Want to jump straight to the answer? For the majority of users, the best domain appraisal service is either GoDaddy or Sedo.
If you own a potentially popular domain name, or if you are seeking a new domain name, it would be helpful to understand the domain’s value. For the majority of people and business owners, this is extremely difficult to determine on your own.
Fortunately, domain appraisal services are available that can help you determine the value of the domain. We put together a list of the six best domain appraisal services, some of which are free to use.
The Top 6 Best Domain Appraisal Services
- GoDaddy – Best overall
- Sedo – Best for domain portfolio appraisals
- Flippa – Best for researching asking prices
- EstiBot – Best for domain name investors
- Epik – Best for non-traditional domain information
- Free Valuator – Best for crowdsourcing appraisal opinions
Although these services work well for someone who is looking to start a new website and wants to purchase a single domain, they work best for those who buy and sell domains regularly.
Domain appraisal services rely on statistics from real-world sales of domain names, among other stats and information. They often also use artificial intelligence software that estimates where the value of certain domain names may go in the future.
#1 – GoDaddy – Best Overall
For those who want a quick measurement of the value of a domain name, GoDaddy will deliver strong results.
GoDaddy is a trusted brand in the world of domain names. It has 20-plus years of experience selling domain names, and it can draw upon this history when providing you with a value for your domain name.
It is completely free to use, and it returns the projected value within several seconds. Both of these factors are ideal when you want to receive the valuation immediately. Anyone looking to buy or sell a domain name can take advantage of having this type of information so easily available.
Don’t assume that because GoDaddy is free to use that it returns low-quality valuations. It considers some of the most important criteria for determining the value of a domain name. It then displays that criteria alongside its estimated valuation of the domain name, including:
- The actual sale price for similarly worded domain names
- Whether the domain name under consideration has popular search terms and words
- The simplicity of remembering the domain name in question
- The extension the domain name uses
If you would like a record of your valuation search, you can have GoDaddy email you the results, or you can make a printout.
Should you want to buy or sell the domain after checking its value, GoDaddy will give you some advice on the next steps you can take. Or, if the domain name about which you are asking has no current owner, GoDaddy will help you purchase and set up the new domain name.
#2 – Sedo – Best for Domain Portfolio Appraisals
If you have a large number of domain names in your portfolio, you may want to receive an appraisal for all the sites at one time. This is an area where Sedo sets itself apart from the others on our list.
Sedo will create custom reports regarding the value of a single domain name or dozens of domain names.
This is not an instant appraisal service, as it will take at least a few days to receive the report via email. The actual amount of time required will depend on the number of sites in your portfolio.
Rather than relying solely on artificial intelligence and other automated aspects of appraising a domain name, Sedo uses human appraisers. These appraisers will use statistics about the domain name to generate an evaluation. Sedo considers 10 different factors, including actual search engine results and marketability.
Sedo has a historical database of the sales results for a significant number of domain names. It can accurately compare your domain name query to actual sales numbers for similar names.
The price for an individual domain appraisal starts at $99. For an appraisal of your entire domain portfolio, you must request a price quote from Sedo.
#3 – Flippa – Best for Researching Asking Prices
The Flippa website allows domain name owners to buy and sell their domains. Through this tool, you also can perform research on any domain names for sale. You can enter a keyword to aid in your research.
When researching domain names in this manner, you will see actual asking prices for domains for sale.
As an additional tool, Flippa lets you request a valuation estimate for your domain name or online business. This appraisal of your existing site is free.
Flippa generates this valuation by measuring the popularity of the business model, the age of the domain, the sales category, and other factors. It also will attempt to determine the enthusiasm of potential buyers for your site as part of the appraisal of the value. Flippa makes use of actual historical selling data to generate valuation estimates.
Should you end up deciding to sell your domain name after performing your research on its value, you can advertise it on Flippa. You also can purchase domain names through Flippa.
#4 – EstiBot – Best for Domain Name Investors
For those looking to buy and sell domain names as part of an investment business, EstiBot is a valuable tool.
When you subscribe to EstiBot, you can track your portfolio of domain names. It will track the value of your various domain names in real time. It also will give you alerts when market conditions change, meaning you may want to sell one or more of your existing domains.
EstiBot continually monitors the values and performances of more than 2 million domain names. The appraisal service also tracks actual sales data and figures for domain names, as well as the dates of the sale.
EstiBot is free to use for a basic evaluation of the value of your domain names, but you also can subscribe to the service to receive more features. Subscription prices run from $29 to $99 per month. You will receive an appraisal certificate with your subscription that you can present to potential buyers.
#5 – Epik – Best for Non-Traditional Domain Information
When you select Epik to request an appraisal for your domain name’s value, this appraisal service will use several criteria to develop a value. What sets Epik apart from the others on our list is that it will consider some non-traditional types of data, including:
- Page rank on Google searches
- Page rank on Alexa voice searches
- Primary language found on the domain
- Cost per click (CPC) statistics for the domain
Epik also relies heavily on the history of the usage of the domain and on the domain’s historical performance when determining its appraisal figure.
Epik will provide basic data regarding the valuation of the domain for free, but you will have to give them your contact information. You also can pay for an appraisal for $399 for a single domain or $1,295 for an appraisal of your domain portfolio.
For the subscription price, a human appraiser will create a valuation report for you, based on the traditional and non-traditional data that Epik tracks.
As another feature of the pay service, Epik will give you an estimate of the fairness of a proposed transaction for a domain. This is a nice service when you and a potential buyer or seller are having trouble agreeing on a price.
#6 – Free Valuator – Best for Crowdsourcing Appraisal Opinions
With Free Valuator, you will receive the standard features for generating a domain name appraisal that you would expect to receive. However, you also receive the ability to crowdsource opinions about the value of a particular domain.
When you are considering buying or selling a domain, this crowdsourcing option can be an invaluable tool. You can receive multiple opinions and perspectives about the value of a site you own that you want to sell or of a site that you want to buy.
You will need to register with the Free Valuator site to receive access to the crowdsourcing features. You also will have access to a traditional, basic free domain name appraisal by registering.
Should you want a professional evaluation of your domain, you can request an appraisal from one of the staff members at Free Valuator. This appraisal for a single domain costs $69. Should you own several domains, you can request a professional appraisal of your entire portfolio for a custom price.
How to Find the Best Domain Appraisal Services for You
Although it may seem like all domain appraisal services should operate in a similar manner, this is not the case.
Finding the value of a domain name is not the same as accessing a Kelley Blue Book value when selling a car. Domain name valuations don’t all exist in a single repository to determine values like car valuations do.
Each appraisal service will have particular aspects of the domain name selling and buying process that it will emphasize. Determining which of those aspects are important for you will help you zero in on the best domain appraisal service for your needs.
Market Demand for the Domain Name
Domain name appraisal services may closely measure the actual market for a particular domain name. Is it possible for the domain name in question to work well as the brand name for a business or product?
The services may survey buyers and sellers to determine the value of a set of domain names. They then may apply those survey results to your particular domain name query, determining a potential value.
Additionally, the appraisal service may measure actual sales of domain names similar to yours. The service then can use that information to create a more accurate estimate of the value of your domain name.
Some appraisal services will measure the number of unique users who visit the domain on a monthly basis. Sites that have a larger user base will carry a greater value.
Finally, services will attempt to determine whether the domain name you are considering has any business potential. Some names may relate to a certain segment of the market that is extremely popular right now. The appraisal service may take this into account and increase the value of your domain name query.
Characteristics of the Domain Name
Some appraisal services place a significant emphasis on the name itself. Some of the factors involved include:
- Extension: The extension involved in the domain name plays a key role in its value. A .com extension domain name will be more valuable than a .net name, which is more valuable than a .info name.
- Name length: Shorter domain names are more popular and more valuable than longer names that are more difficult for visitors to remember.
- Spelling: If the domain name uses special characters or a non-traditional spelling of a normal word, it will not be as valuable. Visitors will have a harder time remembering this type of domain name.
Additionally, If you have a domain name that does not work on a global basis, it will be less valuable. For example, your name may mean one thing in the United States, but it may mean something completely different in another country, negating some of its value.
Similarly, some names may sound clever or may be easily recognizable in your city or state. However, in other regions, the name may be less meaningful or understandable. This reduces the value of the name.
Domain Name Search History
With a domain name, the current search numbers play a role in its value, whether you are buying or selling the name.
If you are looking to purchase an existing domain name, you will have to pay extra for a domain that already performs well in search. If the domain name consists of words that are popular in search, the domain name’s value will be higher too.
Additionally, a domain name established many years ago and with a history of popularity will receive a higher value than a domain name with only a few months of history behind it.
Domain Name Usage History
Some appraisals will measure any links that point to the domain name in question (called backlinks). If these are links from high-quality sites, the value of the domain name will be higher than if the links come from poor-quality sites.
If the backlinks to the domain name under question come from sites that have a history of spam, Google may penalize the domain name.
Should you purchase a domain name that is under penalty from Google, those penalties likely will carry over to you. You will want to know how such penalties may affect the value of the domain name. Some appraisal services will include this information in the valuations they return.
The Top Domain Appraisal Services in Summary
Ultimately, the valuations that domain name appraisals provide are not going to be completely accurate in every setting. The value of any domain name boils down to whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
The benefit of domain appraisal services is that they at least give you a starting point for trying to determine the value. You then have the ability to negotiate a price that will fit your needs and budget.