Network Solutions review 2027

What problem does Network Solutions solve?

Network Solutions is the original .com registrar, founded in 1979, and it still trades on that name. For an enterprise portfolio with an account manager, it solves a specific problem: keeping a large, legacy set of domains under one roof with a phone number to call and a person who knows the account. That is the case the verdict makes for staying. It is not a case for a new registrant. The tagline is blunt about it — the highest prices we recorded, and privacy as a paid extra. The score is 5.2, last in a category of eight tested registrars, and the reason is price.

How did we score Network Solutions?

• Pricing — 8 out of 35. This measures the .com renewal price and what the checkout adds by default, not the first-year promo. Network Solutions renews at $39.99/yr and adds $9.99/yr for WHOIS privacy. That is the single biggest reason it sits at the bottom.
• Privacy & security — 14 out of 25. Free WHOIS redaction, DNSSEC, two-factor login and registrar lock. DNSSEC and two-factor login are both present; free redaction is not.
• Management — 13 out of 20. DNS editor, API, bulk tools, and how many clicks a transfer-out took. Our measured transfer-out time was 22 minutes.
• Support — 17 out of 20. Minutes to a human and whether the answer was correct. This is the strongest part of the score, and it matches the phone support and account managers the test notes call out.

What does Network Solutions do well?

Support is the standout. Phone support and account managers for large portfolios are real, and the 17 out of 20 in that criterion reflects it. The track record is the longest of any registrar in this category — founded 1979 — and premium domain brokerage is available for buyers who need it. Transfer-out took 22 minutes in our test, which is a measured number rather than a claim. None of this changes the price picture, but it explains why an existing enterprise account might not move.

Parts, specs and build

The full spec sheet, as tested:

• .com first year: 25.99 USD
• .com renewal: 39.99 USD/yr
• Free WHOIS privacy: No — $9.99/yr
• DNSSEC: Yes
• Two-factor login: Yes
• TLDs offered: 300+
• Transfer-in (.com): 25.99 USD
• Email hosting: Add-on
• Founded: 1979

Three measured results sit alongside those rows: a .com renewal of 39.99 $/yr, WHOIS privacy at $9.99/yr, and a transfer-out time of 22 min.

How does it compare with other registrars?

Against Porkbun (score 9, $11.06), the gap is price and privacy. Porkbun renews at $11.06/yr with free WHOIS privacy, free SSL and free email forwarding. Network Solutions renews at $39.99/yr and charges $9.99/yr for privacy.

Against Cloudflare Registrar (score 8.7, $10.44), the difference is the model. Cloudflare sells at wholesale cost with no markup, renews at $10.44/yr, includes free WHOIS privacy and one-click DNSSEC, and offers 300+ TLDs — the same TLD count as Network Solutions at a fraction of the renewal.

Against Namecheap (score 8.4, $16.98), Network Solutions loses on renewal and privacy. Namecheap renews at $16.98/yr with free privacy forever and 24/7 chat that answered in two minutes in our test.

Feature comparison

Across the shared labels, the pattern is consistent. On .com renewal, Network Solutions is $39.99/yr against Porkbun at $11.06/yr, Cloudflare at $10.44/yr, Namecheap at $16.98/yr, Squarespace Domains at $20/yr and Name.com at $18.99/yr. On free privacy, every rival listed here includes it; Network Solutions charges $9.99/yr. DNSSEC and two-factor login are present across all of them, so those are not differentiators. On TLDs, Network Solutions offers 300+, matching Cloudflare and Squarespace, behind Porkbun and Name.com at 500+ and Namecheap at 400+. On transfer-in, Network Solutions charges 25.99 USD, above every rival shown.

Where does Network Solutions fall short?

Pricing is where it lost, and the test notes are specific: a $39.99 .com renewal that is nearly four times Porkbun, privacy at $9.99 a year extra, and a checkout and transfer-out flow heavy with offers. The 8 out of 35 on pricing carries most of the weight in a 5.2 score. Management at 13 out of 20 reflects the 22-minute transfer-out and the bulk of the interface. Privacy at 14 out of 25 reflects the paid redaction. Support is the one criterion where it holds its ground.

Is Network Solutions good value?

The price summary is $39.99. That is the renewal, and it is the number that matters after year one. Add $9.99/yr if you want WHOIS privacy, which every competitor in this comparison includes at no charge. Transfer-in is 25.99 USD. Email hosting is an add-on. For a single new domain, the arithmetic is not close.

Who should buy Network Solutions?

Enterprise portfolios with an account manager. That is the buyer the verdict names, and it is the only buyer the material supports. If you have a legacy portfolio, a named contact and a phone number that answers, the support score of 17 out of 20 is the reason to stay. If you are registering a new domain, the 5.2 score and the $39.99 renewal are the reason to look at the rest of the category first.