What Dorland does

Dorland is referenced in the source data as the operating entity behind Nameshift.com, a domain name escrow service. The legal entity disclosed is Nameshift.com (Nederland), based in Rijswijk, Netherlands, with the dorland.de web domain serving as the public-facing gateway. Nameshift.com is a transactional intermediary that facilitates secure domain name transfers between buyers and sellers by holding payment in escrow until ownership and registrar control are confirmed transferred.

The platform offers a multi-step verification workflow combining buyer/seller KYC, payment holding, and registrar-level domain transfer coordination. Core product features include support for multiple regional payment methods and a localized UX across at least 16 language/region variants (en-US, en-GB, zh-CN, nl, de, fr, es, it, among others). The technical architecture is a standard web-based escrow workflow rather than a differentiated platform; no proprietary AI, ML models, or unique data assets are disclosed.

The business model is transaction-based: Nameshift.com earns a commission or fee on each completed domain transfer routed through its escrow flow. Customers are domain name buyers and sellers — predominantly individual domain investors and SMBs transacting premium or mid-tier domain names. No enterprise customers, B2B partnerships, or institutional user logos are disclosed. The parent reference to Dorland (a Berlin advertising agency brand) provides brand context but no operational synergy or cross-sell evidence is provided in the source material.

Name

Dorland

Legal name

Nameshift.com

Website

https://dorland.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nameshift.com (operated under Dorland) is a Netherlands-based domain name escrow service enabling secure, verified transfers of domain names between buyers and sellers across multiple regional markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domain Name Brokerage & Escrow

NAICS

Title Abstract and Settlement Offices (541191)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)

akta.pro primary industry

Escrow Services (BPAJAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Domain Names & Digital Identity NFT Marketplaces (FSADANAK)

Keywords

• Domain escrow service
• Domain transfer service
• Domain brokerage platform
• Online escrow services
• Domain marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Düsseldorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commission on Domain Sales: Charges commission to domain sellers for facilitating the transaction. Buyer services are free - buyer only pays the purchase price with no additional costs. Revenue is transaction-based, earned when domain ownership transfers successfully.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Nameshift.com is an online escrow-backed domain name transfer service that connects domain buyers and sellers. The platform holds the buyer's payment in escrow and only releases it to the seller after the domain transfer is successfully completed, with a full refund issued to the buyer if transfer fails. Services are free for buyers (no additional fees beyond the purchase price); sellers pay a commission on successful transactions.

Product overview

Nameshift.com is a single unified domain name purchase and transfer service. The platform connects domain buyers and sellers, providing an escrow mechanism that ensures safe transactions. Key features include: free domain transfer service, free buyer assistance, free VAT invoices, and an average transfer time of 24 hours. The service charges no fees to buyers—sellers pay the commission. The company is headquartered in Rijswijk, Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nameshift.com Domain Escrow & Transfer Service Online escrow-backed service that facilitates the purchase and transfer of a specific domain name between a buyer and a seller. Payment is held in escrow and released to the seller only after the domain transfer is successfully completed, with a full refund to the buyer if the transfer fails. Free for buyers; sellers pay a commission.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average domain transfer time of 24 hours

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Undeveloped: Premium domain marketplace now integrated with Dan.com. Directly comparable to Nameshift in facilitating high-value domain purchases with buyer protection and curated seller inventory.
• Sedo: Largest global domain marketplace with brokerage, escrow, and transfer services. Overlaps directly with Nameshift's domain transfer and escrow core service, though Sedo also operates a broad auction and parking business.
• Dan.com: Domain name marketplace and transfer platform owned by Undeveloped. Competes head-to-head with Nameshift on domain escrow, payment plans, and free buyer-side transfers for end-users and portfolio holders.
• Escrow.com: Online escrow service that is the most direct competitor to Nameshift, particularly for domain name transactions. Offers buyer/seller protection with a transaction-fee model, mirroring Nameshift's core value proposition.

Emerging players

• BrandBucket: Curated marketplace for brandable domain names with brokerage and transfer support. Comparable to Nameshift in facilitating premium domain transactions, though more curated and SMB/brand-focused.
• Squadhelp: Marketplace for brandable domains and naming services. Adjacent to Nameshift in serving end-buyers seeking premium or brandable domains, with overlapping escrow-style transfer facilitation.

Broad incumbents

• GoDaddy: World's largest domain registrar, which also owns Afternic and offers domain aftermarket and transfer services. Represents the bundled-incumbent threat to Nameshift's stand-alone escrow proposition.
• Namecheap: Major independent domain registrar with aftermarket and transfer offerings. Comparable as a transactional domain channel, though Nameshift focuses on escrow protection whereas Namecheap is a broader registrar platform.
• Afternic: GoDaddy-owned domain name resale network that distributes listings across registrars worldwide. Comparable to Nameshift as a transactional channel for secondary domain sales, but bundled inside the GoDaddy registrar ecosystem.

Others

• NamePros: Largest domain industry community and forum with an integrated marketplace for domain sales. Thematically related to Nameshift as a discovery and transaction venue for domain buyers and sellers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dorland