Name.com vs Hover
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Name.com and Hover.
Quick Verdict
3.6/5
Name.com
0 reviews
3.2/5
Hover
0 reviews
Name.com is rated higher (3.6 vs 3.2). Owned by Identity Digital (formerly Donuts Inc.) since the 2017 Rightside acquisition; not part of Newfold Digital Hover is known for having the cleanest checkout experience in domain registration — no upsells, no bundled hosting pitches. Flat pricing, free WHOIS privacy, and email forwarding included.
Name.com Domain registrar with website builder bundle | Hover Clean domain registrar — no upsells | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.6 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.2 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | paid | paid |
| Starting price | From $13.19/mo | From $2.99/mo✓ |
| Best for | Developers and small platforms registering domains at scale who want a scriptable registrar with bundled privacy and published reseller pricing. | Individuals and small businesses holding a few important domains who want a clean, upsell-free registrar experience and will pay modestly more for it |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | api access | — |
| Visit Name.com → | Visit Hover → | |
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
Hover
Pros
- + Flat registration/renewal/transfer pricing on mainstream TLDs (.com $18.99/yr)
- + WHOIS privacy included free; $0.20 ICANN fee is the only surcharge
- + Clean checkout with no upsells or pre-checked add-ons
- + ICANN-accredited registrar backed by Tucows' wholesale infrastructure
- + Straightforward DNS and portfolio management, plus email forwarding
Cons
- - Above budget-registrar pricing on .com and other legacy TLDs
- - Public review scores are poor (Trustpilot 1.3 across ~120 reviews)
- - Promo-then-jump pricing on newer TLDs (.online $2.99 → $36.99 renewal)
- - No hosting, no notable reseller programme, thinner tooling for large portfolios
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