Domain.com Web Hosting Review: A Rock-Solid Starter Host

Domain.com is an established “one-stop-shop” providing everything you need to create a website and get it online.

That includes domains, website builders, web hosting, digital marketing, security products, and special services for WordPress users.

In this review, we’ll help you determine if this bargain-priced host is a good fit for your project or small business.

What Is So Special About Domain.com?

Domain.com offers a slew of web-related services, including:

• Shared hosting
• WordPress hosting
• DIY site builder
• Email
• Professional website design and digital marketing services
• Security products
• And, of course, domains.

With all the services Domain.com offers, we had to wonder about the quality of each. So, we took a closer look at the options to try and figure out whether Domain.com truly shines and where the company may fall short for some customers.

Domain Name Registration

Because the domain name (or URL) is what people use to reach your website, it is important to give thought to each part of your domain name (and if you do not have a custom domain name, get one! Having one adds to the professional appearance of your business!).

Important Points to Consider While Registering a Domain

There are several things to consider when choosing and registering a domain name:

• What do you want your domain name to be? This is the “google” in google.com or the “amazon” in amazon.com.
• What do you want your domain extension or top-level domain (TLD) to be? The most commonly-used option, especially for businesses, is .com, but there are alternatives available, such as .tv or .sport.
• How do you plan on handling subpages? Will you use file-like add-ons (e.g., yourwebsite.com/subpage) or will you use subdomains (e.g., subpage.yourwebsite.com)? Generally, the former is used for a subpage, while the latter is used for a set of subpage that could, together, comprise a sub-site.

Choosing a Domain Registrar

In addition, you will want to choose your registrar carefully. Some things to look into before you click buy include:

• Company longevity — this isn’t foolproof, but it is probably not a good idea to choose a registrar that launched just yesterday
• Customer service — don’t just look at what the company promises; see if you can’t find actual reviews from actual users on their experiences with the company’s customer service and technical support teams
• Cost — there’s no such thing as a registrar with “exclusive” domains, so there’s a lot of parity when it comes to cost

Should You Register a Domain With Your Webhost or Not?

If you need to purchase a web hosting package and register a domain name, you are probably wondering if you should use the same company for both or if you should separate the two tasks.

A lot of web hosting companies bundle free domain name registration (at least for the first year) with all purchases of a new web hosting plan. This means that, overall, you will spend a bit less. You might also find that your web host will set up your domain for you in such instances.

Does Domain.com Bundle Domain Name Registration with Its Web Hosting Package?

Conversely, if your web host does not provide you with a free domain name (or if your host does not act as a domain registrar), you might go elsewhere for the best price possible. The only downside you might face in doing this is that you have to configure your domain name to point to your website yourself.

Luckily, Domain.com bundles registration with its web hosting. By using the coupon code “DOMFREE“, you can receive free registration of a domain name for the first year.

Domain.com Web Hosting Rundown

Domain.com offers solid web hosting and WordPress plans that fit nearly every small- to mid-range user and business. Whether you run a personal blog, small business site, or mid-sized e-commerce store, there’s a plan to fit.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting plans are pretty typical, offering the basics you’d find with most web hosting companies:

• Unlimited disk space
• Scalable bandwidth
• Email hosting with anti-spam and anti-virus
• 1-click installation of content management system apps (like WordPress and Drupal)
• Built-in analytics
• FTP
• MySQL
• PHP5
• Perl/Python

Anyhow, it is worth comparing the variety of shared hosting plans, that being the most popular of package types. Let’s use Linux plans as an example. The key differences include:

• Database limits
• FTP logins
• Email accounts
• Number of domains hosted

	Basic	Deluxe	Ultra
Websites	1 website	Unlimited	Unlimited
Disk Space	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Bandwidth	Custom scalability	Custom scalability	Custom scalability
FTP Logins	5	25	Unlimited
MS SQL Databases	10	25	Unlimited
Pricing	$3.75/month	$6.75/month	$13.75/month
Security	Free SSL Certificate	Free SSL Certificate	Free SSL Certificate

Domain.com Hosting Infrastructure

Domain.com’s spotlight on infrastructure and its relationship to how fast (or slow) your website loads is something to applaud.

The company notes that infrastructure is “the one thing that determines how secure, reliable, and fast your website functions” and should be the first thing anyone looks at before signing on with a host.

When you look at how the Domain.com website is structured and how it wastes no time in getting down to the nitty-gritty technical specifications, it should come as no surprise that this is one area where the company truly shines.

Datacenters, Security, and Reliability

For your own peace of mind, here is the base infrastructure your Domain.com-hosted website would reside on:

1. 24/7/365 security and monitoring
2. 99.9% uptime

So, if you’re looking for a no-fuss web hosting company that simplifies your web hosting options, provides transparency into what’s supporting your website, and gets straight to the point, then Domain.com might be a good fit for you.

A Quick Note About Domain Registration

You can’t talk about Domain.com without mentioning the titular service: domain registration. Prices are low and registration and setup are simple. Even if you choose not to use Domain.com for web hosting, it’s still a worthwhile choice for securing a new domain.

There is also a domain privacy upgrade available in case you’re worried about protecting your identity online. In addition, domain services come with URL forwarding, a WHOIS lookup service, and transfer lock.

Other Features to Consider

As we mentioned earlier, Domain.com offers more than just web hosting and domain registration services. Here are some of the free and premium services you might want to look into:

• Google Workspace and Microsoft 365
• Website Builder
• Professional Web Design
• Marketing Services
• SiteLock Security

Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 For Custom Business Email and more

For an affordable price, you can get a custom business email that matches your domain name as well as the tools you need to collaborate with your employees.

Digital Marketing Services

It’s not enough to launch a website, your site has to be marketed in order to attract traffic. Domain.com offers an interesting set of optional marketing services, which include:

• SEO services including monthly SEO campaigns and “Local SEO”
• Regular content creation designed with SEO in mind
• Monthly consults with a marketing professional

You can teach yourself how to do these things, but if you don’t want to mess with that, this is a good option: particularly the local SEO. Many small businesses, including services like personal training or plumbing, don’t realize the necessity of local SEO.

Who Should Use Domain.com Web Hosting?

At first glance, Domain.com appears to be no different than any other traditional web hosting company. With shared hosting, WordPress hosting, Website Builder plans to choose from, it covers most of what small to medium-sized businesses would need when building a website. And in terms of infrastructure reliability and security, Domain.com definitely has it.

Website Building Tools

With the Website Builder from Domain.com you can get your business online with just a few steps. After answering a few quick questions, the Website Builder’s AI helps you choose your layout, images, and even helps get you started with content for your site; no more scrolling through hundreds of templates.

The Website builder also helps to optimize your site for desktop or mobile. You’ll have the option to easily edit any field on your site at any time and if you need help, live support is available.

Finally, you’ll have the option to upgrade your site, add more pages, and even turn it into an ecommerce hub to ensure your online success.

Email

Domain.com does not provide in-house email services, but if you would like to receive an email at an address that utilizes your custom domain, you can opt for Google Workspace of Microsoft 365.

Setting up professional email is not a difficult task, but it is a task nonetheless. If this is something that does not interest you, Domain.com offers 24/7 support and migration services.

SSL Certificates

To secure your site and to prove to your visitors that both your website and your business are legitimate entities, you might want a private SSL certificate. Domain.com sells many different types of certificates that you can purchase along with your domain name and web hosting.

Domain.com provides a free SSL with all Hosting plans. They also partner with Comodo to provide more robust SSL certificates that you then install and check to ensure that it works with your website.

Support

Support from Domain.com offers help via phone, chat, self-service user guides, a knowledgebase, and a contact form.

Summary and Alternatives to Domain.com

If you are looking into Domain.com, but you are not sure that this company is 100% right for you, you might consider GoDaddy or NameCheap instead.

Both companies are very similar to Domain.com in that they were (primarily) domain registrars that have grown over time to sell a variety of website-related services, including hosting. The biggest differences, however, are that NameCheap and GoDaddy offer a lot more when it comes to web hosting options.

Enough Similarities in Both Pricing and Performance

As we have previously mentioned, domain name prices tend to be similar, so if the cost is a concern, you will want to look at the pricing differences when it comes to web hosting and other add-on services you might want to have.

Our suggestion? Start working with Domain.com to secure your new custom domain and try out their hosting. If your site grows and hundreds of thousands visit, you can always switch to an enterprise-grade hosting solution.

Find Out More About Domain.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have any related queries about the basics of Domain.com? Here are some to get you going.

How can I renew my domains?

It’s simple. In order to renew, you simply log in to your Domain.com account. From your dashboard, click on the domain name you would like to renew. On the Domain Summary page, simply click on “Renew Domain” and follow the steps.

What sort of payment methods are accepted and am I notified of renewals?

Before every renewal, you receive a generous 30-day reminder. They accept credit card and PayPal payments. Accounts are also easy to cancel by contacting the support team directly.