If you’re a domain reseller, choosing the right registrar is a big choice that can have a big impact on your profit margins, automation setup, and customer offering.
Still looking for the best option for you? In this blog post, we compare two big reseller-focused registrars, Openprovider and CentralNic Reseller across six key areas: pricing model, payment methods, integrations, domain extensions, additional services, and support channels.
Quick comparison: Openprovider vs. CentralNic Reseller
| Category | Openprovider | CentralNic Reseller |
| Pricing model | Membership-based; domains at cost price | Tiered reseller model; includes markups on top of domain costs |
| Signup cost | Free signup; Membership from $49/year | €75 deposit required; must register/transfer 100+ domains in 1 year |
| Payment methods | Credit card, wire transfer, PayPal, iDeal, Bancontact, JCB, Diners Club, Razorpay | Credit card, wire transfer, PayPal |
| API type | REST API | EPP, HTTPs, SMTP, XRRP, SOAP / XML-RPC |
| Integrations | Modules for WHMCS, Blesta, Atomia, HostBill, HostFact, Upmind, ISP BillManager, and ClientExec | WHMCS module |
| TLDs offered | 2,000+ TLDs | 1,200+ TLDs |
| .com pricing | $10.44/year | $12.58–$16.68/year (tier-based) |
| Email hosting | Yes – from $0.70/month | Not available |
| Additional services | SSL, Plesk, Premium DNS, EasyDMARC, SpamExperts, Code Signing certificates, TMCH services, aftermarket domains, protective blocks | SSL, Anycast DNS, Registry Account Management (RAM), TMCH services, domain brokerage, protective blocks |
| Support channels | Tickets, email | Phone, tickets, email |
| Account currencies | USD, EUR, GBP, RUB, INR | USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, PLN, AUD, NZD |
Pricing model
Openprovider Members get access to over 1,900 TLDs at cost price. Membership starts at just $49 per year, and even the smallest tier delivers up to 6X return on investment. There are no signup fees – you only pay for your Membership and the products you use.
CentralNic Reseller uses a tiered pricing structure, where domain prices decrease as your portfolio grows. However, each operation still includes a markup, even at the highest tier.
CentralNic Reseller also requires a €75 deposit to activate your account. This deposit is added as credit, but to remain active, you must register or transfer at least 100 domains within your first year.
Payment methods
Openprovider supports a wide range of payment methods to suit local and international needs. These include:
- Credit card
- Wire transfer
- PayPal
- iDeal
- Bancontact
- JCB
- Diners Club
- Razorpay
CentralNic Reseller accepts:
- Credit card
- Wire transfer
- PayPal
Openprovider accounts can be managed in USD, EUR, GBP, RUB, and INR. CentralNic Reseller supports USD, EUR, GBP, CHF, PLN, AUD, and NZD.
Integrations (API, integration modules)
Both Openprovider and CentralNic Reseller offer plenty of options for automation.
Openprovider provides a modern REST API, as well as a ready-to-use WHMCS module for resellers looking to automate billing, provisioning, and domain management. Besides WHMCs, Openprovider also offers integration modules for Blesta, Atomia, HostBill, HostFact, Upmind, ISP BillManager, and ClientExec.
CentralNic Reseller offers multiple API gateways, including EPP, HTTPs, SMTP, XRRP, SOAP , and XML-RPC APIs. A WHMCS module is also available for integration.
Domain extensions
Openprovider gives you access to over 2,000 TLDs – one of the largest selections on the market. This includes generic TLDs, new gTLDs, and a wide range of ccTLDs.
CentralNic Reseller offers around 1,200 TLDs. While this still covers most of the major domain extensions, it’s a smaller selection compared to Openprovider.
Openprovider offers operations for over 1,900 domains at cost price. A .com domain at Openprovider costs $10.44 per year. At CentralNic Reseller, .com domains range between $12.58 and $16.68, depending on your reseller tier.
Additional services
Openprovider offers a wide portfolio of bundled and standalone products for resellers, including:
- Business email
- SpamExperts
- EasyDMARC
- S/MIME certificates
- SSL certificates
- Plesk licenses
- Premium DNS
- Code Signing certificates
CentralNic Reseller does not currently offer email hosting. Their bundled products include SSL certificates and Anycast DNS. They also offer Registry Account Management (RAM), which allows you to manage your own registry accreditations through their platform.
Support channels
Openprovider’s support team is available on weekdays from 4 am to 6 pm CET through tickets or email. Support will be extended to 24/7 coverage in Q2 2025.
CentralNic Reseller’s support is available by phone, tickets, and email and operates between 08:00 am – 02:00 am CET during weekdays.
Company background
Founded in 2004, Openprovider is a medium-sized, independent company with around 100 employees located globally. Openprovider’s subscription-like Membership model is unique in the domain industry, in which most registrars charging extra fees on top of domains and using tier-based prices determined by the size of a reseller’s portfolio.
CentralNic Reseller is part of Team Internet Group, a British conglomerate with more than 20 years of experience in the domain industry. Formerly known as RRPproxy, CentralNic has also absorbed registrars Key-Systems and Hexonet in recent years.
Final thoughts
Both Openprovider and CentralNic Reseller are stable choices with years of industry experience.
But if you’re looking for a broader product offering, more flexible pricing, and cost-price domains with guaranteed ROI, Openprovider Membership is worth exploring – especially if you’re scaling or optimizing your domain business.
Curious how much you could save?
