Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Running a Web Hosting Business : host vs registrar

[EmuHost-Pete]

In this day and age of multi-skilling, is there any real difference between a registrar that offers hosting (ie namecheap) and a host that offers domain registration (ie hostgator) ?

[SamBarrow]

A registrar like namecheap usually is directly affiliated with ICANN, whereas most hosts just resell domains from places like namecheap.

[HostASP]

Originally Posted by SamBarrow

A registrar like namecheap usually is directly affiliated with ICANN, whereas most hosts just resell domains from places like namecheap.

In addition,

is as simple as it is, it shows in which area they are more specialized and focus is on.

[xnpu]

You may consider the ICANN accreditation proof that they have certain financial and technical means. It doesn't guarantee you anything in terms of performance or service though. WHT reviews are probably more meaningful.

[EmuHost-Pete]

Originally Posted by SamBarrow

A registrar like namecheap usually is directly affiliated with ICANN, whereas most hosts just resell domains from places like namecheap.

Yes but I didn't say reselling domains. I said registration.

[SamBarrow]

I know. They are reselling domain registration services.

[EmuHost-Pete]

Let me put it this way.

godaddy is an icann registrar which also sells hosting
hostgator is a webhost which is also an icann registrar

make more sense?

[SamBarrow]

In HostGator's case yes, looks like they just became ICANN accredited last year, wasn't aware of this.
I think you will find with most hosts, they are a reseller of domains from enom, namecheap, or a similar company.

Besides that there's really no difference except that NameCheap specializes in domains and HostGator specializes in hosting.

[mdrussell]

Originally Posted by SamBarrow

In HostGator's case yes, looks like they just became ICANN accredited last year, wasn't aware of this.
I think you will find with most hosts, they are a reseller of domains from enom, namecheap, or a similar company.

Besides that there's really no difference except that NameCheap specializes in domains and HostGator specializes in hosting.

HostGator are using LogicBoxes for their registrar.

Namecheap doesn't just specialise in domains, it has sister brands for SSLs and hosting too.

[SamBarrow]

LogicBoxes isn't a registrar, it's a company that provides solutions to registrars.
Maybe NameCheap has other stuff too, but my point is they are way more oriented towards domain registration than HostGator.

[mdrussell]

Sure. LogicBoxes allows you to use your own accreditation or go through them. Just pointing out that is what HG is developing their system around.

[humawebdesign]

Nowadays most companies are providing both hosting and domain. They don't want to let them go to other company. Its a way to provide multiple services at one roof.

[Mike Web Host]

It seems hosting companies specialize in hosting and domain Registrars specialize in domain registrations. We provide both with our main focus on hosting and have several reseller domain registration accounts. In my opinion it is better to purchase both from the same place for continuity of service and the benefit of having one point of contact. However i do understand there are many who would argue it is safer to have your domain registrations with a separate company than your hosting. This way if there is ever a problem with one you can more easily switch. I think if you work with a reputable company then you should be fine either way.

[TBradley]

It is really just what market they are targeting and what product they are up-selling. Generally, I recommend getting these separate!

[tigertech]

Originally Posted by Mike Web Host

However i do understand there are many who would argue it is safer to have your domain registrations with a separate company than your hosting. This way if there is ever a problem with one you can more easily switch.

It depends on the individual companies involved. I run a hosting company that's also an ICANN-accredited registrar, and we sometimes get people keeping their domain name registration somewhere else for this reason, even though we'd renew the domain name for free. I do understand this fear, though.

Unfortunately for the people doing this, we're still in business ten years later while some of the other registrars involved (or their resellers) aren't... and quite a few of our customers who did this to give them peace of mind have found that it caused horrible problems instead.

The common symptom is that the domain name expires and they have trouble renewing it for some reason (they've lost the registrar login info is most common, but we have seen many cases where the other company was simply unreachable, particularly with resellers).

As one customer put it after such a fiasco, "I guess I was too clever by half". But in his defense, of course, he had no way to know in advance that we were going to turn out to be more reliable than the other company.

On average, a true ICANN-accredited registrar is probably more reliable than a reseller. So if the hosting company is also ICANN-accredited, but the other company you'd potentially keep the domain name with separately is just a reseller, you'll probably be better keeping everything with the single ICANN-accredited hosting company.

Similarly, if the hosting company is just a reseller, but the other company you'd potentially keep the domain name with separately is an ICANN-accredited registrar, keeping them separate makes sense.

More generally, based on our experience, keeping your domain name out of the hands of resellers improves reliability. Dealing with an ICANN-accredited registrar doesn't guarantee great service, but it does guarantee that at some point, the company proved to ICANN that they have cash reserves, at least five employees, a disaster plan, and so on.