Attorney-reviewed terms for domain registrars and web hosting providers. Your online presence depends on understanding these terms.
Side-by-side comparison of Consumer Fairness Index scores across major domain registrars and hosting providers.
| Platform | Score | Grade | Domain Transfers | Service Termination | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
C
Cloudflare
Best in Category
|
65/100 | B- | At-cost pricing | 30-day notice | View Details → |
|
D
DigitalOcean
|
58/100 | C+ | N/A (hosting only) | Data deletion 30 days | View Details → |
|
N
Namecheap
|
52/100 | C | Standard ICANN process | Content takedowns | View Details → |
|
G
GoDaddy
Lowest in Category
|
45/100 | C- | Transfer restrictions | Immediate for violations | View Details → |
Some registrars make domain transfers difficult through high fees, administrative delays, or unclear processes. Your domain could be locked with an uncooperative registrar.
Hosting providers can disable your site immediately for vague "policy violations" - often without appeal process or clear standards for what constitutes a violation.
Missing renewal notices (often sent only by email) can result in losing your domain to registrar auctions or premium pricing schemes when you try to recover it.
Many registrars bury basic features and charge premiums for essentials like DNS management, SSL certificates, or privacy protection that should be standard.
Click on any platform for detailed analysis of concerning clauses, scoring breakdown, and specific recommendations.
Best in Category
Key concerns: Service termination rights, content moderation policies, liability limitations
Developer-friendly cloud
Key concerns: Abuse policy enforcement, data deletion timelines, billing disputes
Budget-friendly registrar
Key concerns: Domain suspension policies, content restrictions, renewal pricing
Lowest in Category
Key concerns: Aggressive upselling, renewal price increases, domain auction practices
My Consumer Fairness Index weighs domain transfer rights (25%), service termination policies (20%), pricing transparency (20%), data ownership (15%), dispute resolution (10%), and exit rights (10%). Domain and hosting providers control your online presence, so fair terms are critical. View full methodology →
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