Best place to register domains and buy SSL certs now that I’m leaving GoDaddy?

I’m done with GoDaddy—sneaky renewals, SSL certs being reissued early for partial time, and their cluttered checkout process.

Looking for a simple, no-nonsense registrar that also sells SSL certificates in the U.S. I don’t need hosting, email, or marketing—just domains and SSL.

Is Cloudflare a good option?

Cloudflare for domains, and they offer free SSL.

Rowe said:
Cloudflare for domains, and they offer free SSL.

Yep, Cloudflare is the way to go.

Wait, you’re still buying SSL certificates? :astonished:

Leah said:
Wait, you’re still buying SSL certificates? :astonished:

Yeah, some enterprise clients require paid SSL certs. Some companies even have entire departments handling SSL certificates.

@Penelope
That said, we do use Cloudflare and Let’s Encrypt for smaller clients.

@Penelope
If they’re buying SSL from GoDaddy, they should seriously reconsider. There are way better options.

Porkbun is great for domains. Also, most reputable hosts offer free SSL—GoDaddy just charges for everything.

Paid SSL is mostly unnecessary unless you’re legally required to use OV/EV certificates, which is rare. Free SSL from Let’s Encrypt works for nearly all cases.

Cloudflare Registrar is a great option for domains since they charge wholesale prices—no markups. Many registrars lure you in with cheap first-year rates and then hike up renewal costs, but Cloudflare doesn’t play those games.

Cloudflare for domains and Let’s Encrypt for SSL. No reason to pay for certificates unless you have a very specific need.

I use Cloudflare and Porkbun for domains.

Let’s Encrypt for free SSL and Cloudflare for domains. Works perfectly.

You can buy domains from any registrar, but for SSL, just use Let’s Encrypt. It’s free and widely accepted.

If a hosting provider doesn’t offer free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, avoid them. The encryption is the same as paid certs, and they renew automatically—no manual installs needed.

Micah said:
If a hosting provider doesn’t offer free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, avoid them. The encryption is the same as paid certs, and they renew automatically—no manual installs needed.

We run our own private cloud, so we manage our own servers. Certbot handles the automation, but some enterprise clients require paid SSL for compliance reasons.

@Penelope
Yeah, I get it. Some companies love their red tape.

Cloudflare is the best place to register domains right now.

I switched to Dynadot years ago after leaving GoDaddy. No regrets!

SSL certs are free now, but Let’s Encrypt does accept donations if you want to support them.

No need to pay for SSL. Even Google and Microsoft use free certs for most things. If you must buy one, get it from your server provider, not a random third-party.