Glossary / registry-vs-registrar

Registry vs. Registrar

The registry operates a TLD's database; registrars sell registrations to the public.

The registry is the wholesale operator of a TLD — Verisign for .com, Identity Digital for many new gTLDs, the Government of Anguilla's registry operator for .ai. It maintains the authoritative database of every registered name in that extension.

Registrars (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Spaceship, NameSilo, Porkbun) are the retail layer: accredited resellers that register names in the registry on your behalf, bundling DNS, WHOIS privacy, and management interfaces. The same domain costs different amounts at different registrars because each sets its own retail margin over the registry's wholesale fee.

That spread is why price comparison matters: first-year discounts often mask expensive renewals. DomainFind.ai's matrix shows both numbers side by side for every supported TLD.

Related terms

• gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain) — Extensions like .com, .net, .app, and .dev operated under ICANN policy.
• ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain) — A two-letter TLD assigned to a country or territory — some repurposed as global brands.
• Premium Domain — A domain priced above standard registration — by the registry or an aftermarket seller.

Put this knowledge to work: check a domain or connect your agent.