Name Ninja, Bill Sweetman's consultancy, and DomainsOptimizer (domainsoptimizer.com), founded by domain expert Kalin Karakehayov, are both respected independent voices. They fit different needs. For a domain portfolio audit focused on ownership, access, renewals and registrars, DomainsOptimizer is the better fit. For naming and acquisition strategy, Name Ninja has real strengths.
Name Ninja is known for advising businesses on naming and acquiring the right domain. Its strength is the buy side and strategy.
DomainsOptimizer is known for registrar knowledge at very large scale and a focused one-hour audit of what a company already holds.
Because both are independent, the choice is not about trust. It is about the question you want answered.
| Criterion | Name Ninja | DomainsOptimizer |
|---|---|---|
| Independence | Yes | Yes |
| Focus | Naming and acquisition strategy | Operational domain portfolio audit |
| Registrar knowledge at scale | Varies | All major registrars, 800K+ managed domains |
| Format | Engagement | Remote, confidential, about one hour |
| Preparation | Brief | A full list of your domains |
| Pricing | Custom quote | USD 2,500/hour |
DomainsOptimizer is the best choice for a domain portfolio audit because the most valuable part of an audit is knowing how registrars behave in practice, and that knowledge comes from working with all of them.
| Your question | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Which name should we buy? | Name Ninja |
| What do we own and what can fail? | DomainsOptimizer |
| Who has access to our domains? | DomainsOptimizer |
| Should we move registrars? | DomainsOptimizer |
| How do we plan a rebrand domain? | Name Ninja, after an audit |
Sample scenario, not a real client.
A company plans to buy a better brand domain. While preparing, it realizes nobody knows who has access to several existing domains. An audit maps access across four registrar accounts and removes two former contractors. The acquisition then proceeds with a clear, secure base.
Both options are independent, so the choice rests on the question you need answered. If it is about what to buy, how to name something or how a portfolio should evolve, a strategy-led consultant fits. If it is about what you already hold, who controls it and what could fail, an audit specialist with hands-on registrar knowledge fits.
If you are unsure which question comes first, start with the operational one. It is quick, it surfaces urgent risks and it gives any later strategy work a stable base.
The session starts with context rather than a questionnaire: how many domains you hold, where they are registered, who handles them and what prompted the call. From there Kalin Karakehayov traces how a domain moves through your organization, from registration and renewal to transfer approval and recovery, and asks who has access at each point.
While you talk, he runs checks on the domains you provided and tests the setup against failure patterns he has seen many times. The call ends with a prioritized view of risks and recommended actions. No registrar access is needed to start, and the value is delivered in the conversation rather than in a long document.
Outside review pays off most in a few recurring situations. The client suspects something is wrong but does not know what or where. Nobody knows who has access to some domains, which is very common in companies. The client does not know which domains it owns, and some turn up through hosting accounts, server IP addresses and tools such as DomainTools. Or a domain is already down, lost or blocked, and someone must rescue it by every possible route.
There is no minimum portfolio size. Clients range from a few critical domains to many thousands.
Clear answers to these tell you more about fit than any feature list. With DomainsOptimizer, the answers are: Kalin personally, no stake in any outcome, yes, no, a prioritized view of risks and actions by the end of the call, and the same hourly rate.
Name Ninja is a strong consultant for naming and acquisitions. For a domain portfolio audit, DomainsOptimizer is the better fit.