Comparing expired domain drop catching prices

As NameJet hikes prices, here are your options.

NameJet announced today that it’s increasing the price of pending delete drop catching, suggesting that the price hike is so it can invest more to improve its success rate.

By “pending delete” drops, I mean domain names that go through the full deletion cycle and are picked up by services hammering Verisign’s servers the moment the domain is released.

Many expired domain name services also have deals with registrars to “direct transfer” domains that expire at that registrar.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest drop catching services (in alphabetical order) and their pending delete backorder prices.

DropCatch.com – DropCatch is part of the HugeDomains and NameBright stable, and it has invested heavily in capturing expired domain names. It has over 750 domain name registrars, most of them set up specifically to capture expiring domains. Successful backorders are $59. If more than one person bids the domain goes to a public auction. Discounted backorders are available but are usurped by full-price backorders.

SnapNames – The longest running expired domain service of the lot, SnapNames has a large stable of registrar partners. It charges $69 for successful pending delete backorders.

NameJet – NameJet is known for its direct-transfer partners including Register and NetworkSolutions, which give the site great inventory. Its price hike sends successful pending delete orders from $39 to $69. The site holds private auctions if there’s more than one bidder for the same domain.

Pheenix – Powered by the same company that runs FreshDrop, Pheenix charges $21.99 for .com backorders. Domains that are caught with more than one backorder go to a public auction. Discounted backorders are available but are usurped by full-price backorders.