Registrar: The company you buy a domain name from. GoDaddy, Namecheap, Porkbun, Cloudflare Registrar, IONOS, and Squarespace Domains are all registrars. They are accredited by ICANN to sell domain registrations on behalf of registries.
Registry: The organisation that operates and maintains the authoritative database for a specific top-level domain (TLD). Verisign operates the .com and .net registries. Nominet operates the .uk registry (.co.uk, .org.uk, .me.uk). Donuts and Identity Digital operate hundreds of newer TLDs (.shop, .app, .blog).
The relationship: registries set the wholesale price and rules for their TLD. Registrars buy from the registry and sell to end customers at retail price, adding margin and services.
Why this distinction matters for buyers
1. Price floors exist for a reason
If Namecheap charges £8.98/year for .com and GoDaddy charges £17.99/year, the difference is registrar margin and promotion strategy both pay Verisign approximately £7.50/year wholesale. The registry price is the same; the registrar markup varies.
For some TLDs with regulated registries (like .uk Nominet sets a minimum resale price), the floor is higher and registrar competition is smaller.
2. Transfer fees go to the registry, not the registrar
When you transfer a domain between registrars, the receiving registrar pays the registry a 1-year renewal fee (typically the same as registration cost). The transferring registrar charges nothing (transfers are ICANN-mandated as free or the cost of 1 additional year). This is why “free transfers” still extend your domain by 1 year the registry gets paid.
3. WHOIS data is controlled at registry level
Your domain’s WHOIS record (registrant name, address, contact) is stored in the registry’s database, not the registrar’s. WHOIS privacy services offered by registrars replace your details in the registry’s record with the registrar’s proxy details. Cloudflare does this for free; GoDaddy charges £10+/year.
4. Registry rules apply regardless of registrar
The registry sets rules for a TLD that all registrars must follow. Nominet (.uk) mandates the 60-day transfer lock after registration. Verisign (.com) mandates the 60-day lock after a registrar-to-registrar transfer. These are registry policies, not registrar choices switching registrar doesn’t change the lock period.
Common registries and their TLDs
| Registry | TLDs operated | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Verisign | .com, .net | Largest registry; monopoly on .com |
| Nominet | .co.uk, .org.uk, .me.uk, .uk | UK registry; sets conduct standards |
| PIR (ISOC) | .org | Non-profit; not-for-profit focus |
| AFNIC | .fr | French ccTLD registry |
| Identity Digital | .app, .blog, .shop, .dev, 200+ | Major new gTLD operator |
| Charleston Road Registry | .google, .youtube | Google-owned |
Can you buy directly from a registry?
In most cases, no registries sell wholesale only to accredited registrars, not directly to the public. The exception: some new gTLD registries operate their own retail registrar arm. Google operated Google Domains (now sold to Squarespace) and accredited itself. Cloudflare operates Cloudflare Registrar at cost.
For ICANN-accredited registrar requirements, search the ICANN registrar lookup to verify any registrar you’re considering is legitimately accredited.
See also: ICANN · Nameserver · EPP code · Renewal vs registration price