If you want to find out information about a particular website, such as the name of the domain registrar, and other information about the registrant, a Whois lookup is what you will be needing! Whois lookups provide valuable information about the person who owns a particular domain. It can go into great detail about this registrant, such as exposing the registration and expiry dates and even nameservers or admin contacts for the domain. Here’s what a Whois lookup typically reveals:
- Domain Name: The registered domain’s name (e.g. mycompany.com)
- Registrar: The company or organization that registered the domain.
- Registrant: The individual or entity that owns the domain.
- Administrative Contact: The person or organization responsible for managing the domain.
- Technical Contact: The person or organization responsible for technical aspects of the domain.
- Name Servers: The authoritative servers that handle DNS records for the domain.
- Creation and Expiration Dates: When the domain was registered and set to expire.
- Status: The current status of the domain (e.g., active, inactive, or pending transfer).
Top Whois Information Lookup Tools that are completely free
Let’s have a look at some Whois lookup tools on the market that are extremely effective, easy to use, and completely free.
1. PowerDMARC
PowerDMARC is much more than just your typical Whois lookup tool. It is a domain security and email authentication SaaS provider specializing in DNS protocol hosting, monitoring, reporting and analysis services. PowerDMARC’s Whois lookup tool is completely free, instant and effortless. It displays accurate Whois information about domain ownership, explained in a non-technical and beginner-friendly way.
Advantages
- Instant, accurate and error-free Whois lookup
- Access to DMARC analyzer
- Hosted DMARC, SPF and DKIM
- Assistance with Google and Yahoo compliance
2. Godaddy
GoDaddy is more than just a whois lookup tool. It is a massive web hosting service – probably the largest in the world. Godaddy allows you to find and register your unique domain name before others can a hold of it – which is the most important part of your online business. It can help you host and maintain your website, and get a professional email address for your business communications – all at very affordable rates!
Advantages:
- Free and easy-to-use whois lookup tool
- Helps you find information about the registrar
- Helps you report invalid domain ownership
3. Domain.com
Domain.com boasts quite a few capabilities. It allows you to pick a domain name from a directory of hundreds of available domains to start your online business. It allows your domain to be transferred to domain.com as well as the ability to create a branded email address through Google Workspace. Domain.com’s whois lookup tool is extremely precise and insightful, going into great detail about Whois lookup information.
Advantages
- Free and easy to use
- Detailed insights into the registrar and registrant’s background
- Suggestions on similar domain names available for registration
4. Network Solutions
Network Solutions is another well-known domain and website hosting service with a powerful Whois lookup tool ensuring that data privacy is maintained at every step during the information extraction process. Network solutions also allow public Whois database listings, and private Whois database listings to provide you with the flexibility of choosing the level of information disclosure which you are comfortable with.
Advantages
- You can reach out to the owner of a domain to negotiate a secret deal to buy it out
- You can turn on 24/7 monitoring for the domain you want to acquire
- You can acquire the domain as soon as it becomes available
5. ICANN Lookup
You can take the more authentic and traditional route by using ICANN lookup. ICANN uses Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) by IETF. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) lookup can be helpful in various ways, particularly when dealing with domain names and related information. It is a non-profit organization responsible for coordinating and managing DNS and IP address allocation. Here are some ways in which an ICANN lookup can be useful:
Advantages
- When using their Whois lookup tool, you get the trust of ICANN
- It uses the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) which is much better than the Whois protocol
- You can also access non-public data for domains using the ICANN website
6. Namecheap
Popular domain registrars like GoDaddy and Name.com do provide Whois lookup services for free on their website, and Namecheap is no different! Namecheap’s Whois lookup tool comes with a plethora of information on what is Whois lookup, how it can help you and how to use their tool to lookup Whois information.
Advantages
- Simple explanations about Whois lookups
- Frequently asked questions on Whois data
- Easy to use and free tool
Why Lookup Whois Information?
Whois information lookup is not about snooping on a domain’s owner – it’s much more than that! You can verify domain ownership to ensure that your domain’s Whois information actually aligns with who you expect to own your domain. You can also find the contact details of domain owners with the help of a Whois lookup, which can come in handy if you want to reach out to the domain owner for any reason. IT professionals often use Whois lookup tools to check name server information that is frequently required for troubleshooting errors or while investigating cybersecurity incidents.
In general, Whois information lookup can be beneficial in a lot of different ways. We hope you find a suitable tool for yourself from our list that will help you get started immediately.
Check out: Advantages of Getting a Free Domain Name