Why I Switched To Google Domains?
Nov 16, 2017 - sharathdt
Have you ever bought a domain from Godaddy and right after the purchase received a lot of spam texts, calls and emails from web designers and hosting providers? You are not alone!
I checked it with their executives and what they say is that once we buy the domain from them, our data is available on whois(since we are not buying privacy package). So anyone can access our data.
It is true but it is not the complete truth. It is quite possible that people can see our data on whois but how is it possible so many different telemarketers get the information right after the purchase? Something fishy right?
I am pissed. Since being a customer with this company(Godaddy), I have had endless telemarketers and scammers call me repeatedly and now my emails are being hacked.
-krfeltes
Why Google Domains?
I have almost 20 domains bought for myself and my clients from Godaddy. I have switched a few to Google Domains but I will be switching all of them soon. I will explain what are the reasons for this switch.
I have discussed some of the reasons below. I have used only Godaddy before. I’m not sure how good is Namecheap but I hope you guys can help me improve this article by providing some feedback.
While transferring the domain, you will have to pay a one-year renewal fee. This is worth it because Google Domains adds one year to your domain on its expiry date.
Economic Pricing
Google has a fixed pricing for domains. Here is a chart of their pricing for Top Level Domains.
| Domain | Google(₹) | Google($) | Godaddy | Namecheap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | ₹860 | $12 | $15.99 | $10.69 |
| .in | ₹860 | $12 | $10.17 | $9.99 |
| .io | ₹4,300 | $60 | $59.99 | $32.88 |
| .net | ₹860 | $12 | $16.99 | $12.88 |
| .org | ₹860 | $12 | $18.99 | $12.48 |
| .us | ₹860 | $12 | $20.17 | $8.48 |
See the full chart of Google Domains pricing
The price is fixed and may not change too much over time. Almost all the Domain registrars provide a huge discount on domain registration (and they milk that money back in renewal) but I haven’t seen any such offers from Google.
Simple UI
Google Domains has a UI similar to Google Search Console or Gmail. I like this kind of UI where the sidebar remains the same throughout and it is easy to navigate between the sections. It feels like you’re always at home!
Since I’m coming from Godaddy, I feel this change a lot. Godaddy has pages that drastically differ in style. I sometimes get confused how to get to the domain list!
Though they are currently in Beta, Google Domains has achieved this simplicity which I was always longing for. Their documentation is like any other Google service - simple and precise.
Secure and Spam Free Service
I haven’t tried buying a domain from Google Domains yet. I only have transferred domains from Godaddy to Google Domains. So far I haven’t received anything other than the confirmation emails regarding the transfer.
Google offers free Domain Privacy. The same costs at least $5/month in other registrars. I think it is a great offer by Google considering the spammers who scrape emails from whois and pester the domain owner constantly.
So all I had to do was buy a service from you and you sold my info in less than 48 hours? To make matters worse I’ve not even used the service yet… So, thanks a lot!
-sappy00 (Godaddy customer)
I’m aware that Google sells user data to advertisers. That’s their business model but I’m sure they are responsible for the data they share. Godaddy does not care if the data they shared is being used by a scammer.
Buy domains from Godaddy or Namecheap if they have lucrative offers and then transfer the domain to Google Domains! You can save a significant amount of money this way.
Conclusion
You might be one of those people who consider, “I don’t really have anything to hide” principle but if you happened to be a gay activist in Uganda, tracing could lead to the end of your life! Privacy is important. Consider moving your domains to Google Domains and hide your personal details from whois.