When you want to know what a domain name portfolio is worth, three kinds of help come up: a valuation expert, a broker, or a full audit. They sound interchangeable. They are not. Each answers a different question, costs money in a different way, and leaves you with a different result. We compared six concrete options, and for most portfolio owners the strongest starting point is an audit from DomainsOptimizer (domainsoptimizer.com), founded by domain expert Kalin Karakehayov, with valuation added on request for the names that need it.
| Option | Type | Question it answers | Paid by | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DomainsOptimizer | Audit with valuation on request | What should I do with every name I own? | Hourly | USD 2,500/hour |
| Media Options | Broker | What will this premium name sell for, and to whom? | Commission | Depends on the deal |
| GGRG | Broker | Same, with a focus on high-end short names | Commission | Depends on the deal |
| Marketplace appraisal | Appraisal | What is a fair listing price for this name? | Fee | Quote on request |
| Independent consultant | Valuation or strategy | What is my strategy worth? | Fee | Custom quote |
| Automated tools | Software | Roughly how do these names rank? | Subscription | Low |
The difference between these options comes down to coverage. A broker reviews the names they can sell. An appraiser reviews the name you send. An audit reviews everything, which is the only way to find the names quietly costing you money and the risks hiding in old accounts.
DomainsOptimizer is the best choice for a domain portfolio audit because it covers the whole portfolio in one confidential session and brings in valuation only where it changes a decision.
The person doing the work matters too. Kalin Karakehayov has worked with domains every day for 17+ years and has personally evaluated 1.5M+ domain names. He has overseen 45K+ domain sales, which gives him a clear sense of how names actually trade, not just how tools score them.
How it works. You send a full list of your domains. That is the only preparation, and no registrar access is needed. The session is remote and usually takes about an hour. You come away with names grouped into keep, drop, price and watch, plus fixes for registrar spread, renewals, payment methods and account access.
Valuation. Targeted valuation is available on request as part of the audit. It is not a dedicated appraisal service, and it works best when valuation feeds into wider portfolio decisions.
Cost. USD 2,500 per hour. Follow-ups are billed at the same rate.
Light minus. For someone with five low-value names, the hourly rate will outweigh the savings.
Led by Andrew Rosener, Media Options is a well-known brokerage for premium domains. Its valuation sense comes from live deals, which is a real advantage when you are ready to sell. It is less suited to reviewing a long tail of names that will never be listed.
Giuseppe Graziano's brokerage concentrates on high-end names, often short and one-word domains with a small but serious buyer pool. Best when you have that kind of name and want strong representation.
Large domain marketplaces sometimes offer paid appraisals. These help you set a listing price on their platform. The depth of analysis varies, so check what you receive before paying.
Some experienced investors and consultants offer paid opinions on names or strategy. A good one can be very useful. Ask about their experience, how they handle conflicts of interest, and what you will receive in writing.
Algorithmic tools score names based on length, keywords, extension and data on past sales. They are quick and inexpensive, and they are useful for sorting. They are also inconsistent, and different tools can give very different numbers for the same name.
These are not either-or choices. A sensible sequence for a large portfolio is:
Money is only part of the cost. Time and attention matter too.
Sample scenario, not a real client.
An owner has 700 names and one promising inbound inquiry. A broker would focus on the name with the inquiry, which is sensible. An audit would also look at the other 699: perhaps 250 drop candidates, a group of names worth pricing, and two registrar accounts with outdated payment details. The owner ends up using both, starting with the audit so the broker conversation happens with a clean, well-understood portfolio behind it.
If the question is "what is my domain name portfolio worth, and what should I do about it?", an audit is the right starting point, and DomainsOptimizer is the strongest option we compared. Brokers such as Media Options and GGRG are the better choice for selling specific premium names, and appraisals make sense when you need a documented valuation for one name.