Verdict: the best choice if your DNS is already on Cloudflare. You pay exactly what the registry charges, renewals included, and you get one-click DNSSEC and strong account security. The price of admission is that the domain must use Cloudflare's nameservers for as long as it stays there.
We review registrars from one angle: how well they protect a business's domains. We have no affiliate relationship with any registrar. Facts were checked on 30 October 2026.
At a glance
| Cloudflare Registrar | |
|---|---|
| Pricing | at cost: the registry's and ICANN's fees, no markup; renewal = registration |
| WHOIS privacy | free redaction |
| Two-factor sign-in | security key or built-in authenticator (WebAuthn), authenticator app, email code; backup codes |
| Transfer lock | on by default |
| Registry lock | Enterprise plan only (Custom Domain Protection) |
| DNSSEC | one click |
| Nameservers | must be Cloudflare's |
| TLDs | 430+ |
| Free extras | DNS, CDN, SSL, Email Routing (forwarding) |
Price
Cloudflare charges what the registry charges plus the ICANN fee, with no markup and no extra for privacy. There's no first-year discount either, so it's rarely the cheapest to register and usually the cheapest to keep. Renewals are non-refundable.
Security
- Account protection is strong: WebAuthn security keys (or Touch ID and Windows Hello), an authenticator app, and backup codes for recovery.
- Transfer lock is on by default, and DNSSEC is one click because Cloudflare runs both the registrar and the DNS.
- Registry lock is available as Custom Domain Protection on the Enterprise plan, with out-of-band verification for changes. On other plans there's no registry lock. See Registry lock.
The catch: Cloudflare's nameservers only
A domain registered with Cloudflare must use Cloudflare DNS. You can't point it at Route 53, Azure DNS or your own servers; to use another DNS provider you'd transfer the domain out. Business and Enterprise plans can use custom nameserver names, and a subdomain can be delegated elsewhere, but the domain itself stays on Cloudflare DNS.
For most businesses already using Cloudflare that's no loss. For anyone who wants registrar and DNS at separate companies (so one compromised account can't take both), it's a reason to look elsewhere.
Transfers in
A domain must be active on Cloudflare (DNS already moved) before it can be transferred in. Transfers add a year, except .uk and .nz. The usual 60-day locks after registration, transfer or a change of owner apply. Cloudflare can also place administrative locks for legal reasons. See Transfer a domain without downtime.
Reporting abuse at Cloudflare
The registrar abuse contact is [email protected]
(+1.650.319.8930). For a phishing site that only uses Cloudflare's proxy,
see Report a phishing site behind Cloudflare.
Compared with the others
See the best domain registrar for security.
Check your domain
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