Naming systems compared — ungovernable.tech

Summary

Choose a naming system by what readers can resolve and how you will retain control. The table separates registration renewal from record publication. Recovery notes are operational consequences of each ownership model, not promises that a lost secret can be reset.

Ownership and resolution

System	Renewal or continued publication	Resolver needed	Recovery responsibility
ENS `.eth`	Time-limited registration; renew before losing the name	ENS-aware application using registry and resolver contracts	Recover control of the owner wallet; renewal does not replace its signing authority
Handshake	Periodic on-chain renewal; ownership can expire	Handshake-aware resolver/node	Retain the wallet controlling the name; plan backups and renewal transactions
Namecoin `.bit`	Renew or update; a semi-expired name stops resolving before final expiry	Namecoin-aware resolution software	Back up the owning wallet; expired names can be registered by others
GNS	Publish signed records with expiration; no global registrar's rental term	GNS resolver and zone context	Back up the zone private key; revocation invalidates a zone rather than reconstructing its key
Pkarr	Republish ephemeral DHT records; no name-registration renewal	Pkarr-capable client through DHT or relay	Preserve the signing key; a different public key is a different name
Onion names	No registrar renewal; keep the service and its key available	Tor client, such as Tor Browser	Protect and back up the service keys; the address derives from the identity public key
Conventional DNS	Registration terms depend on registry/registrar; DNS record TTL is separate	Ordinary DNS resolver and authoritative servers	Registrar account recovery and registration policy

For .eth, anyone can pay to renew a registration, but that does not make them its owner. For Pkarr, record disappearance is a publication problem rather than somebody else registering the same public key. These distinctions matter when automating upkeep.

Where censorship can act

Model	Control moved away from	Remaining dependency
ENS, Handshake, Namecoin	A conventional registrar as the sole source of ownership	Chain access, transaction inclusion, ownership keys and the resolver/client used by readers
GNS	A single global naming root	Zone keys, delegations, publication and reachable GNS infrastructure
Pkarr	A registry allocating names	Key custody, record republishing and available DHT/relay paths
Onion names	DNS registration for the service address	Service keys, service availability and a working Tor connection
DNS	Administration is delegated through the hierarchy	Registry, registrar, authoritative operator and recursive resolver choices

This is an architectural assessment, not a guarantee of immunity. A name that remains valid does not force a host to serve its content. Plan replicas through publishing a resilient website and the publish and preserve path.

Readiness and limits

Use the individual entries for implementation readiness. GNS remains experimental: GNUnet's official overview describes its software as early alpha. A published RFC does not change that software status.

Test resolution on the actual devices your readers use, and rehearse recovery before attaching an important identity to a name. Record the key backup, renewal or publication job, and independent route for telling readers about a replacement.

Primary sources

Also in Identity, Social and Trust

Page history

Updated: 2026-10-25
Origin: Written for ungovernable.tech.
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