Reference
Methodology
Every explainer and comparison on this site is built the same way. This page is the standard we hold it to.
Rules come from the registry, cited by section
We write each restricted-TLD explainer from the registry's own published policy, not from resellers or summaries. Claims about who can register, what identifiers are needed, and what the contract does are tied to a specific section number so you can check them. Where an official English translation exists we use it, with a note that the local-language version takes precedence.
Every claim is dated
Policies change. Each page records the policy version it was written against and the month it was last verified, and each provider profile records the month we last checked it. A statement of a rule without a date is treated as a defect.
Trustee and pricing data
For each provider we record the annual fee, the five-year total, any setup fee, the transfer and exit terms, the provider's legal form and country, and whether it is an operating business or a holding vehicle. Prices are taken from the provider's own published rates in a stated currency, with the source and date. First-year or promotional pricing is recorded separately from the standard renewal rate, and comparisons lead with the renewal rate.
How we score providers
A provider receives a rating out of five for each extension it is compared on, because the same company can offer a sound arrangement on one registry and a poor one on another. Each of the six criteria below is scored from 0 to 5. The rating is the weighted sum, rounded to the nearest half star.
| Criterion | Weight | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Contract transparency | 25% | A trustee agreement, terms, refund policy and privacy policy published and readable before purchase, and the holding entity named. |
| Exit terms | 25% | The cost, time and conditions of cancelling and transferring out, what is deleted on the way out, and a wind-down clause if the provider stops trading. |
| Holding structure | 20% | The legal form and filing status of the entity that holds the domain in the company register, and how many domains already sit under it in the registry's holder lookup. |
| Track record | 10% | Years trading under the same entity, public reviews and documented complaints. |
| Price | 10% | The five-year total at renewal rates, trustee and domain fees combined. |
| Payment protection | 10% | Whether payment carries dispute rights, such as a card payment through a processor. |
A rating of 5 requires full marks on every criterion. We expect to award it rarely, and where we do, the page says so and explains why.
Evidence behind every rating
Every rating on a comparison page links to its evidence: the company register entry for the entity that holds the domain, the registry's holder lookup where one exists, and the contract clauses we rely on. Each source, with the month we checked it and an archived copy where one exists, is listed in the evidence archive.
Independence and conflicts of interest
Trusteeindex is fully independent. We have no ownership interest in, receive no payment from, and have no personal relationship with any provider listed on this site. No registry, registrar or trustee pays to be listed, to rank higher, or to influence what is written. There are no affiliate links anywhere on the site. If that ever changes it will be stated on every page it affects, and it will not change any ranking.
Contact with providers
We disclose any contact with a provider that bears on what we publish. No provider has requested a correction or supplied information for publication. Where we contact a provider's sales or support team while researching a review, as a prospective customer would, the review says so.
Corrections and right of reply
If a rule or a price is out of date, email info@trusteeindex.com. We re-check the page against the current source and update its date. Corrections are logged, and every provider we assess has a right of reply, as set out on the changelog.
Last updated September 2026.