Hi!

I'm currently looking into getting a domain name. I'm a developer so I am looking into a .dev domain. Is there a preferred option or should I just go buy from a mainstream registrar and add whois protection?

I know .dev is pretty new, so I understand that there might not be so many options. I just wanted to ask here so that I can make a more informed decision.

Thanks in advance!

In the past, I always bought my domains from Google Domains. However, seeing as they were sold to Squarespace, I recently found myself in need of a replacement. I did a bit of looking around and figured that I would share what I learned in case it's helpful to anyone else.

Best domain registrars

There were a few registrars that kept showing up more often than any others. They usually had glowing reviews, and few to no complaints. Here they are in approximate order of how commonly they were recommended:

• Cloudflare

• Namecheap

• Porkbun

• Hover

One catch with Cloudflare is that you are locked into using their DNS.

Dishonorable mention

Most people recommended avoiding GoDaddy due to poor customer service and scummy business practices such as price hikes and buying up domains that people search for.

Final thoughts

Instead of looking on a registrar, you can use ICANN Lookup to check domain availability.

Feel free to share your experiences with these registrars or add any options I may have missed in the comments.

Farewell, Google Domains :(

Edit: Removed Gandi from the list because of unpopular decisions such as drastically increasing prices after being acquired by Total Webhosting Solutions.

Edit 2: Do not trust anyone recommending Dynadot under this post. They keep spamming the comments with obviously fake reviews. I've asked the mods to lock new comments.