Name.com vs Porkbun
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Name.com and Porkbun.
Quick Verdict
3.6/5
Name.com
0 reviews
4.5/5
Porkbun
0 reviews
Porkbun is rated higher (4.5 vs 3.6). Owned by Identity Digital (formerly Donuts Inc.) since the 2017 Rightside acquisition; not part of Newfold Digital Porkbun is a budget-friendly registrar known for low prices on many TLDs, free WHOIS privacy, free SSL certificates, and a clean modern interface. Popular with developers for its API.
Name.com Domain registrar with website builder bundle | Porkbun Low-cost domains with free privacy and SSL | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.6 (0 reviews) | 4.5 (0 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | paid | paid |
| Starting price | From $13.19/mo | From $11.08/mo✓ |
| Best for | Developers and small platforms registering domains at scale who want a scriptable registrar with bundled privacy and published reseller pricing. | Budget-conscious developers and small businesses holding domains long-term who want the lowest honest renewal prices with free privacy and SSL |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | api access | api access |
| Visit Name.com → | Visit Porkbun → | |
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
Porkbun
Pros
- + Flat .com pricing — $11.08 to register, renew, and transfer, ICANN fee included
- + Published wholesale cost breakdown is rare transparency in this market
- + Free WHOIS privacy, wildcard SSL, Cloudflare DNS, DNSSEC, and email forwarding on every domain
- + Passkeys, WebAuthn security keys, and 2FA on accounts
- + Phone and chat support daily, answered by domain-knowledgeable staff
Cons
- - Smaller company than the industry giants; no 24/7 phone support
- - First-year sale TLDs renew significantly higher
- - No documented registry-lock product for brand portfolios
- - Registry fee increases pass through to renewal prices
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