directNIC Direct DNS, $ 0.00/mo. on DNS

Direct DNS has been updated on November 4, 2019 (added March 31, 2017), Aggregate Rating (2.8 out of 10 from 15 reviews)

🔌 Domains Allowed :	unlimited
💳 Payment Methods :	Credit / Debit / Prepaid CardsPayPalWire TransferCheck PaymentsMoney OrderBitcoin
✍️ Support Options :	EmailHelp DeskPhone / Toll-FreeLive ChatAvailable 24/7
🌏 Server Locations :	United States
⚑ Targeting :	US

See also initial Direct DNS plan location on their website!

📜 Plan description

📄 Editorial Review

Directnic is an established US domain registrar and hosting provider operating since 2000. The business originated within Intercosmos Media Group, founded by Sigmund "Sig" Solares, while its registrar activity now operates through Directnic, LLC and DNC Holdings, Inc. DNC Holdings remains an ICANN-accredited registrar under IANA ID 291.

The company became widely known during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when members of its technical team remained inside a New Orleans data center and kept essential systems online using generator power. Their work preserved hosted websites, communications and network access during a period when much of the surrounding infrastructure had failed.

Domains remain the central part of Directnic’s business. The company supports more than 600 domain extensions, including established generic domains, country-code extensions and newer specialist TLDs. Registrations include DNS management, registrar locking, account notifications and two-factor authentication.

Its domain tools are well suited to customers managing multiple names. Bulk search supports as many as 200 domains at once, while the marketplace covers premium names and domains offered for resale. Customers interested in an already registered name can use the specialist acquisition service, which includes ownership research, seller contact, negotiation and transfer assistance.

Directnic’s current product range also includes shared hosting, WordPress-compatible hosting, professional email, website building, SSL certificates, WHOIS privacy, managed DNS, URL forwarding and website security. The company does not currently maintain an active VPS or dedicated-server catalog, making it more appropriate for domains, company websites, blogs and small online stores than for resource-intensive applications.

The shared hosting range consists of Lite, Pro and Deluxe. These plans provide between 10 GB and 200 GB of storage, monthly transfer allowances ranging from 100 GB to 2,000 GB, email accounts, MySQL databases, FTP access and support for between three and 30 hosted domains.

Every hosting package includes a free SSL certificate, DDoS protection, ModSecurity, malware scanning and one-click application installation. Qualifying annual subscriptions also include a free domain from selected extensions.

WordPress is available through the included application installer, alongside Joomla, Drupal, Zen Cart and other widely used platforms. This is conventional cPanel shared hosting rather than a highly specialized managed WordPress environment, but it is sufficient for ordinary business sites, blogs, portfolios and modest e-commerce projects.

Professional email can be ordered separately from hosting. The available packages include between 3 GB and 25 GB of storage and between three and 25 mailboxes. Standard features include webmail, IMAP, POP3, spam filtering, calendars, contact management, forwarding, automatic replies and mailing lists.

The Website Builder uses a Weebly-based drag-and-drop platform with responsive templates, blogging, statistics, multimedia tools, SEO options and e-commerce functions. Higher plans add member accounts, password-protected areas, digital products, inventory management, tax calculations and shipping controls. The product remains functional, although its Weebly-based structure and some surrounding documentation are noticeably dated compared with newer website-building platforms.

Commercial SSL certificates are available for basic domain validation, extended validation and wildcard coverage. The certificates include free reissues and warranty protection. Some older SSL terminology remains within the product information, but the certificates still cover the standard encryption requirements of business websites and online stores.

The cWatch security service adds managed malware detection, cleanup, web application firewall protection, DDoS mitigation, monitoring and CDN acceleration. Depending on the selected package, security scans run manually or automatically every four to six hours.

Direct Privacy replaces public registrant details with proxy contact information wherever registry rules permit it. The customer remains the legal owner of the domain while correspondence can be forwarded through the privacy service.

Direct DNS is included free with domains registered through Directnic. The platform uses four nameservers and supports A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV and configurable TTL records. DNSSEC and Dynamic DNS are also available. Most DNS modifications begin appearing within minutes, although complete worldwide propagation can take up to 48 hours.

The website and customer interface are available in English, and products are priced in US dollars. The main account functions remain practical, but several pages retain an older design and terminology. The overall experience is functional rather than modern.