*Disclosure: we build Duvento. We have tried to keep this comparison fair, and we recommend checking each product's current feature list and pricing before deciding, since both change.*
If you manage domains and certificates for clients, you need something better than memory. The question is which kind of tool fits how your team works. This guide compares three options that agencies commonly consider, and explains how to choose.
What a domain expiry tracker should do
Before comparing products, agree on the job. A good tracker should:
- Store your domains with expiry dates, registrar and owner
- Get expiry data automatically instead of relying on manual entry
- Alert the right people, in time, through channels they read
- Cover more than domains, such as SSL, hosting and licenses
- Work for a team, with shared visibility rather than one person's inbox
- Fit your hosting and privacy preferences (cloud or self-hosted)
The three options
DomainMOD
DomainMOD is an open-source, self-hosted application for managing domains and related internet assets. It is aimed at people who want to run the software themselves and keep data on their own server. It brings a long-standing, asset-inventory approach, including registrar and hosting records. Being self-hosted means you handle installation, updates and backups. Check the project's current release activity before committing.
Good fit: technical teams who want a free, self-hosted inventory and are comfortable maintaining it.
TrackSSL
TrackSSL is a hosted service focused on monitoring SSL certificates and domain expiry with alerts. Its strength is its focus: it does a narrow job as a service, so there is nothing to install or maintain.
Good fit: teams whose main worry is SSL and domain expiry alerts, and who prefer a managed service.
Duvento
Duvento tracks domains, SSL certificates, hosting and plugin or software licenses in one place, aimed at web agencies and freelancers. It is open-core: you can self-host the open-source version (AGPLv3, standard composer installation, Docker optional) or use the paid cloud version with Solo, Team, Growth and Scale plans.
Its broader scope is the main difference. Agencies lose track of more than domains: hosting renewals, licensed plugins and client subscriptions expire too, and each one is a possible outage or lost invoice.
Good fit: agencies and freelancers who want every client deadline, not only domains and certificates, in one tracker, with the choice of self-hosting or cloud.
Comparison at a glance
| DomainMOD | TrackSSL | Duvento | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivery | Self-hosted | Hosted service | Self-hosted or cloud |
| Open source | Yes | No | Yes (open-core, AGPLv3) |
| Main focus | Domain and asset inventory | SSL and domain expiry alerts | Domains, SSL, hosting, licenses |
| Setup effort | You install and maintain | Minimal | Minimal (cloud) or you install (self-host) |
| Built for agencies | General | General | Yes |
Verify details on each vendor's site, because features change over time.
How to choose
Choose a self-hosted tool if you want full control of the data, already run servers, and accept the maintenance. See how to monitor SSL expiry with a self-hosted tool.
Choose a hosted service if you want results in an afternoon and do not want to patch software.
Choose a broader tracker if your real problem is not only domains. List everything that has a renewal date for your clients. If that includes hosting, licenses and subscriptions, a domain-only tool will leave gaps.
Questions to ask any tool:
- Can it read expiry data automatically?
- Can multiple team members get alerts?
- Can I export my data if I leave?
- What happens to my data and alerts if the vendor disappears?
- Does the price scale sensibly as I add client domains?
Do you need a tool at all?
For a handful of domains, probably not. A spreadsheet and calendar reminders work. When that stops working, see spreadsheet vs dedicated tracker. For a general process that works with any tool, read how to track domain expiration dates for multiple clients.
How to read a domain expiration tracker alternatives list
Feature grids hide the question that matters: where do the dates come from, and who gets the alert? A tool that stores a date you typed once will go stale the same way a spreadsheet does. A tool that checks the live certificate or the registry date will catch the row you forgot to edit.
Self-hosting matters when client domains are the agency's liability and you do not want that list in someone else's tenant. A hosted product matters when you will not run updates. Neither is a moral position. Pick the one your team will still open in six months.
Price the alternative against one missed renewal, not against zero. Redemption fees, a weekend of email downtime, and a client who leaves are the real line items. The pricing of a small tracker is usually one invoice.
Ignore tools that only watch domains you registered in their own registrar. Agencies inherit names from Namecheap, GoDaddy, a local ccTLD, and a previous freelancer. If the product cannot hold those, it is a registrar upsell, not a tracker.
Revisit the choice when the team grows past one person. A tool with no shared login is a spreadsheet with a logo.
Field notes when comparing domain expiration tracker alternatives
Trial the product with ten real names, including one ccTLD and one certificate you did not buy from them. Demo data always looks complete. Your data will not.
Time the alert. Create a row that expires inside the warning window, or point the checker at a host with a short-lived certificate, and see whether mail arrives in the shared inbox. A dashboard you must remember to open is the spreadsheet problem again.
Ask who can export the list if you leave. Lock-in is a CSV you cannot download. Self-hosted tools win here by default, because the database is yours. Hosted tools are fine if the export is one click and you have tried it.
Read the pricing against your client count, not the entry plan. A cheap tier that stops at 20 names is a surprise invoice the month you onboard a new account.
Ignore star ratings. Talk to the person on your team who will actually clear the alerts. If they will not use it, it is not an alternative.
Write down the rejection reason if you pass on a tool. "Too expensive" and "no shared inbox" lead to different next steps. Re-read that note when the team grows, because the constraint usually changes before the feature list does. Domain expiration tracker alternatives are a decision, not a bookmark folder.
FAQ
What is the best domain expiration tracker?
It depends on whether you want self-hosted or managed, and whether you need only domains and SSL or also hosting and licenses.
Is there a free domain expiry tracker?
Yes. Open-source options such as DomainMOD and the self-hosted version of Duvento are free to run, though you pay with your own server time.
Can I switch trackers later?
Usually, if the tool lets you export your data. Check for CSV export before you commit.
*You can try Duvento in the cloud or self-host it.*
