Of the eight tools we shortlisted, the Shopify Business Name Generator is our favorite domain name generator. We especially love it because you can use it to generate a unique domain name and business name, killing two birds with one stone. Plus, you can purchase the domain name from Shopify or use an alternative registrar. Read on to find other terrific domain name generators worth trying out.
Top Domain Name Generators: Golden Eggs
Below are our Golden Eggs, the best domain name generators among more than two-dozen tools that we tested.
Shopify Business Name Generator is our favorite domain name generator, with its easy-to-use interface, hundreds of suggestions, and accompanying services like a website builder and web hosting. Get a free-forever myshopify.com domain name when you sign up for a Shopify store.
NameStation offers a free basic domain name generator but also lets you host contests to crowdsource domain ideas with a 99.5% success rate. Create an account to host a contest and receive the perfect domain name in 1-3 days.
Panabee offers AI-powered suggestions for people looking for unique, creative, or quirky domain names. Start generating domain names for free today with Panabee.
Domain Name Generators Review Process
Domain name generators are a dime a dozen. Most of these tools are free, so users are spoiled for choice. However, not all domain name generators are created equal. The goal isn’t just to generate random words from keywords.
You want a generator that provides useable domains. We tested at least two dozen generators and narrowed our top contenders to the best eight options below. We also came up with three scenarios where you’d need a domain name generator and matched our top choices to these scenarios.
- The Best Domain Name Generators for Business Websites
- The Best Domain Name Generators for Early Stage Brainstorming
- The Best Domain Name Generators for a Personal Website
Again, the perfect domain name is also situation-specific. For example, you’ll need as much variety as possible during the early brainstorming stages. Conversely, you’ll need to narrow your options more when it’s time to pick a domain name for your business website.
We’ve categorized the best domain name generators for specific use cases. This way, it’s easier to identify which tool best supports your needs. Hopefully, you won’t have to try different options before finding one that works.
The Best Domain Name Generator for Business Websites
A domain name for your business website is an integral part of your online image and branding. Therefore, when choosing a domain name that casts your business in the best light, there’s little margin for error. Consequently, you’ll need a domain name generator designed for professional use.
Shopify Business Name Generator
Shopify servers up domain names with the .com extension, which is perfect for most businesses. This top-level domain (TLD) is familiar, location independent, and easy to remember. Shopify Business Name Generator allows you to stick to the script without getting distracted by alternative TLDs you don’t want.
The tool is also simple to use. You only need to enter a keyword that will generate 100 unique names in just a few seconds. The software also shows a matching domain name if available, and you can reserve it with Shopify. Your options are limited to the .com extension, but this isn’t a problem for most business owners.
The best part is you can find everything you need to create your online presence under one roof. With your unique domain name and store name in hand, you can go ahead and create your online store and host it with Shopify. Or you can copy the domain name and purchase it from a different registrar.
The Shopify Business Name Generator isn’t the most sophisticated tool. However, it’s quick, straightforward to use, and it’s free. Matching your domain to your business name is challenging, but Shopify quickly solves this problem.
Check out our Shopify review for details about what it’s like to host your online store with Shopify.
NameCheap Domain Name Generator
The NameCheap Domain Name Generator works similarly to the Shopify generator. You can generate a domain name together with a business name. The company also offers domain registration and web hosting services. It’s a terrific and affordable alternative to Shopify.
The suggestion tool also has a powerful Beast Mode. You can search up to 5,000 domains and keywords. You can filter your results by pluralizing nouns, dropping the last vowel, hiding premium domains, or setting price ranges. In addition, you can filter the domains by categories, such as business, finance, or arts and culture.
This granular filtering increases the chances of finding the perfect domain. You can add suffixes or prefixes to registered domains to make them unique. There’s also a vast database of domain names up for auction. So you may be able to find an appealing option rather than creating one from scratch.
Unlike Shopify, NameCheap offers multiple domain extensions. You can even choose a niche-specific extension like .tech or .store. NameCheap is powerful, quick, and has a generous search limit. However, it’s more challenging to use than Shopify’s generator, but certainly worth the extra effort.
Check out our NameCheap Review and NameCheap vs. GoDaddy Comparison for the complete picture of NameCheap’s web hosting services.
Best Domain Name Generators for Early Stage Brainstorming
Early-stage brainstorming emphasizes quantity over quality. So you need a domain name generator that can provide the variety you need to shortlist viable business names. You also want a tool that can perform complex combinations to create unique, high-quality, and brandable domain names.
NameStation
NameStation has a free core product that works similarly to other domain name generators. Simply enter your keywords, and the software suggests a potential domain name. In addition, the free version offers some valuable features, including a built-in narrator if you aren’t sure how to pronounce the more complex and unique domain name suggestions.
The generator suggests additional synonyms and word variations when you click on a proposed domain name. It also suggests different domain extensions that you might like. In addition, you can combine words, add corporate suffixes, and append keywords from a wordlist.
However, the paid version, starting at $24 for 60 days, packs a lot more punch. You can perform online reference checks, access up to 28 different name suggestion tools, find etymologies and translations, and check trademark availability in real-time. In addition, the tool combines and rearranges words in 16 ways to help you create unique suggestions.
NameStation’s defining feature is undoubtedly its name contest service. For around $35, you can create a private or public competition to crowdsource ideas for your domain name. The platform has more than a million users, so you have a vast pool to source from. As a result, it’s more effective than any generic or AI suggestion tool you can use.
Nameboy
The Nameboy domain name generator is fast, so you can go through a long list of keywords very quickly. The generator also suggests exciting domain names for your keywords.
It’s also one of the oldest suggestion tools, created in 1999. You can check if your favorite domain is available. The tool also provides instructions for registering an available domain name.
You can also pair Nameboy with other apps from the same company, including a store, blog, brand, podcast, or startup name generator. Nameboy is limited to .com extensions, which is convenient if you don’t want to get bombarded by irrelevant and obscure TLDs.
Nameboy also suggests hyphenated and rhyming variations of unavailable domain names. The tool also tells you if a taken domain name is available for resale. It’s a simple, attractive, high-quality tool for brainstorming creative domain names.
NameIdeasGenerator
NameIdeasGenerator is another terrific suggestion tool that covers all the bases for finding unique, fun, and even quirky domain names. The tool offers variations for all its suggested domain names. Additionally, the generator derives its suggestions from backward spelling, omitting letters, abbreviations, syllables, phony’s, phonetic variations, and switching vowels.
NameIdeasGenerator also covers a variety of domain name extensions, including .com, .org, .net, and .me. Alternatively, you can develop a unique TLD if the ICCAN supports it. The generator also comes with a domain search tool to check if the domain name is available.
The NameIdeasGenerator is free to use. It’s also easier to use than NameStation while still offering many more suggestions than you get for free with NameStation. It’s a terrific starting point before spending money on a domain name generator.
Finally, the suggestion tool offers built-in SEO. It uses keyword search suggestions from Google, Amazon, YouTube, and Bing to develop SEO-rich domains. The platform also provides more than 5000 commonly used domain suffixes and prefixes that you can add to your suggested domain name.
Best Domain Name Generators for a Personal Website
Choosing a domain name for a personal website is slightly different than for a business website. First, there’s more freedom, including using your name, business name, or keywords that appeal to your audience. Therefore, you need a domain name generator to help you find ideas regardless of your route.
Panabee
Panabee is one of the more eccentric domain name generators, perfect for finding a one-of-a-kind domain name. It provides suggestions based on interesting rules, such as slang, misspellings, and appending. The tool also uses suffixes, abbreviations, syllables, and phonemes to generate variations of unavailable domain names.
You can also use the tool to generate a website, app, and business name. Again, it’s easy to use and can suggest complex, novel, creative, and exciting ideas based on just two keywords. Regardless, many suggestions are sensible, usable, and not entirely random-sounding.
Panabee also shows username availability for most social networks, including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Again, it’s a valuable feature for creating a consistent web presence and branding across platforms. You can also check domain availability on Apple and Google Play.
Domain.com
Domain.com has a versatile domain name generator that suits most use cases. However, it is especially great for finding brandable, premium domain names. There are more than 300 TLDs to choose from, perfect for finding the one-of-a-kind domain of your dreams.
The generator works differently from most other similar tools. First, you’ll need to search for a potential domain name that you want. Then, the software will let you know if it’s taken. It will also suggest similar available alternatives and a price for each suggestion.
The company also offers domain registration, drag-and-drop website builder, and web hosting services. You also get the domain name for free for one year if you host your website with domain.com. After that, Domain.com hosting plans start at an affordable $3.75 per month.
You can check our Domain.com review for details about its services, pricing, and pros and cons.
Lean Domain Search
Contrary to what the name suggests, Lean Domain Search offers numerous domain name suggestions for keywords. The wealth of ideas is perfect for stumbling on a unique and creative domain name that accurately represents your personal brand. The tool also has a filter to help you narrow your options by popularity, length, or alphabetically.
The tool also provides a matching Twitter name if it’s available. It’s a helpful feature for unifying your online brand across multiple platforms. The tool also lets you instantly identify available and unavailable domain names.
Available domain names are green, while unavailable ones are red. You can customize your searches by placing the keywords at the suggested names’ beginning or end. You can also save your favorite suggestions.
The tool is free to use. It’s also easy to use if you don’t want complex filters and unnecessary customization. You can purchase your domain name from BlueHost when you find a suitable one.
Further Reading
We have many more resources to help you find the perfect domain name. These posts include reviews, guides, and how-to posts to help you learn more about choosing a domain name. We also have some terrific suggestions for domain registration so you know where to look when you’re ready to purchase your domain.
