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List of Domain Name Backorder Services

When a domain name expires you can sometimes bid for it in auction.

However, many domain names never go to auction. Instead, they expire and are dropped allowing a user to register them for about $10 (the registration fee).

BUT, if someone else wants the same domain name as you they are likely to try to register it with an automated service — called a dropcatching service.

And let’s face it…computers are faster than us and can see if the domain name is available every second of the day; we have to sleep. To compete with them, you can pay about $60 and hire a backorder service (also known as a dropcatching service) to do the same on your behalf.

Notes:

  1. Some of these services charge to place the domain name backorder, while others only charge you if a backorder is completed. Do your due diligence.
  2. If more than one backorder is placed at any service, it’s likely to go to a closed auction at that service provider; in some cases, it goes to the first backorder.
  3. No single service provider can guarantee acquisition and – due to many factors – no one service provider is better at acquisition than another. If you really want a domain name, put in a backorder at all of them.

Here is a list of backorder services that you may want to investigate (in alphabetical order):

  • 123 Reg
    Free backorder; only pay upon successful registration, com: £39.99 (other TLD pricing listed)
  • CatchTiger
    .NL, .BE, .CH, .UK, .CO.UK, .FR and .EU; Public auction two weeks prior to drop; 24 hours prior to drop auction closes; Winning bidder only pays if domain is caught
  • DomainOrder
    Free backorder; pre-order from 50 Euro; no catch, no pay
  • DropCatch
    Free backorder; only pay $69 upon successful registration (if more than one backorder, it goes to public auction where anyone can join)
  • Dynadot
    .COM: $14.99, .NET: $14.99, .ORG: $14.99
  • Go Daddy
    Pre-pay $24.98 (or less) and use until successful for .COM, .CO, .INFO, .ORG, .NET, .ME, .MOBI, .US, .BIZ
  • Hexonet
    Free backorder; only pay $69 upon successful registration but must have sufficient funds in your account (prepaid)
  • NameCatch
    .IN backorder and drop-catch service; $19.99 to place backorder with 100% satisfaction guarantee
  • NameJet
    Free backorder; only pay $79 upon successful registration (if more than one backorder, it goes to private auction)
  • Nidoma
    .ES and .IT; Free backorder; only pay 29€ upon successful registration
  • Park.io
    .IO, .LY, .TO, .ME, .SH, .AC, .VC, .GG, .JE, .MN, .BZ, .AG, .SC AND .LC; Free backorder; only pay $99 upon successful registration
  • Pheenix
    .BAR, .BIZ, .CC, .CLUB, .CN, .CN.COM, .CO, .CO.UK, .COM, .COM.CN, .COM.CO, .DESIGN, .FR, .INFO, .IO, .JP.NET, .LA, .LY, .ME, .MOBI, .NET, .NET.CN, .NL, .ONLINE, .ORG, .ORG.CN, .PRO, .PW, .SITE, .TECH, .TO, .TOP, .TV, .UK, .US and .XYZ; Pricing varies starting at $38.99 for .com backorders, if caught. One backorder and receive domain for minimum price; more than one backorder goes to public auction
  • Pool
    Free backorder; only pay $60 upon successful registration
  • SnapNames
    Free backorder; only pay $79 upon successful registration (if more than one backorder, it goes to private auction)

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49 Responses to “List of Domain Name Backorder Services”

  1. 123 Reg BCAKORDER does not work

  2. Ariel says:

    Hi,

    where to backorder .de domains?

    Thanks

  3. Travis says:

    Backordr.com is also worth noting here. We charge only $99 per successful dropcatch, and use a silent auction model to promote lower auction prices. The platform was built by a computer networking expert, and has a near perfect catch rate.

  4. Andrea doria says:

    The top Platform for .it and .es domain backorder is Match.it I Think. They charge only $9 in case of successful backorder

  5. Dan says:

    eCatch.co.uk offer drop catching service for the following uk domains co.uk/.uk/.org.uk/.me.uk
    https://ecatch.co.uk

  6. I think DomainOrder.com also deserves a listing here :)

  7. na says:

    Domainmonster is 123 Reg

  8. na says:

    BackorderZone now part of SnapNames

  9. NAA says:

    Thanks for putting that together. I look forward to getting my first successful backorder.

  10. Ivan Jocic says:

    I have recently discovered another service for .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .us at http://unpicked.com
    They offer backorders at $19.95 per successful registration.

    1. Thanks for posting the information of that service, Ivan. It looks like they haven’t updated their website since 2008 (http://www.unpicked.com/sitehelp/news.asp), so I’m not sure if I’d trust it. Plus, I have no idea who owns or runs that service…generally, I have an idea of that before I post it to the official list.

  11. Daan says:

    If you are looking to backorder ccTLD’s like .NL, .BE, .FR, .UK, CO.UK, .EU you can go to http://www.catchtiger.com

  12. Nick says:

    Michael and All!

    First, wanted to thank you for your post – your information was very helpful in my obtaining my domain name. After extensive research and reading, the following my result.

    I have been and currently still am a Godaddy client for over a decade and I set up a back-order with them over a year ago for the domain I was going after.

    In the past I have had success with them for catching domain names, however things have changed as you will see from my journey with this. Due to a higher degree of interest in the domain name, I decided to take a defensive position.

    Based on my research, Dropcatch was the most common one listed for top 3, along with Snapnames and Namjet.

    This is list and accounts I set up to go after the domain name:

    1. Godaddy – Over a year ago set up back order with them – Easy to set up.
    2. DropCatch: Easy setup and Easy to BackOrder Domain Name – NOTE: you have to also set up an account with NameBright – NameBright uses the same login / password, however you need to setup your information and payment with them. They stated placing the ICAAN who-is information in advance is beneficial .. so I completed this prior to catching the domain name.
    3. Snapnames – Easy setup and Easy to BackOrder Domain Name
    4. Dynadot – Easy setup and NOT easy to BackOrder! Back order button was available, first it stated you need to deposit money into account – I already provide credit card information, so had to make that next step. When clicking Back Order button, it would not let me complete. Had to make a request for refund. I’ve seen this comment in several forums. They were good to reply to refund .. still waiting for refund as of this writing.
    5. BackorderZone: Easy setup and and BackOrder stated that someone else had already back ordered this domain name.

    Result: I was successful in obtaining domain name!

    1. Godaddy sent this – Capture Unsuccessful
    2. DropCatch – Captured the name. Dropcatch catches the name. Then there is a moment in time before you know have been succusful. Then some additional time for it to be moved from DropCatch to NameBright. Since this was my first
    3. Snapnames: Received no response from them and of course no charges. Would like to have received a result notification, but not a big deal.
    4. Dynadot – See above, after several clicks and attempt to get the back order button to do something with no success. Waiting for refund. To help this group, recommend use same process of once obtaining Credit Card information, to use that information and make additional requirements to fund the account in advance.
    5. BackorderZone: Someone already had placed a back order. Interesting as I understood more than one could place a back order and that those who placed it would be put into a private auction, however to be fair, not sure if this is the case.

    Final Thoughts:
    Until the internet / domain expiration process changes, I would use in order Dropcatch, Snapnames, Godaddy and BackorderZone. I am open to Dynadot if they change there purchase process. Dynadot also caused my Credit card company to contact me.

    Many Thanks!

    1. Great to hear you grabbed your desired expiring domain name, Nick!

      Thanks for sharing your data.

  13. Daniyal Naeem says:

    Hello Michael,

    Its such an awesome post. I have some questions for you though:

    1- Which one is the best nowadays?
    2- If i backorder a domain on many sites. Will it go to a open/closed private auction? assuming a domain has more then 1 backorders?

    Because, as the rules of many sites say, that we only charge if we are able to catch the domain for you. By catching, do they mean, if i am the sole bidder of that domain, only then they are able to catch? Or what?

    Please explain. I’ll be waiting for your reply.

    Many Thanks
    Daniyal

    1. Hi Daniyal,

      “1- Which one is the best nowadays?”

      You should use the partner auction house of the domain name you desire. Read https://www.domainsherpa.com/how-to-grab-an-expiring-domain-name/. They have a “lock” on the domain name, and no other drop catcher can get it. It’s not a matter of being faster, as there are partner auction houses per registrar.

      If there is no auction partner, as stated in the FAQs, then I personally like Pheenix. But DropCatch is doing a great job recently too. Place back orders based on your desire to catch it.

      “2- If i backorder a domain on many sites. Will it go to a open/closed private auction? assuming a domain has more then 1 backorders?”

      If there is more than one back order, then it will go to auction. Whether it’s private or public depends on the auction house. NameJet is private. DropCatch is public. Pheenix is starting to do auctions, and I haven’t tried to catch something where a second bidder entered the mix, so I can’t speak from experience on that site yet. You can email each and ask.

      Good luck,
      Michael

      1. Daniyal Naeem says:

        Thank you for the clarification.

  14. Christian says:

    So I looked and saw the website I want and it says: Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2016-07-10T21:49:07Z. Registrar: TUCOWS, INC. After reading all your comments I am wondering what is the best way to try and get this site. I know the auction house is SnapNames but do I only backorder that one? Or I saw some comments that says backorder on all other websites as well. Last, do I have to pay all the backorder fees on all those sites or do they just charge you if you get it? Thanks so much again for your help.

    1. Correct. If the domain name is expiring at Tucows, then you’ll want to place the order at Snapnames per this article: https://www.domainsherpa.com/auction-partners-of-domain-name-registrars/

      You do not need to place any other backorders since Tucows has an auction partner.

  15. Vivek says:

    What is the success rate of GoDaddy? Is it reliable?

  16. John says:

    And for .NL, .DE, .BE and .EU your best changes are DomainOrder.com

  17. Bob says:

    Michael,

    If the domain name does not become available, for whatever reason including the original owner renewing it, can I withdraw my backorder from the backorder services companies listed above. I would prefer not to wait years until it becomes available, if it ever does.

    Thanks,
    Bob

    1. In some cases you can easily do so by looking at your backorders and clicking an option to cancel one or more. You’ll need to look at website’s help or FAQ section to determine how to cancel an existing backorder, or contact their support team to do so.

  18. Brian L says:

    Is it true that “no one service provider is better at acquisition than another”? Surely some are at least a little better than others, while some might only rarely catch a name? I realize there are no guarantees. Thank you for this, btw.

    1. Good question, Brian.

      When I read your question, I thought to myself “surely someone is better than the others.” But I don’t have any data to indicate one way or the other. And the “best drop catcher” has changed over time. It used to be Pool, then Snapnames, and today I think many would say Pheenix or Dropcatch are best. But tomorrow who knows.

      So I’ll stick with my response of “If you really want a domain name, put in a backorder at all of them.”

      Now, this doesn’t apply to expiring domain names that have an auction partner: https://www.domainsherpa.com/how-to-grab-an-expiring-domain-name/

  19. Sam says:

    I wish backorder services would be as cheaper as domain name :P

  20. Michael Rodby says:

    GoDaddy now charges $24.98 for a backorder.

    1. Thanks for the catch, Michael. I’ve updated the data above.

  21. Fran says:

    Un aporte magnífico.

    Muchas gracias

  22. mersin tatil says:

    Thanks for list

  23. Josh says:

    Domain Monster charges $65 per backorder. It is no longer free: http://www.domainmonster.com/backorder/#bopricing

    1. Good catch, Josh. I’ve updated the description above. Thanks for posting a comment.

  24. Mike says:

    fyi – I just launched a site that does backorders for .io domains: http://park.io

    It’s the only reliable backordering service for .io domains

    1. Added. Thanks, Mike.

  25. NameYouNeed says:

    DynaDot also has backordering services for com, net, and org domains. It works ok to catch some domains.

    1. Added. Thanks, NameYouNeed.

  26. Tim Evans says:

    In January 2012, I lost out on SportsBranding.com the hard way. Had it locked and loaded in my Pool, SnapNames, NameJet, and GoDaddy/TDNAM accts, a new backorder site I did not know about got it — BackorderZone.

    Check out BackorderZone.com — $49 for names you are awarded. BackorderZone got GoldenTate.com (a backorder we were watching for our client and we had backorders in on all the major services).

    I think Name.com has a $49 pre-pay service too, but have never used them before.

    I used CrazyDomains.com.au to get a .co.uk drop in 2013.

    1. Thanks, Tim. I’ve included BackorderZone.com. I’ve emailed them for pricing and supported TLDs.

  27. Pardeep says:

    does Unpicked still work? seems like it’s very old company

    1. I’ve emailed unpicked.com and nobody replied, so I removed them from the list above. Thanks for asking your question, Pardeep.

      1. It took 5 days to receive a response from Unpicked.com, and there was no signature on the email. They replied, “our backordering service is up and running.”

  28. Thank you very much for including us in your list Michael!

    We hope many of your readers will get to take advantage of the service.

  29. Josh says:

    NIC.io allows direct back-orders from their WHOIS page now.

  30. Thanks for pointing that out, Josh.

    I went and viewed the terms. Purchasing a backorder at nic.io (after you do a whois search) requires you agree to the terms:
    1. I understand how Back-Orders work (https://www.nic.io/backorders_explained.xzx)
    2. I understand, if I buy a back-order, I still may not get the domain name (https://www.nic.io/backorders_explained.xzx)
    3. I understand, if I do get the domain name, it will not be live until I pay for it to be renewed (https://www.nic.io/backorders_explained.xzx)

    So, as a US-based company, I can pay £60.00 for a .io domain name backorder for 2 years but if the domain name never expires then I lose that fee. I do not believe it can be transferred to another domain name.

  31. Mike says:

    no, it can’t be transferred to another domain.

    You have to pay £60.00 to backorder the domain, and then another £30.00 to renew/purchase the domain. Total of £90.00.

    If you purchase the backorder for £60.00 and the owner renews, you are out £60.00

    I have been tracking the backorders with park.io. A relatively high percentage are being renewed. Happened to us with a backorder of email.io, also happened with save.io and ri.io

    I believe nic.io did this because my backorder service (park.io) was getting 100% of dropped .io domains and people complained that is was unfair.

  32. MKM says:

    The .IO is highly sought after for startups and small businesses who can hardly afford to compete in auctions held by some drop catchers.

    With the new backordering system that nic.io has adopted it puts individuals at fair chance with drop catchers. They (nic.io) allow only 1 (one) back order and they do not allow auctions. So if a person has already backordered he stands a fair chance (i.e. does not have to worry about drop catchers) when and IF the domain name expires.

    This process puts the bulk drop catchers at a major disadvantage as it would be difficult for them to make unredeemable prepayment of 60 pounds for each domain name which has a likelihood of getting deleted. Moreover, they cannot backorder for 2 years if someone else has already backoredered for 2 years.

    60 GBP (for 2 years) is a reasonable risk an individual can take if he is pursuing a particular domain name but is a costly gamble for bulk drop catchers.

    On the other hand this provides another stream of revenue for the registrar as they get to earn twice (current owner+backorder) for a sought after domain name.

    I think it should be followed as a model for other registrars as well.

  33. Mike says:

    Tell me the bacorder for the .pt and .br zone
    I tried to register on backorder.pt but I can’t confirm my phone number there, it gives an error and does not send SMS

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