{"id":1809,"date":"2021-05-20T11:24:41","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T08:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/?p=1809"},"modified":"2025-11-27T14:35:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T12:35:27","slug":"what-is-the-difference-between-a-registry-registrar-and-registrant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/what-is-the-difference-between-a-registry-registrar-and-registrant\/","title":{"rendered":"Registry vs Registrar vs Registrant"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to domain registration, administrative procedures occur at the back end, though it may not seem like it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>One of them is issuing a top-level domain <\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(TLD)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to your domain name by the registrar. Another is managing these domain names, so each website has a unique name and their available details on a WHOIS lookup by ICANN.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apart from the role of the ICANN (which we\u2019ll discuss further down this article), three parties are responsible for carrying out a domain registration\u2014<\/span><b>the registry, registrar, and registrant.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article describes their various roles and how they all fit in the domain name registration process. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is the Role of a Domain Registry?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A domain registry is a centralized database with up-to-date information on domain names and their associated owners. This database is managed by a large organization that administers <\/span><b>the top-level domain <\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(TLD)<\/span><\/i> <b>on a broader scale.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This organization makes rules and decisions that govern the sale of <\/span><b>domain extensions, domain registration, domain disputes, zone files, and settings.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The domain registry enforces some of these rules and requirements on the registrant alone. For example, you may have to live in a specific country to use a country code top-level domain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, when you register a domain name, you\u2019re bound by the terms of service for the registry and the registrar\u2014 in this case, ScalaHosting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>While there are domain registries like Verisign that:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0manage top-level domains (TLD) like .com and .net<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">registries like ZADNA manage country code top-level domains (ccTLD) like .co.za.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Verisign<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for example, claims to register a total of 165.2 million domain names across the .com and .net TLD name base in December 2020. This is only possible because domain registries have a colossal internet infrastructure that enables them to manage internet security and DNS services worldwide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But even with this infrastructure, domain registries do not offer domain registrations for second-level domains such as <\/span><b>example.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">net. Instead, accredited registrars like ScalaHosting perform those functions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is the Role of a Domain Registrar?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Domain Registrars such as ScalaHosting are the middlemen in the domain registration process. They sub-sell the services of the registry to an individual or company (registrant).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, the major role of <\/span><b>a domain registrar is to make domain names available to the public and help the registry update <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">its records when a client makes a purchase. To do this, they keep track of available domain names and provide the structure needed to maintain domain name subscriptions and renewals running smoothly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Domain registrars are accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(ICANN)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and operate based on their guidelines and the registry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also play a role in domain dispute resolution involving cases like cybersquatting, where a registrant is accused of registering a domain they\u2019re ineligible to, or in bad faith, intending to resell them for profit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though domain registrars and<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/reseller-hosting.html\"> <b>domain resellers<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offer domain registration services, the registrars are the only organizations with ICANN accreditation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resellers are extra middlemen in the chain of command, found between the registrar and the registrant. Like the registrars, they too<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/become-hosting-provider\/\"><b>sub-sell domain registration services<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but in this case, their only link is the domain registrar, not the registry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with these, domain registrars like ScalaHosting offer web hosting services, too, making it an all-inclusive shop for businesses looking to set up a website and register their domains.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Who is the Domain Registrant?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A domain registrant is an owner or holder associated with a domain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The registrant <\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(which can be a person or business entity)<\/span><\/i> <b>registers a domain with a registrar and manages their domain settings <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and information through them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In essence, a domain registrant is you. Once you make changes to the contact or DNS information to your domain name, the registrar\u2014<\/span><b>ScalaHosting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, sends the current information to the registry to update their records.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In another context, the registrant can be a website owner once they\u2019ve set up their website.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How Do You Register a Domain Name on ScalaHosting?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, we\u2019ve discussed the primary parties involved in the domain registration process, let&#8217;s take a brief look at the role of ICANN and how it affects you, the registrant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Internet Corporation for <\/span><b>Accredited Names and Numbers<\/b> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(ICANN)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> oversees the global domain name system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the very least, <\/span><b>the ICANN performs administrative functions by coordinating domains and associated IP addresses,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ensuring your domain name and IP address are unique to you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, ICANN gets your information from the associated registry and updates the public WHOIS directory. Hence, your contact and domain registration information are available to the public.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if you love some privacy, there\u2019s still a way around this when registering your domain.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Registering Your Domain<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process involved in registering your domain with us is straightforward. The first step is to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/domain-names.html\"><b>check your domain availability<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your preferred domain is available, it will take you to the Shopping Cart, where you can place your order. For a step-by-step tutorial on registering your domain, please go through <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/getting-started-with-domain-registration-and-reselling\/\"><b>this guide<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Domain Name Privacy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll need some information from you when registering your domain.<\/span><b> This includes, but not exclusive to, your:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Name<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mailing address and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phone number<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you run a big business, you might provide non-personal information for these parameters, and that\u2019s okay. But this may pose some<\/span><b> high-profile risk if malicious actors get a hold of your data.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To curb this, we offer privacy protection to our clients and shield your information from unauthorized use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you need more information regarding this, please read our privacy protection policy or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/contact-us.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shoot us a message <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to request custom privacy features.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to domain registration, administrative procedures occur at the back end, though it may not seem like it.\u00a0 One of them is issuing a top-level domain (TLD) to your domain name by the registrar. Another is managing these domain names, so each website has a unique name and their available details on a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Registry vs Registrar vs Registrant | ScalaHosting KB","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dns"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1809"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5894,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1809\/revisions\/5894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}