry operator
- - Hosting and email bundles are standard fare — buy domains here, infrastructure elsewhere
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