Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Porkbun is an American-based domain registrar that’s been around since 2015. Underneath its quirky pig-based exterior, it promises to be one of the cheapest options around. It sells most domains at cost price of wholesale pricing, plus ICANN fees, and credit card fees, without making a chunky sum out of hidden fees. Besides domains, it also offers web hosting, and email hosting, but I’m focusing on its domain services here.
I’ve been buying domain names for the past 25 years and have been reviewing services for over a decade. This Porkbun review is based on my hands-on testing, consulting official documentation and support, as well as checking verified user reviews for additional feedback.
For more options, why not look through our list of the best domain registration services.
Porkbun: My experience
Signing up to a domain via Porkbun only took moments. On the main page, I entered the domain name I was interested in purchasing and was quickly presented with a list of all the domain suffixes available right now. Once choosing to purchase one, there’s an option to add hosting and also to ‘upsell me’. Click the latter button and Porkbun suggests some relevant domain names you might also want to add on.
A minute later and you’re all set. Again, there’s a bit more upselling with the option of adding a site builder or WordPress hosting, but it’s not too intrusive. The domain management page is right there and it’s simple to browse through your domains. As with most domain registrations, it takes a minute or two to be registered and it was pretty quick with Porkbun. The simple management page has everything you need and I liked the process. Just make sure to toggle auto-renew off unless it’s essential for you.
Porkbun: Features
Porkbun keeps things simple so when it comes to features, there’s no filler here. Buying a domain name also brings the offer of web hosting but that’s about as complicated as it gets.
On the domain registration page, you’re given WHOIS privacy as standard. You can toggle the domain lock on or off, and there’s an auto-renew toggle as well. If you’re planning on selling your domain name at some point, you can also quickly add to the marketplace to auction it off to someone. CSV file downloads of all your domain name details, including auth codes, can be quickly obtained from the management page too.
Wrapping things up well, it’s easy to configure your DNS records for many popular services with a couple of clicks of a button. These include Google Workspace, Squarespace, Shopify, and Bluesky, amongst other services.
Porkbun: User experience
Porkbun is very simple to use even if it isn’t exactly attractive to look at. There’s no conventional onboarding process like you’d get with one of the more user-friendly (and more expensive) services, but its domain management page is reasonably straightforward to figure out, even if you’re not a particularly advanced user.
Crucially, a series of tooltips and one line explainers go a long way to ensuring that you won’t break anything. A few toggles are also available and clearly laid out. What it lacks in looks, it makes up for with easily accessible settings.
Porkbun: Customer support
Porkbun offers a good range of support options. It has a knowledge base which should solve most simple queries. There’s also an AI chat bot which answers a lot of questions before transferring you to a person if needed. Refreshingly, you can also click a button to go straight to talking to a real person if you’d prefer.
There’s also phone support although that isn’t 24/7. It’s available between 9am and 5pm PST. Otherwise, email support is 24/7 and human chat support is a somewhat vague ‘hours vary’ although I found I always got a response.
Porkbun: Pricing
|
Domain |
Price from |
|---|---|
|
.xyz |
$1 |
|
.com |
$11.08 |
|
.eu |
$5.46 |
|
.net |
$12.52 |
|
.org |
$7.98 |
There’s seemingly a domain name suffix for every occasion here. Porkbun’s cheapest are its .xyz domains which cost $1 to register for the first year. .com domains are available from $11.08 while .net starts at $12.52.
As with any domain service, your mileage will vary depending on the domain name you have in mind, but those are good starting prices. Type in the name you have in mind and you’re given a vast list of available options along with a renewal price for the future.
Porkbun: Specs
|
Spec |
Details |
|---|---|
|
Lowest price from |
$1 (.xyz) |
|
Highest price from |
$2.575 (.sexy) |
|
Search tools |
Standard search, AI, bulk, marketplace, auction |
|
Other services |
Web hosting, WordPress hosting, email hosting |
Porkbun: Should I buy?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Features |
Porkbun has all the essentials you need. |
4.5/5 |
|
User experience |
A little simplistic and basic, but still mostly easy to figure out. |
4/5 |
|
Value |
Excellent value with some very cheap domains. |
4.5/5 |
Buy it if…
- You want a no-frills domain service. Porkbun skips fancy visuals and focuses on providing domain names very cheaply and clutter-free.
- You want the best value. Some kind of domain name for $1? Porkbun makes it very tempting to bulk buy in the best way.
- You want quick access to many domains. Porkbun dishes out a huge list of available domain names making it oh so easy to click on multiple domains to buy.
Don’t buy it if…
- You need hand holding. If you want guidance through setting up a domain, Porkbun isn’t the service for you. It’s not complicated but the onboarding could be a little more welcoming.
- You want web hosting from the same place. Porkbun’s web hosting isn’t bad but there are better options if you want an all-in-one service.
- You want a stylish experience. Porkbun is very basic looking and that can be a little off-putting compared to some competitors.
Porkbun: The competition
- Namecheap: For cheap domain names, Namecheap lives up to its name. Its dashboard is a little more appealing than Porkbun but renewals can be pricier.
- GoDaddy: Want good hosting as well as a domain? GoDaddy is the place to go. Just be aware of its upselling tactics.
- Dynadot: Dynadot has fairly cheap domains, limited upselling, and a good approach to domain registration. It misses a few TLDs out but for most people, it’s great.
How I tested Porkbun
- Set up an account and bought two domain names
- Tested the domain management features
- Evaluated the price of domains compared to competitors
I set up an account with Porkbun before searching for new domain names then buying two. I went through the sign up process to purchase the domain, before going into the domain management tools to make adjustments. This included looking at nameservers, how to change DNS records, and how to turn off auto renew and other features.
Read the full article here
