The Best Bulletproof Domain Registrars I Recommend (Part 2)

Welcome back! In the first part of this article, I shared my insights on the TLDs to choose, favorable domain climates, and why Njalla may not be the best platform for your domain. With over 10 years of experience executing projects for businesses in ‘sensitive’ niches that needed enhanced privacy, you can be sure my insights are well-founded.

Earlier, I explained why Njalla won’t cut it – Tucows (not Njalla) decides what to do with domains that are reported. So, although Njalla registers a domain name on its name, it doesn’t have control over abuse reports and no matter how they boast, cannot do anything when Tucows decides to suspend your domain.

Now that I have told you what not to do and where not to take your domains, it’s only right I point you in the right direction. The very best domain registrars that can protect you when it matters – plus the best absolute number 1? That’s what this piece is all about. So let’s dive in! But first…

U.S Friendly; Webmaster Unfriendly

It’s pretty clear by now – I don’t recommend services under U.S. jurisdiction. Njalla has ties to the U.S. that are not clear at first glance. Their servers are located in Sweden and since the US and Sweden are pretty good buddies, no ‘shell registrar’ will be able to protect you.

In Sweden, digital piracy is illegal.

An Overview of Njalla

The entirety of Njalla’s service is centered around crypto payments and making you anonymous – they don’t have the legal power to protect ‘grey area’ businesses. No one wants to risk their servers being seized by the FBI or any other law enforcement agencies for a mere 15 bucks. So to be fair, Njalla is blameless – their domains are still indirectly under the jurisdiction of ICANN, through Tucows (accredited by ICANN).

Njal.la used to be great for porn/DMCA domains, but many Blackhat enthusiasts and members on other communities like Reddit, Namepros, and DNForum, have complained about the platform suspending their domains.

Njalla would have been a great service if they were an actual domain registrar and didn’t have to comply with terms set by their parent registrar, Tucows.

Other Registrars You Should Steer Clear Of

What about the ‘big-name’ registrars you ask? Popular registrars like GoDaddy or NameCheap not only take immediate action in response to LegitScript’s abuse notifications (without carrying out due diligence to find out whether reports are factual) but are also proactively finding and sanctioning domains powering ‘sensitive’ businesses themselves.

So, if you’re looking for a bulletproof registrar to support your ‘grey area’ business, chances are all it’ll take is one or two abuse reports and you’ll lose access to your domain if they’re hosted on these platforms.

So, stay away from these registrars:

• GoDaddy, NameCheap, IONOS, Gandi, Dynadot, and Public Domain Registry, Hostinger (Top registrars you should never use);
• Epik (recently joined the blacklist), NameBright.com, Name.com, Spaceship, etc. (all US-based)
• Key-Systems GmbH, Domaindiscount24.com (Germany);
• Rebel.com (Canada – notorious for suspending domains randomly);
• Hosting Concepts B.V. d/b/a Registrar.eu, OpenProvider.com (Netherlands);
• Internet Domain Service BS Corp Internetbs.net (currently under German and British ownership);
• AfterNIC, Ukrnames, BigRock Solutions, Abion AB, WebNic.cc, GKG.Net, Instra Corporation Pty Ltd (all listed here with strict abuse policy).

All of the above have recently suspended many of my domains with no appeal process, just shut them down, so stay away!

You asked – Are there any reliable services for non-US offshore registrars in Asia?

My answer – Unfortunately, there are not many Asian-based domain registrars that are truly reliable. But I’d do you even one better…

How I Rate Domain Registrars

And now, into the meat of things – showing you domain registrars you can count on, with my personal experience to guide you. There are only a handful of TLD and domain registrars that can protect you from domain abuse reports.

To make it easy for you to understand, I have rated these domains across three categories based on the degree of protection you can expect from them if you use their services. Let’s dive right into the first tier:

50% bulletproof domain registrars

Easydns (easydns.com)

After going through hundreds of ‘terms of services’, Easydns is one domain registrar I’d recommend for soft projects – they are the current registrar of ThePirateBay. Easydns may take down your domain only if the complainant has a Canadian court order. Easydns charges ($14.95 for .net /.com domains + $7.5 for privacy + 0.18 ICANN fee) – i.e. an average of $22.68.

Networksolutions (networksolutions.com)

Network Solutions owned by Web.com is another decent registrar and I recommend them because they don’t always take action against domains but may offer the option to transfer it out – which usually takes about 48 hours. However, the company is based in the USA and whether they allow you to transfer it out always depends on the temperament of the support employee – too risky in my opinion.

Namesilo (namesilo.com)

Namesilo is another great option that does not deal with DMCA abuses if the domain is registered with them. They’ll ask the complainant to contact the web host. So if you do host your website with Namesilo, there’s a high chance they take action on your domain so proceed with caution.

With these 50% bulletproof registrars, you’re “safe” until they start receiving abuse reports and the best outcome you can hope for is for them to allow you to transfer the domain to another registrar. In general, it all depends on the mood of the support agent attending to your case. You’re playing roulette with a 50/50 chance of success and failure – hence why I call them 50% bulletproof registrars.

Useful Link: Want to see more registrars who’ve turned a blind eye to sensitive and even spammy websites? Check out some of these grey-area registrars.

90% bulletproof domain registrars

As we inch closer to my all-star list of bulletproof registrars, it’s time for my ‘99% bulletproof registrars’ to shine. There is a good number of reliable registrars/resellers I’ve used in the past who do not suspend domains or care about general DMCA/SPAM complaints. However, for very serious complaints, they’ll ask you to move to a different registrar.

Let’s check out some of them.

A short list

Starting our list are registrars I have tested. Some of them are:

• NiceNIC (nicenic.net);
• Dnspod (dnspod.com);
• BPW (bpw.sc);
• Now.top (now.cn);
• Ourdomains (ourdomains.com);
• Todaynic (todayinc.com);
• Eranet (eranet.com – resellers from Chinese Register);
• Subreg & Gransy (Czech Republic).

These registrars ignore small DMCA complaints, but if a big complaint is lodged, they will most likely take action. They don’t give any importance to DMCA or copyrighted material unless it’s Chinese-based.

And other registrars I suggest:

NiceNIC (nicenic.net)

If you’re concerned about privacy you can register your domain on NiceNIC and pay with crypto. One thing I like about NiceNIC.netis they have free speech domains. I also have a bunch of porn domains registered on NiceNIC. I got 3 DMCA notices last year and was asked to reply and fix any issues within 48 hours. I just removed the reported content and my domain was alright.

Subreg (subreg.cz) and Gransy (gransy.com)

Subreg.cz and Gransy are also good registrars for ‘grey niche’ websites. They both offer offshore domain registration and are based in Czech Republic. Few of my domains are registered with them and my experience in terms of privacy and security has been good so far.

EasyDNS (easydns.com)

Easydns is a great option but I advise that you only purchase .org domains on the platform. PirateBay is registered on EasyDNS, and in spite of all the controversy they’ve faced over the years, they are still alive and well on the internet. Easydns is a decent registrar and it won’t shut you down until a valid court order from Canada compels them to.

Shinjiru (shinjiru.com)

Another notable domain registrar is Shinjiru, based in Malaysia. They do not take down domains from mere DMCA complaints but will act if they receive an order from Malaysian authorities.

ilovewww.com (Shinjiru reseller)

ilovewww.com is another good registrar that operates offshore in Malaysia. They do not even reply to DMCA/abuse emails. Ilovewww is a reseller affiliated with Shinjiru.

Eranet

Eranet is another registrar that does not take action against domain names like suspensions. Whenever someone reports your domain, the platform just forwards the DMCA/abuse report to you. They typically charge between $14 to $30/yr for .com domains.

Eranet has DMCA policies listed in their TOS/agreements (like all other registrars). However, I noticed that they always forwarded these reports to my email address. I have never replied or removed reported content for my domains on their platform, and they have never taken any action against my domains. I only remove content/act on it if I get DMCA notices from my web host.

PSI-USA (psi-usa.info)

PSI-USA is a particularly great registrar/reseller for spammy domains. You can register a domain for an initial period of twelve (12) months or for a period you agree on with the provider.

MediaOn (mediaon.com)

MediaOn offers a comprehensive anonymous package that combines offshore hosting and domain reselling. For .com domains, they typically charge $22/yr.

Another great service they offer is their free Virtual Offices.

On one account, you can use 3 virtual addresses for your brand. All virtual office addresses include prestigious business addresses in Turkey, Israel, and USA. You can use the virtual business addresses you get from MediaOn on your business cards, letterhead, and marketing materials.

The mail-receiving service for the addresses you specify will scan your mail into a .pdf document and you can view it online in your customer panel on MediaOn.

Ourdomains.com

Ourdomains Limited, an ICANN & CNNIC accredited Registrar was founded in April 2011, in Hong Kong, as a subsidiary brand under Hangzhou AiMing Network Co. LTD.

Hangzhou Aiming Network Co. LTD, itself is a very popular domain name registrar in China and manages over 1,000,000 domain names including gTLDs and ccTLDs, and boasts great technical support.

All my recommended ‘90% bulletproof’ registrars above require a valid court order from the jurisdictions they are based in to take action against .org., com, and .net domain names.

99% bulletproof registrars

If you plan to violate copyright and related rights on an industrial scale, push rogue pharmaceuticals, and plan other illegal activities, then these registrars are for you. What registrars meet my ‘99% bulletproof’ criteria?

Registrars where copyright violations are often ignored and registrars that only release data by order of a local court. Let me repeat that – only by order of a local court. A good number of the registrars I’ll now recommend are based in Russia and with the current political climate, you can bet no one will be taking the trip to Russia just to report your domain.

Let’s see them!

r01.ru

r01.ru is one good bulletproof domain registrar I recommend. To set up an account on the platform you don’t need to verify your identity with an ID or Passport. They also don’t ask for any personal information either.

reg.ru

Reg.ru is another great bulletproof registrar that’s a solid choice for pharma projects. Unfortunately, they do not deal with crypto and you need a Russian credit card to make purchases. International credit cards are not supported because of sanctions against the platform – rogue, just how I like it! The good side with reg.ru is you do not need an ID to verify your identity.

nic.ru

Nic.ru is another great Russian-based registrar but the platform may ask you to provide your ID (Russian passport) when creating an account. Nic.ru boasts a distributed fault-tolerant infrastructure, SSD servers, and the latest software powering a robust dedicated control panel.

NameISP.com & EgenSajt.se (Sweden)

NameISP is a fan-favorite domain registrar, especially among BHW members. What’s more? NameISP and EgenSajt are ICANN-accredited registrars that register all the world’s top-level domains directly on their website and require a local court order to support any abuse report. NameISP also offers Premium DNS and Multi-Domain Management, to consolidate all your domains in one place.

Other Asian domain registrars I’d recommend include DNSpod (dnspod.com) and Z.com (web.z.com).

Off-Shore Hosting Providers I recommend

Consider this section my teeny tiny gift to you. It’s great to find a truly bulletproof domain registrar, but your privacy is only guaranteed when you have an offshore hosting provider to support your website. For the best offshore web hosting providers I recommend?

1. 1984.hosting: The 1984 Hosting Company was established in 2006 by a number of free software and civil rights enthusiasts. 1984.hosting does all within its legal power to inform customers of any inquiries and attempted surveillance from government authorities, lawyers, or courts into the customer’s affairs. The company was established with the hope of contributing responsibly and ethically to life on the Internet.
2. prq.se
3. cheapprivacy.ru
4. xuid.ru
5. 2×4.ru and
6. Flokinet (flokinet.is)

Finally! 99.99% bulletproof domain registrars

And in this section, you’ll find the crème de la crème of bulletproof domain registrars that are nigh-perfect.

Matbao from Vietnam (matbao.net)

Matbao starts off this list as one of the best registrars on the market who ignores abuses with reason and tells complainants to go to the local court. However, using this platform will demand some work from you.

First, you will need to find a Vietnamese contact – you can easily find someone on Fiverr. Then you will need to provide a valid ID from Vietnam and then top up your wallet on Matbao using a Vietnam credit card. Once you scale these hurdles, your domains are safe. Matbao may take down your domain only with a valid court order in Vietnam.

The downside? Their support staff mainly speaks Vietnamese but you may use Google Translator to communicate with them easily.

Namebase (namebase.io)

Another great alternative is Namebase (namebase.io).

While the 100% bulletproof domain registrar is a myth, Namebase comes close. With Namebase, to enhance your privacy, I recommend registering domains with ccTLDs like .ru, .su, .to, .hk, domain or for Handshake domains that are out of scope of ICANN accreditation to increase your privacy.

The very best of the best domain registrars I recommend is…

Trustname (trustname.com)

Trustname is the best privacy-oriented registrar today. Based in Estonia – a small European country somewhere between Sweden and Russia – Trustname is almost 100% bulletproof for moral and ‘grey area’ projects.

What to look out for when choosing a 99.99% bulletproof registrar

We have established that you want to get ccTLD domains (like .ru) but if you must absolutely get a .com domain or any other TLD, then you need to find a non-U.S. / offshore registrar that provides TWO things:

1. Requires a LOCAL court order before they take any action against a domain (e.g. Matbao).
2. Friendly support that allows you to transfer your domain name to another registrar, ignoring the mandatory 60-day lock (a very common practice among all listed registrars).

Get a proper registrar and thank me later! And now, the stage is set.

Trustname – The Best Privacy-Oriented Registrar Today

Trustname is easily the most bulletproof domain registrar on the market right now, thanks to its unique approach to privacy protection. The company is one of the youngest providers around and was launched in 2021, but in that time, has quickly become a safe haven for users looking for privacy.

Based in Estonia – a small European country somewhere between Sweden and Russia – Trustname is almost 100% bulletproof for moral and ‘grey area’ projects. So what makes Trustname great?

Great support

First, Trustname’s support is incredible. Not only are all their agents fluent in English, they are also exceptionally knowledgeable in handling most domain name related queries.

Domain transfer assurance

Next, Trustname accepts payments via crypto or international credit cards. What’s more, in cases of serious abuse, they give you 5 business days to transfer your domain to another registrar and will never hold your domain to ransom.

Plus on the platform, you can register ccTLD domains like .SE, .CO, .NU, .SC, and .RU anonymously.

Unique Two-Tier Privacy Protection

Trustname’s services are designed to solve many of the issues users face with platforms like Njalla and most other registrars.

Trustname’s privacy protection is one of a kind – the company hides your registration data using two proxy companies spread across two different regions (and consequently, jurisdictions) – Perfect Privacy LLC (located in St. Kitts and Nevis) and WHOIS Privacy Protection Service LLC (based in the United States).

The first partner security company hides your domain registration details using proxy details – the same level of privacy you get from most registrars. But Trustname doesn’t stop there.

On the second tier, the second security partner company then hides the already shielded domain information – basically, you get a proxy of a proxy. This double-tiered approach to shielding your domain information makes it incredibly hard to find your identity online.

Now the best part? Trustname’s two-tier domain privacy is free on all every domain name you register through their platform. Trustname’s goal is to retain 100% of its customer base through unmatched services and super-efficient customer support.

Multi-jurisdictional protection

One thing that’s easy to miss with Trustname is the effect partnering with these security companies across different regions has. This multi-jurisdictional approach comes with an extra hurdle for anyone trying to get your domain information has to scale.

It’s simple – before Trustname will ever take any action against your domain name, they must get three court orders from the three countries – The United States (where WHOIS Privacy Protection Service LLC is headquartered), St. Kitts and Nevis (where Perfect Privacy LLC is located), and Estonia (where Trustname itself has a local presence) – simultaneously.

A full-blown registrar

Another great point Trustname has on its scoreboard is that it is an actual ICANN-accredited registrar itself unlike Njalla that just acts as a middleman between you and their own domain registrar (who can take down your domain at any time).

Since Trustname is your own registrar, they have the power to call the shots and you will get a chance to move your domains even if they decide to stop giving you their services, to keep your data safe.

Another great feature is their anonymous registration. In accordance with regulations, Trustname allows you to use the company’s registration details when purchasing a new domain.

With Trustname, you can rest assured that your domains are not being registered or controlled by a third-party registrar. Trustname itself is fully in charge of your domains.

Protecting abuse-prone domains

Trustname is one of the very few registrars in the world that takes the sides of registrants when it matters. They are experts at spotting and ignoring soft domain abuses, false abuse reports, and deceptive complaints filed by competitors playing dirty.

Unlike other registrars, Trustname doesn’t hastily seize domains even if abuse reports are raining left and right. The company carries out due diligence to make sure abuse reports are well-founded and even if they are, give the domain owner time to make adjustments, except there has been a gross violation of their term of use.

Trustname’s Terms of Use

Trustname strictly prohibits engaging in activities that blatantly violate its terms and conditions, such as the online sale of illegal drugs, opioids, weapons, child abuse, or any unethical exploitation of kids. They will promptly and rigorously respond to cases where domains host websites with that kind of content. Aside from these, the platform permits any and every dubious activity.

In terms of other activities, there is much debate about whether a domain registrar or a WHOIS proxy service like Trustname should be seen as a mediator in trademark, copyright, or intellectual property conflicts – however, Trustname stays neutral whenever they can.

These matters should be addressed within the appropriate legal processes. Before Trustname looks into a claim of abuse on its end, they encourage the complainant to first report any illegal conduct to the relevant local law enforcement authorities and consult them on what to do next.

Should You Choose Trustname?

After checking out their services and hosting a couple of my domains on the platform, I can tell you for a fact that Trustname is indeed one of the very best domain registrars on the market right now and you should absolutely choose them if you value privacy and freedom.

In my opinion, Trustname embodies the values I believe in the most – a private, surveillance-free internet – and it’s clear that the company will set a new industry standard in the bulletproof domain registrars niche.

Final Thoughts

While the world was distracted with covid-19 and similar hoaxes, and the anti-vax and pro-vax war nonsense, world governments (particular the big bad boy that starts with a ‘U’) were doubling down on finding more ways and implementing laws that assist them in invading your right to privacy, no questions asked.

Very few people noticed since all the media talked about was new deaths and new “mutations”. The smoke bomb (COVID) was successful and allowed governments around the world to freely regulate whatever they wanted and change the laws as they wanted.

My point?

It’s only a matter of time before offshore solutions to privacy and anonymity – the Caribbean Islands, Swiss banks (already history), and other ‘freedom havens’ will lose their standing as partners with the US.

Your only option to “hide” your business in plain sight is to use services in jurisdictions not controlled by any Western countries – in fact countries that detest Western control, absolutely.

Russia being the greatest rival to the US, looks like the best option currently. Of all the domain registrars I have tested, b is the only one that comes close to what you’ll call a truly bullet domain registrar so you have my blessings to use the platform!

Need a personal recommendation from me?

If you’d like to chat with me and get personal recommendations on the best registrars for your business, you can reach out to me here.

So a real-life bulletproof domain registrar that provides 100% anonymous registration, does not give a fuck about most abuse reports, and is located in a country that’s anti-western-control? One word – Trustname.

All We Learned

The takeaways from this two-part series on bulletproof domain registrars and once-great platforms like Njalla include:

ICANN Regulation: Most domain name registrations are regulated by the ICANN, which is almost fully controlled by the US Government. To protect your domain, go for ccTLDs like .sc and .ru as these are considered sanction-proof.

Privacy Concerns and Njalla’s Reputation: There have been numerous complaints about Njalla regarding domain theft and unresponsive customer service. Users have reported losing access to their domains and emails without warning, often in response to legal issues like copyright infringements.

Njalla’s Model Is Flawed: Njalla is not a registrar but a reseller of domains from Tucows, making them dependent on Tucows’ rules. If Tucows decides to suspend a domain due to a complaint, Njalla has no control or say the matter. Njalla can also decide to cut off your access to a domain since they own the domain on paper.

Legal Compliance and User Responsibility: While Njalla offers anonymity, they are legally obligated to comply with certain regulations and court orders. This can lead to domains being suspended or confiscated if used for illegal activities.

Alternatives and Risks: Users seeking bulletproof registrars for ccTLDs are advised to consider registrars like Nicenic, Matbao, or those based in Asia for enhanced privacy. However, no service can guarantee complete immunity from legal actions or complaints.

Trustname, a new bulletproof domain registrar addresses all the problems that users are facing with Njalla. Also, Trustname strives to provide excellent customer service and support.

General Advice: The review suggests caution when using services like Njalla, especially for critical websites or businesses. Users are encouraged to understand the terms of service and legal implications of their chosen registrar.