Network Solutions Review: An Analysis of the Original Domain Registrar

Network Solutions legitimacy and licensing

Yes. Network Solutions has operated since 1979 and says it was the world’s first private domain registrar, once managing .com, .net and .org. Today it is a brand of Newfold Digital, which runs it as the flagship of its Network Solutions Group, next to Domain.com, Crazy Domains and others. The company says it has 2M+ customers and more than 5.4M domains.

Its reputation is split. Trustpilot shows 4.3 out of 5 from more than 17,000 reviews, with praise for individual support agents. BBB rates it D- and lists 190 complaints in the last 3 years, mostly about billing, renewals and service problems. Both can be true: support calls often go well, but billing and renewal practices draw complaints.

Network Solutions pricing and renewals

A .com costs $9.99 for the first year and renews at $34.99 a year on Network Solutions’ domain page. At-cost registrars such as Cloudflare, or flat-price ones such as Porkbun at $11.08, cost far less over several years. Domain Privacy + Protection is listed as free when you register a domain.

Hosting is sold as Starter, Essential and Premium on a one-year term, advertised from $2.99 a month. When we checked, the plan cards showed placeholder prices instead of real intro and renewal figures, so confirm both at checkout. Annual plans are paid up front and renew automatically at the then-current rate. The free domain and free SSL that come with Essential and Premium last one year.

What you get

Network Solutions sells domain registration, shared web hosting, business email, SSL certificates and a drag-and-drop website builder. Hosting plans range from Starter (1 site, 10 GB, 1 email box) to Premium (10 sites, 40 GB, 10 email boxes), all with unmetered bandwidth. You manage everything in one account, which is the main reason to choose it over a cheaper domain-only registrar.

Complaints and how to avoid problems

The most common complaints on BBB and Trustpilot are unexpected auto-renewal charges, high renewal prices, long hold times, email migration problems and sites or domains going down around renewal time. To avoid them:

• Check every product’s auto-renew setting right after you buy.
• Keep your payment method current for the domains you want to keep, since an expired domain can take your site and email offline.
• Uncheck add-ons and multi-year terms at checkout unless you want them.
• If you’re charged for a renewal you didn’t want, contact support within 30 days, the window for a possible refund on yearly renewals.

Canceling and refunds

Network Solutions says it has a general no-refund policy, with exceptions reviewed case by case. It may refund a new product if you contact it within three calendar days and the product is deleted from your account. It may refund a yearly auto-renewal within 30 days, and the renewal is then rolled back. Monthly or four-week renewals, premium domains and SSL certificates already issued aren’t refunded.

To cancel, call 800-362-0553 in the US or Canada, or use chat. The help center doesn’t describe a self-service cancel button. Ask for a confirmation and check your next statement.

Who should skip Network Solutions

If you only need a domain, a registrar that charges registry cost or a flat price will save you about $20 or more a year per .com at renewal. If you want a website without managing hosting, an all-in-one builder may be simpler. Network Solutions makes the most sense when you value bundled services and phone support enough to pay its renewal prices.