INWX
Berlin registrar with direct DENIC and ICANN accreditation and tiered wholesale pricing
Quick Overview
| Company | INWX GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | Domain Registrars |
| Headquarters | Berlin, Germany |
| Founded | 1998 |
| EU Presence | EU (Germany) |
| Open Source | No |
| Pricing | From about €4.71 per year for .de, €13.10 for .com (net, plus VAT); volume tiers above 250, 1,000 and 3,000 domains |
| Free Option | Pay per domain |
| Replaces | GoDaddy, Namecheap |
Detailed Review
INWX has registered domains since 1998, when founder Mario Peschel started what became InterNetworX in Berlin, and it has held direct DENIC accreditation for .de since 2006 and ICANN accreditation since 2008.
That history shows in the pricing: retail customers pay from about €4.71 a year for .de and roughly €13.10 for .com, both net of VAT, with volume tiers for portfolios over 250, 1,000 or 3,000 domains layered on top. It sits closer to Netim than to Gandi — a registrar built for people who read a price list rather than a marketing page.
The platform underneath is Domain-Robot, INWX's own registration and DNS system, with a documented API that automates registration, transfers and DNS changes — the same kind of automation Netim's resellers use, aimed at agencies and hosting providers managing many domains rather than a single site.
INWX GmbH is registered in Berlin (Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 237141 B); the company also runs a separate Swiss entity, INWX Inc. in Zurich, for parts of its international business, so which entity you contract with can depend on the site you sign up through.
What is missing next to Gandi is polish: there is no free WHOIS privacy promoted as a headline feature the way Gandi frames it, and the pricing pages are built for people comparing tiers, not browsing. For a solo site owner who wants the simplest possible checkout, Gandi or Netim remain the friendlier front door; for an agency or a technical buyer who wants a direct registrar relationship without going through a reseller, INWX is the straightforward option.
What INWX does well
- Direct DENIC accreditation since 2006, ICANN since 2008
- From about €4.71/year for .de, €13.10/year for .com (excl. VAT)
- Documented API for registration, transfer and DNS automation
- Volume tiers for larger domain portfolios
- Independent, founder-led German company since 1998
Where INWX falls short
- No free WHOIS privacy promoted as a headline feature
- Pricing pages built for comparison, not casual browsing
- International site contracts through a separate Swiss entity
- Less brand recognition outside Germany than Gandi
Standout feature. Direct DENIC and ICANN accreditation since the 2000s, with tiered pricing built for people who read price lists.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Direct DENIC accreditation since 2006, ICANN since 2008
- From about €4.71/year for .de, €13.10/year for .com (excl. VAT)
- Documented API for registration, transfer and DNS automation
- Volume tiers for larger domain portfolios
- Independent, founder-led German company since 1998
Cons
- No free WHOIS privacy promoted as a headline feature
- Pricing pages built for comparison, not casual browsing
- International site contracts through a separate Swiss entity
- Less brand recognition outside Germany than Gandi
Alternatives to INWX
Frequently Asked Questions
What is INWX?
INWX has registered domains since 1998, when founder Mario Peschel started what became InterNetworX in Berlin, and it has held direct DENIC accreditation for .de since 2006 and ICANN accreditation since 2008.
That history shows in the pricing: retail customers pay from about €4.71 a year for .de and roughly €13.10 for .com, both net of VAT, with volume tiers for portfolios over 250, 1,000 or 3,000 domains layered on top. It sits closer to Netim than to Gandi — a registrar built for people who read a price list rather than a marketing page.
Where is INWX based?
INWX operates from Berlin, Germany, which places it under EU (Germany).
What does INWX cost?
From about €4.71 per year for .de, €13.10 for .com (net, plus VAT); volume tiers above 250, 1,000 and 3,000 domains. Pay per domain.
Who is INWX best for?
Resellers and technical buyers wanting ICANN-direct pricing. Direct DENIC and ICANN accreditation since the 2000s, with tiered pricing built for people who read price lists.
What are the drawbacks of INWX?
No free WHOIS privacy promoted as a headline feature. Pricing pages built for comparison, not casual browsing. International site contracts through a separate Swiss entity. Less brand recognition outside Germany than Gandi.
Is INWX a good alternative to GoDaddy?
INWX is built as a European alternative to GoDaddy: Berlin registrar with direct DENIC and ICANN accreditation and tiered wholesale pricing. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does INWX compare to other Domain Registrars tools?
INWX is one of several European Domain Registrars tools we cover. It is most often compared with GoDaddy, Namecheap.