The table below lists all those hosting companies that are willing to register your domain and have been awarded at least a bronze medal by us. To find other domain name registration services see the 'Related Pages' links on the right. To find out the meaning behind the bronze medal, please see our Quality Medals guide. For more information about registering your domain name and what to look out for, see the section below the table.


Most hosting companies provide a way for you to register your domain. Charges vary widely, as do the registration services provided. Some require you to sign up to a hosting package at the same time, whilst others do not. Some have on-line registration services, others require you to phone or email with your requirements.

The only certainties are that if you wish to start a website, you need a domain name and you need a host to register your domain name. While it is conceivable that a few of us could register our own domains, (you need two named servers), the majority will find going through a domain registration service far easier.

Be aware! Read the small print, use your browser's 'increase text size' option if you need too :) While most hosts will not charge you for transferring your domain name to them, many do charge you for transferring your domain to someone else, and some for both. Before you jump in with both feet, know what they are forcing you to sign up to and the charges you will be required to pay;

  1. for registering the domain,
  2. for renewing the domain in the future,
  3. for transferring the domain to another host.

Its worth finding out about the process as well. Good hosts will lay it all out for you before you sign on the dotted line, as it were. Many do not provide this information and you have to contact them to find out. We are more inclined to go with those that lay it all up front and hide nothing, but 'you pay your money and you take your choice'.

Whilst most domain name registration service providers will register your domain in your name, it is worth finding where they actually say they will do this on their web site. If you cannot find it, be suspicious and confirm in writing, (email will do), that this is so. If your domain does not belong to you, you have no rights in relation to what you can do with it. For instance, selling or transferring it to another provider could be problematic.

An important note here is that when you register a domain with a host, you are entering into two contracts; firstly with the host, but also with the registrar of the domain name; for instance Nominet, or ICANN. Good hosts will inform you of this. They will also provide links to the agreement documents which the relevant authorities provide. On registering a domain name you will be bound by those agreements, so it is worth having a look at them first.

There seems to be more and more hosting deals where a host will provide a free domain name with a hosting package. Read the small print. You get nothing for nothing in this reality. Find a woman with long finger nails and get her to pinch you, hard. If you really cannot find anything wrong with the deal, then let me know. We are always looking for a good one :)

Happy hunting.

PS. We think it would have been easier to list the hosts that do not provide a registration service, but we are trying to be positive.

Nominet are responsible for the UK registry of domain names. They administer the following Top Level Domains (TLD); co.uk, me.uk, org.uk, net.uk, plc.uk and ltd.uk

ICANN are the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, they are responsible for the global registry of domain names.

Back to Top


Last updated on Friday 25th May 2007