Google Domains

Has anyone here received an invite? I'd love to get some feedback on how users are finding it in comparison to, say, Namecheap or Name.com. Being able to purchase domains through Google is something that I've been hoping to see for a while. It's a dream come true for folks (like myself) who are wired into their ecosystem. Convenience + "the Google factor." Not much to dislike.

 

I'd be curious to see how viable this would be in the long run.

Let's assume that Google Domains will reach the "launch publicly" stage. We already have a plethora of excellent, established registrars. Namecheap is constantly doing something great for customers and attracts new folks with creative campaigns. Name.com places a great deal of emphasis on new TLDs (I'm not sure how much business it actually drums up - I have no interest in .NINJA domains), and GoDaddy is... GoDaddy. Then we have others, like Hover, which I have no experience with - but Hover in particular seems to do well. Dynadot's also pretty solid.

So... how would this end up playing out for Google? Just from what I've seen so far, it looks like they're relying on very competitive pricing (with the automatic inclusion of WHOIS privacy) and interface simplicity. They've got flawless Wallet + Google Apps integration as well, but I can't see this being a hugely important "make or break" factor for people. And naturally, they have one big thing going for them: it's a Google venture. The latter doesn't particularly comfort me. I can see them dumping the domains division fairly quickly if things don't pan out. This is fine, but it'll also give us an idea as to how dedicated they are + what they're willing to pour in resource-wise if it doesn't transform into a self-sustaining entity within ['x' amount of time].

I'd be hesitant to transfer my existing domains over, at least for a while, due to this uncertainty of viability. I can't tell if they're viewing this as a long-term investment or simply just testing the waters. But hell, I'm still interested.

 

I use Hover, and I like it. What I like most about it is the clean UI, no adverts, and no up-sells. Breath of fresh air...

 

Heh... I wonder why...

Yeah, Hover just does domain registration and email...

 

I have invite if anyone is interested ?

Don't trust Google...so I would be happy to give it up for some advice

 

No interest in Google Domains. I am more than happy with DNSimple. (referral link alert)

 

Heh, wow. So it would appear that the general consensus is, "YUCK. NO." You're all buzzkills, I tell you!

I'm curious about the interface in general. I recently heard someone say that it's so simple, they couldn't imagine switching back to their previous registrar. This is really what sparked my curiosity. I use Namecheap and Name.com for my domains, and I prefer Name's by far. Once Namecheap modernizes their own to match their gorgeous website, I can see that changing. Does Google offer any new or innovative functionality over the current big boys?

Ouch, I would hope they don't have those restrictions with their registration services. If they lock you down and allow you to only use the domain with "in-house" services... no thank you. That's a great point and one that I didn't think of. I can't see it being the case now, but if it is, they'll have some issues.

 

David, that's exactly what I wanted to see; thanks! I was lucky enough to snag an invite earlier this morning, so I'll have some fun familiarizing myself with it over the weekend. I like what I see so far.

 

All is very well and I'm hoping the same for you, sir. I owe you a beer the next time I'm in your neck of the woods.

 

Just from briefly using Google Domains, I think it's safe to say that I won't be leaving Namecheap anytime soon either. It's nice, but lacking. I'll keep the domain I have registered with them, but they're certainly not going to replace NC as my registrar of choice. Will be interesting to watch how Google develops this further - I'm seeing more and more invites floating around lately.

The backend redesign that Namecheap is working on, though... give it to me now.

 

I had no idea NC was working on a redesign. To say their current is an eyesore is an understatement.