Quik.com vs ENS Domains: Which NFT Domains are better?

Quik.com and Ethereum Name Service ENS domains are currently two of the leading protocols for constructing non-fungible token NFT domain names. While both have similar functions and are widely used, some distinctions distinguish fact from opinion.

In light of the expansion of blockchain technology, which has already influenced many industries and brought about much-needed advancements in enabling companies to concentrate more on addressing the problem of centralization, DNS (1), the foundation of the internet, has also transformed.

In the modern era, numerous blockchain solutions concentrate on enhancing internet activity. However, for many, it can be perplexing owing to the tendencies to interpolate with each other.

According to the notion of "non-fungible," NFTs cannot be exchanged for one another for the same value, in contrast to traditional currency or cryptocurrencies, where one dollar can be swapped for another $1 because they both inherit the same value.

With NFTs, the situation is somewhat different because, for example, two pieces of artwork by the same artist—Van Gogh—(2) would be priced differently even though they are by the same artist, and exchanging The Starry Night (3) for Sunflowers (4) would not be a fair trade.

Everything you need to know about NFT domains

Similar to how NFTs provide the buyer ownership of a corresponding digital asset, granting them exclusive access to its key and certification of authenticity. NFT domains function in the same way, with the added advantage of allowing ownership of the domain name with many applications, such as hosting a decentralized website or changing wallet address, and primarily permanent ownership, in contrast to renting a centralized domain for a specific amount of time.

NFT domains decentralize the domain name registration process, vandalizing the conventional web 2.0 domain name system, which is managed by a centralized authority (5) with multiple levels of management. Web 2.0 is akin to a centralized network controlled and operated by corporate tech behemoths like Google, Meta (6), and others that provide web services in exchange for user data.

Web 3.0 domains, on the other hand, are decentralized NFT domains that allow ownership, control, and the ability to control the website by the rightful owner without the concern of surrendering any data to a third party or being constrained by a ton of centralized restrictions. ENS domains (7) and Quik.com (8) are two of the leading providers of NFT domains offering gateway access to decentralized web 3.0.

What is Quik (Quik.com)?

Quik.com allows users to create human-readable URLs to replace their complicated wallet addresses, such as metatelegraph.web3, similar to how web URLs allow users to replace their IP addresses with human-readable URLs like metatelegraph.com (9).

When a user wants to send cryptocurrency, memorizing the address eventually becomes easier, significantly lowering the risk of error. The ability to develop censorship-resistant decentralized websites with various available extensions, including .metaverse, .web3, .vr, and many others, are other features of Quik.com (10).

It also has a role in the metaverse for providing extensions over metaverse properties and assets, such as mybuilding.metaverse, and the ability to change addresses and host decentralized websites.

Built using the protocols ERC-721, ERC-1155, and BEP-721, BEP-1155 (11), the Quik ecosystem's peer-to-peer marketplace solutions provide user-focused services and secure transactions with three integrated blockchains: Ethereum, BSC, and GateChain, which also allow users to monitor the trajectory of buyers in the NFT domain.

What is ENS (ENS.domain)?

Unlike how DNS translates web domain names into IP addresses, ENS converts domain names into Ethereum addresses (12), providing functionality comparable to Quik.com for creating human-readable domain names or digital wallets and hosting censorship-resistant decentralized websites.

ENS blockchain domain names offer extensions. eth and are registered directly on the Layer 1 Ethereum blockchain, while ENS is more popular in the crypto social space as more people have ENS domain names on their Twitter accounts.

Quik.com provides corporate-level names, eliminating domain squatting, whereas ENS is an open public protocol initially developed by non-profits without private investors. Because ENS domains are permissionless protocols, anyone can buy any domain name.

ENS Domains vs. Quik.com

Although the functionality and purposes may be comparable, some elements set each apart, which average users should be informed of before making a choice. When purchasing ENS domains, the user must select the number of years they want to retain the NFT domain registered, and the domain is then registered directly on the Ethereum blockchain.

As a result, gas fees can have a greater impact on the price of registering an NFT domain, so it is advised that users lock up key NFT domains for a long time to avoid paying gas fees to renew the domain. Contrarily, users have perpetual ownership of domain names acquired through Quik.com since, when a user buys an NFT domain through Quik.com, it has a no-expiration registry, making the buyer the NFT domain's lifetime owner.

The NFT domains on Quik.com can be minted on three blockchains, making the gas fees required for minting minimal compared to the gas fees required for minting ENS domains, as Quik.com's NFT domains offer lifetime ownership with a 5–10% royalty over every subsequent sale. In contrast, ENS domains must be renewed, which requires the entire minting procedure, which includes additional gas fees and other materials.

So, which is better?

Both the ENS and Quik.com domain names are NFTs, making it easy to transfer them to another user by simply transferring the NFT to another wallet (13). As both domain name protocols are NFTs, users can buy pre-registered domain names from other users in NFT marketplaces accessible through the Quik ecosystem.

However, users must have a digital wallet to mint NFT domains and the necessary cryptocurrency. The NFT domains provide higher value to any user who frequently engages with cryptocurrencies, NFTs, or other digital assets, making the employment of cryptocurrencies less cumbersome. It is now up to you to decide what is best for you as the differences have already been addressed.