Hosting
Gandi
Domain registrar with LiveDNS, DNSSEC, forwarding, privacy controls, API, email and hosting add-ons.
What it is
Gandi is an ICANN-oriented domain registrar with a large TLD catalog plus Anycast LiveDNS, DNSSEC, web and email forwarding, WHOIS privacy where registries permit it, an API, SSL and separate email/hosting products. Domain cost is not flat: creation, transfer, renewal, owner change and post-expiry restore differ by extension, country, currency, tax and promotional period. A low first-year price can therefore be far below the recurring renewal price.
Key features
Domain lifecycle
Registers, transfers, renews, changes ownership and restores supported extensions.
LiveDNS
Hosts Anycast DNS with DNSSEC, templates, bulk operations and managed record changes.
Privacy and security
Offers registry-dependent WHOIS masking, account MFA and domain activity controls.
API and delegation
Automates domain/DNS work and delegates scoped permissions through organizations and teams.
Strengths and trade-offs
What works well
- Published lifecycle pricing: Gandi exposes creation, transfer, renewal, owner-change and restore prices by TLD.
- Included DNS tooling: LiveDNS provides Anycast nameservers, DNSSEC, templates and record history/rollback capabilities.
- Domain automation: A public API and bulk configuration tools support portfolio administration.
- Privacy controls: WHOIS masking is enabled by default where registry rules allow it, with WebAuthn account MFA available.
Where it falls short
- Renewal can dwarf registration: The reviewed .com example was €11 to register and €31.98 to renew before tax in France.
- Promotions are temporary: Registry campaigns, exchange rates and country pricing can change both availability and cost.
- Privacy is not universal: Registry policy, registrant type and jurisdiction can prevent complete WHOIS masking.
- Bundled services have boundaries: Free SSL is described as first-year and hosting/mail products require their own entitlement review.
Who it is for
Individuals and organizations prioritizing domain operations and DNS tooling over the lowest promotional registration price.
Our verdict
Gandi can suit operationally serious domain portfolios, but evaluate each TLD over several years; secure account and registry contacts, export DNS records, test API automation, and document renewal, transfer and expiry recovery before moving critical domains.
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What we checked
- Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.Yes
- Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.No
- Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.No
- SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.No
“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.
Evidence and freshness
Status: Official sources reviewedReviewed: 2026-08-24
- Gandi — Domains ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: registration transfer and renewal price separation, current sample TLD prices, LiveDNS DNSSEC and templates, first-year SSL, forwarding and aliases, free API, WebAuthn MFA, support schedule
- Gandi — Full TLD pricing ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: creation transfer renewal owner-change and restore columns, US currency and tax context, premium and registry variation, exchange-rate changes, corporate pricing grids
- Gandi Docs — Domain names ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: domain management scope, WHOIS privacy, DNS records and nameservers, manual and automatic renewal, expiry restoration, incoming transfer procedures, bulk management
- Gandi Help — Private WHOIS ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: default privacy setting, redacted data, anonymized email, registry-dependent availability, individual and organization distinction, consent to publication when disabled
- Gandi — Promotions ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: time-limited registration promotions, registry campaign variability, included DNS DNSSEC SSL and support positioning
- Gandi — Contracts ↗
Checked 2026-08-24 · Supports: service-specific contracts, domain registration terms, DNS and SSL contractual separation
Limit: Official Gandi product, price, documentation, help and contract-index pages were reviewed; ToolCompare did not register, renew, transfer or restore a domain, inspect checkout tax, test LiveDNS/API/MFA, validate every TLD rule, use email/hosting, contact support, or obtain corporate pricing. Sample prices are date-, country-, currency- and extension-specific and may change.