Porkbun Review 2023: Features, Pros & Cons (2024)

Porkbun is an ICANN-accredited domain name registrar based out of Oregon. It started in 2015—the same year Google launched Google Domains. It offers a range of domain and business-related services, such as domain registration, URL forwarding, email hosting, email forwarding, web hosting and SSL certificates. Its domain registration service includes free WHOIS privacy protection and a free SSL certificate.

Here’s what Porkbun offers:

• Domain name registration
• Domain name transfers
• Web hosting
• Email hosting

Porkbun is a good choice for those looking for a low-cost domain name registrar that includes domain name privacy for free and rates that don’t skyrocket upon renewal, like other registrars. However, it’s not the best choice for those who are looking for the best value for web hosting plans as its plans are competitively priced, but not the most feature-rich.

Porkbun Is Best For:

• Budget-conscious consumers looking for a low-cost domain name
• Users who want to keep their personal information out of the public eye
• Affordable business email (get three months free with the purchase of a domain)

Porkbun Is Not Recommended For:

• Users looking for the most affordable web hosting plans

In our experience, Porkbun is a simple and straightforward domain name registrar. Upon purchasing a domain, its user dashboard is easy to navigate. However, it is less modern-looking than one might expect judging from its design up to that point. One unique aspect of it is that it has a ‘Quick DNS Config’ tool which helps users connect their new domain name to their web host, website or email host. While most registrars offer a help center that details the steps on how to connect, it is not a standard feature to have a tool that helps users connect.

Another thing to note is that upon purchasing a domain and creating a Porkbun account, you do not get inundated with emails from the company. Instead, it limits emails to notify customers of helpful things such as new login locations or expiring domains.

Porkbun offers a range of website and online presence-related services. For example, it offers domain name registration, web hosting, email hosting, SSL certificates, WHOIS domain privacy protection, email forwarding and URL forwarding.

Domain Registration

It’s simple to search for and register a domain name with Porkbun. It’s also very affordable for most types of domains and has straightforward pricing—unlike many other registrars which hide renewal rates. However, users who aren’t sure which domain name they want might find that Porkbun is not as helpful as other registrars that offer insights and suggestions, such as Google Domains.

Porkbun Domain Registration Cost

Ease of Use

Hover helps make the process of connecting a domain name to your email host or website thanks to its DNS configuration tool. Users can access this tool by clicking on ‘Domain Management’ from their user dashboard. From there, hover over your domain and select the ‘DNS’ option that appears below. A popup will then appear. Scroll down to the “Quick DNS Config’ section, select which platform you would like to connect your domain to (e.g., Google Workspace, Squarespace, Shopify). In our experience of trying to set up a domain, we found that the process took just a few minutes. We also found the domain management dashboard easy to understand and use.

Web Hosting

Web hosting plans from Porkbun start at $12 per month with month-to-month billing or $30 per year for your first year when billed annually for 10GB of storage and unmetered bandwidth. While the introductory rate is very competitive, the renewal rate is $120 per year with annual billing.

What’s different about Porkbun’s web hosting plans is that, unlike most web hosts, it does not offer an uptime guarantee. It also does not offer a money-back guarantee. So while new users get a 15-day free trial, there are no guarantees after this introductory period ends. Though uptime guarantees rarely lead to a refund as there are many clauses, such as downtime for maintenance that falls outside of the guarantee, it is still better to have for the added peace of mind.

Security

To help users secure their site, Porkbun offers a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt. Granted, anyone can get a free SSL certificate directly from Let’s Encrypt, so there is no unique value in getting the SSL certificate through Porkbun as opposed to Let’s Encrypt. Also note that many of the leading web hosts and website builders include a free SSL certificate, which will help streamline the installation process to get it directly from your hosting provider.

It also offers various security features to help further safeguard your domain name. For example, it offers domain lock, WHOIS privacy protection, and the option to turn on and off API access.

Email Hosting

Email hosting is available from Porkbun for $24 per year with annual billing. This includes 10GB of storage, email forwarding, and secure IMAP and POP. It’s also worth noting that new domain name registrations include three months of email hosting for free. While this is a competitive price, Porkbun does not offer the most affordable email hosting plans on the market. Those who want the best value should consider Hover, which offers email hosting for as little as $20 per year for 10GB of storage.

Porkbun does not offer 24/7 support like many of the top registrars and web hosting companies.
Instead, its support is available Pacific time, so for those on the East Coast, support is available from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends via phone, email and live chat. Though it has a good reputation for helpful support, the limited availability could be problematic for users—particularly those who use it for web hosting.

One unique aspect of Porkbun’s support is that it offers a transcript of live chat conversations. This gives users an easy record to review should they later have questions or need to refer to the support team’s answers and insights.

Porkbun vs. Google Domains

Google Domains and Porkbun are very similar providers when it comes to domain name registration. Both offer domain name privacy with all domain registrations and industry-low prices—without high renewal costs.

On the other hand, Porkbun offers more affordable business email hosting at a fraction of the price of Google Workspace. However, Google Domains offers support 24/7, making it the better choice for those who are not very technically savvy.

Porkbun vs. GoDaddy

In the battle of Porkbun versus GoDaddy, Porkbun is the winner for domain registration and GoDaddy is the winner for web hosting. This is because Porkbun’s renewal rate for domains is less than half of GoDaddy’s. In regard to web hosting, GoDaddy has lower prices, over double the storage and more features—including a free domain name for your first year.

Porkbun vs. Hover

When it comes to domains, Porkbun is the better value. While both include domain name privacy with new registrations, Porkbun’s pricing is lower for both the first year and each year thereafter, saving users a lot of money in the long run compared to Hover. For business email, Hover is the more affordable option with email plans starting at $20 per year for 10GB of storage compared to Porkbun at $24 per year for 10GB of storage.