WHOIS vs RDAP: what is the difference?

What WHOIS was

WHOIS is a text service from the 1980s. You send a domain name to a server on port 43 and get back a block of text. Each registry chose its own layout, its own date format and its own field names, and nothing in the protocol says which ending lives on which server.

What RDAP does differently

• Structured answers. Every field has a name, so dates, statuses and contacts read the same way everywhere.
• A directory of servers. IANA publishes which RDAP server answers for each ending, so a lookup knows where to go.
• HTTPS. Answers are encrypted in transit and can be read from a web page directly.
• Marked redaction. When a registry hides a holder's details, RDAP says so instead of printing placeholder text.

Is WHOIS gone?

For generic endings such as .com, .org and .ai, RDAP is now the required service, and since 28 January 2025 those registries and registrars no longer have to run the old WHOIS. Many country endings, such as .io, .de, .co and .il, still answer only WHOIS. Our list of endings shows which is which.

How Open WHOIS uses it

When you look up a domain, your browser asks that ending's RDAP server directly and we turn the answer into plain words. Nothing goes through a server of ours.

Questions

Does RDAP show more than WHOIS?

It shows the same registration data. The difference is the format: RDAP is structured, so tools can explain it reliably.

Why does a lookup say an ending has no RDAP?

Some registries, mostly country endings, have not launched an RDAP service yet. For those, the registry's own website or WHOIS server is the place to look.

Is RDAP data more private?

Privacy depends on the registry's policy, not the protocol. RDAP only makes redaction explicit.

WHOIS vs RDAP: what is the difference?
RDAP is the modern replacement for WHOIS: the same domain registration data, sent as structured data over HTTPS, with dates, statuses and redaction marked in a standard way.
Lookup URL: https://openwhois.org/#d=<domain>