DNS, email and security
DNS provider
A DNS provider is the company that runs the nameservers for a domain. It is often, but not always, the registrar or the web host.
What DNS provider means in practice
Some providers specialise in DNS (for example Cloudflare or Amazon Route 53), some are registrars that include DNS, and some are parking services that serve the same page for many names.
The Hosting Stats tool and the State of .com page show how the .com zone is split between providers. A provider is counted here by a name's first nameserver.
Why it matters
The DNS provider tells you who can change a domain's records and which company to contact about DNS problems. It does not tell you who hosts the website.
Try it
- Hosting Stats Who runs the DNS for 167 million .com names, and who runs yours.
- Domain Health Check Expiry date, transfer lock, DNS, SPF and DMARC email security, and blocklists for a .com.
Related terms
- Nameserver A nameserver is a server that holds a domain's DNS records and answers questions about it. A domain lists at least two so one can fail.
- DNS (Domain Name System) DNS is the internet's phone book: it turns a domain name into the addresses and settings that browsers and mail servers need to reach it.
- Registrar A registrar is a company accredited to sell domain names and manage them for you, such as GoDaddy or Namecheap. You register and renew a domain through one.