7.0 Out Of 10
Support | Email, Chat & Knowledge Base |
No cost DNS | |
No cost domain privacy | |
Best for | Bulk Domain Names Purchase |
Strengths | Transparent Pricing |
Weaknesses | Poor user experience |
Promotion | None |
NameSilo, an ICANN-accredited domain registrar, offers domain registration and management that is affordable, simple, secure, and easy. They’ve been around since 2009.
Is NameSilo still able to fulfill its mission of being an affordable and simple-to-use domain registry? We tried them recently. We have a full NameSilo review, including pros and cons as well as alternatives.
NameSilo Pricing
NameSilio offers a discount on the number of domain names that you purchase, unlike other domain registrars. Below is a list of domain names that can be purchased at once. For discounts on bulk purchases, visit their website.
Their pricing is only applicable to domain renewals at NameSilo. This does not apply for domain transfers.
Domain Ext. | Register | Renewal | Transfer |
.com | $9.95/yr. | $9.95/yr. | $8.99/yr. |
.net | $11.79/yr. | $11.79/yr. | $11.79/yr. |
.org | $10.79/yr. | $10.79/yr. | $10.79/yr. |
.biz | $6.49/yr. | $14.39/yr. | $13.99/yr. |
.co | $9.99/yr. | $22.69/yr. | $22.49/yr. |
Get A Domain From NameSilo
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NameSilo Pros
These are the benefits NameSilo offers over its direct competitors in domain registration.
There are many TLDs
Website owners should ensure that their domain registrar is able to provide all the variations they require, especially if they are purchasing in bulk. NameSilo has a wide range of TLD options beyond generic domains. As of 2020, they offer over 400 TLDs.
Transparent Pricing
Nothing is more frustrating than visiting a domain registrar to search for pricing information. NameSilo’s pricing is transparent 100% of the time. Their domain page contains detailed pricing information for all top-level domains (TLDs), as well as a breakdown of discount levels (save money when you buy in bulk).
NameSilo stands by its promise of no hidden fees or service upsells (features such as WHOIS Privacy are included) and no renewal upcharges.
NameSilo’s transparency and clarity is refreshing in a market where pricing policies are often more complicated than website owners might like.
NameSilo is also competitive with other domain registrars for value. Although their domains tend to be more expensive than others, renewals are comparable with those of most providers such as Namecheap and Hover.
Upsells
Although annoying and sometimes even harmful, upsells don’t have to be inherently bad. Many domain registrars make the error of trying to sell customers via direct sales tactics, and they end up becoming annoying.
NameSilo isn’t one of these domain registry companies. Although they do offer hosting, some of their complementary products are kept hidden. These products can be added to your account homepage. However, you won’t be bombarded by pop-ups and forced to navigate through upsells when trying to purchase a domain.
NameSilo: Cons
NameSilo reviews are plentiful online. Many are either negative or positive. I attempt to find and balance the real disadvantages of a company, and to whom those disadvantages might apply.
Everyone has different needs & goals. As a customer, your goal is to understand these needs and find a company that meets them. These are some of NameSilo’s downfalls.
Design & Branding
Trust is an important factor in buying a domain or any other product on the internet. It is important to be sure that the company you are doing business with (and granting your credit card to), is legitimate and will stand behind its offer.
Trust can come in many forms: word of mouth and reviews, over time, and years of existence. It also comes through design and branding. It is possible to be skeptical about a business’s credibility if its website design doesn’t reflect trustworthiness.
NameSilo was easy to work with when we were looking for a domain. However, the website design and branding of NameSilo left a lot to be desired. Their website design and branding has improved tremendously over the last two years. In 2018, I thought they were almost a phony.
However, even the 2020 redesign leaves many details untouched.
Their accessibility is terrible.
It’s also difficult to learn about the company because there is no About page. Although we did a lot of research, we couldn’t find any information about how or where the company was founded. If they will be my online business keys, I want to make sure that they are legitimate.
The design does not have to be complicated. It looks a lot better than what it was before. Your domain registrar shouldn’t be an amateur.
Onboarding/Domain Management
Every software program has a section where you are unsure what the next step is. NameSilo lacks this “onboarding” – the process by which the provider guides you through the setup process.
There is no clear outline on how to set up your website or domain . You’ll be presented with configuration options during checkout. If you don’t understand what they are or how to set them up, it can be confusing.
This probably won’t matter if you are an expert in setting up and buying domains. It’s easy enough to look around. NameSilo is not the right platform for you if your domain management skills are lacking.
Complementary Products
Remember that a domain does not mean a website. It’s not email or any other service. It is simply your email online. It allows people to locate your property by telling browsers/email/etc which direction to go to obtain whatever they need (website files and emails, images, etc).
Building a website requires web hosting or website builder.
NameSilo does offer some additional products, such as hosting, but they don’t take an all-in-one approach to domain registrars like others that include website builders, hosting, and eCommerce.
While I prefer to keep my domains and hosting separate for added control and reliability, many website owners prefer them to be bundled together for ease of use.
NameSilo may not be the right choice if you want to have it all in one place.
Next steps
If you are:
- You can get discounted domains when you sign up for bulk registrations
- You don’t need to be guided on how to set-up / manage your domain. Or, you can do it yourself using an intuitive platform
- You can save on domain renewals
NameSilo might be a good fit for you.
Get A Domain From NameSilo
But, if you are…
- Have no experience getting online
- You need to know how to set up and manage your domain.
- You want to keep your hosting and domain separate
- Do you want a more seamless domain registration process?
You have better options (I use namecheap). To help you decide which one is best for you, check out my top registrars.