CMS Development Guide 2026
🌐 Domains, Hosting & DNS
Where to buy a domain
The client always owns the domain
The client should always own their domain — not you. Make this clear upfront. Set up auto-renew and use the client's personal email as the registrar account owner, never yours.
Recommended registrars
- Namecheapaffordable, clean UI, great for beginners. Best default recommendation.
- Cloudflare Registrarat-cost pricing, no markup. Best for developers who want speed and free DNS management built in.
- Google Domains (now Squarespace Domains)simple, trusted, integrates well with Google Workspace.
- GoDaddywidely known but pushes upsells hard. Fine if the client already uses it.
operator note
if the client insists you "just handle it," buy the domain on their account with their card. Owning a client's domain is a liability you don't want.