Want to backorder a domain without paying an arm and a leg?

The price of backordering domains varies widely. Often the cost depends on the availability of auxiliary services, which you may or may not need.

If you’ve been looking for domain backorder services that get the job done, you’ll love our list of the three most economical domain backorder companies.

But First, what is a Domain Backorder?

If you’ve ever checked to see if your dream domain name is available by typing it into the search box of a domain registrar, you know the deflating feeling of finding out that someone already owns it.

In cases like these, you have several options:

1.    Contact the owner directly to buy the domain name

2.    Work with a domain name broker and make an offer to buy the website domain

3.    Participate in domain auctions

4.    Place a domain name backorder with GoDaddy or another dropcatching service

Backordering a domain gives you the chance to purchase a domain name from the registrar when it expires. In order for this to work, the domain owner has to forgo the option to renew.

However, just because the owner fails to renew doesn’t mean you automatically get the domain name. There’s still a domain lifecycle that has to occur for expired domains, and that lengthens the renewal process.

To give expired domain owners a chance to renew after expiration, domain registrars offer a grace period and a pending delete phase where the owner can still renew the domain.

The length of this period varies based on the registrar. If the owner fails to renew, then the domain is dropped, and a drop catcher (aka domain backordering company) can pick it up.

When this happens, different registrars compete to renew the domain on behalf of their customers. If a registrar has more than one person who has expressed interest in the domain, it then goes to auction, and the highest bidder wins.

How Domain Backorders Work

Though the behind-the-scenes can get complicated, the process of domain backorders is relatively straightforward and encompasses four steps:

Step 1: Search for the domain you’re interested in.

Step 2: Select the option to place a backorder on it.

Step 3: Relax while your service provider continuously monitors the status of the domain.

Step 4: If the domain name becomes available, the domain backordering service will try to register it for you.

Services that a Domain Backorder Company Provides

One of the most common questions customers have is whether they need a domain backorder service at all or if they can just go through the process of backordering domain names themselves

In theory, you could backorder a domain yourself and skip the third party. Your chances of success if you go this route are low.

The reason is that these backorder services include a list of helpful features that make it easier to track the status of expired domain names.

They also have more advanced connections and acquisition tools that up their probability of success in the domain name registration department.

-      Domain monitoring features: Instead of checking 24/7 to see if a business renewed their domain name, most companies include domain monitoring membership, a service that does this for you.

-      Domain registration: If your backorder domain name bid is successful, many services will register the domain for you, sometimes at a discount.

-      Advanced filtering options: Be sure to check each company for the list of available domain names. You might find something on their list that’s even better or more economical than your intended domain. You can even search by TLD (top-level domain) or sort by price, expiration date, etc.

The 3 Cheapest Backordering Services

If you’re going after a domain name that’s desirable and valuable, you’re bound to have competition.

To increase your chances of being given the domain, we recommend setting up backorders with multiple companies.

The good news is that, in most cases, you’re only charged for a domain backorder if the acquisition is successful.

That being said, you might be charged in advance, so finding low-price options can help you stay on budget but you wont find a free domain backorder.

Just because a company offers the cheapest backorder domains, it doesn’t mean that users have to sacrifice quality service.

We’ve uncovered three of the best domain backorder service available.

1. Pool.com

Pool.com lets you place a backorder for as many domains as you want for free.

If the company is able to acquire the website for you successfully, you’ll pay a flat $60 fee, which includes one year of registration fees.

In the event that more than one Pool.com user has backordered the same domain, then there will be an auction that lasts from three to five days.

The length of the auction depends on the TLD (top-level domain), specifically whether it’s a .COM or a .CO.

To use this service, you do have to create an account. Creating an account is free, and it comes with perks like keyword alerts and access to lists of new and deleting domains.

The company boasts a 95% success rate for domain names in these categories.

2. GoDaddy

For the low price of $24.98, GoDaddy lets you move to the front of the line for your dream domain.

This price also includes registration and ICANN fees, daily domain name monitoring, and backorder transfers.

This means that if your initial backorder isn’t successful, you can transfer that fee to a new backorder as many times as you’d like.

Similar to Pool.com, if multiple people using this registrar for backordering are interested in the same expired domain, there will be an auction.

GoDaddy auctions will take your initial backorder payment and apply it as an opening bid, so you can think of the fee as a deposit for domain names.

3. Dynadot

Like other popular domain backorder services, you don’t have to pay unless the company secures the domain name for you.

The amount you pay will depend on what DynaDot assigns as the face value of the domain. This amount tends to start at just over $20 and can go up to about $69.

If the domain goes to auction, then this amount is the starting bid. Keep in mind that what Dynadot assigns as the face value is arbitrary, and it isn’t a reflection of the value of the domain name.

When you click on the domain, you’ll see an Estibot appraisal that can give you an approximate valuation.

As a reminder, you’ll only be able to participate in the auction if Dynadot is the one that successfully catches the domain.

The company also has online chat support if you have questions about the process or need to contact customer service.

Use SpamZilla to Review Your Domains

At this point, you’re probably wondering if the domain name you’ve been eyeing is worth the trouble and the potential wait.

A tool like Spamzilla can give you a lot of insight into the history of the domain and its worth.

With Spamzilla, you’ll see archives, backlink profiles, Majestic topics, and more.

Instead of wasting valuable time and money chasing a domain only to discover it’s a lemon, Spamzilla helps you uncover veritable diamonds in the rough.