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Domain Registrar Pricing

Compare .com registration and renewal prices. Some registrars charge 2x more to renew than to register.

True Cost Ranking

Ranked by total .com domain cost including WHOIS privacy — toggle timeframe to see how rankings shift

Rank by total cost over:
1

Cloudflare

4.5Excellent Value
$30.33 total over 3 years
Register: $10.11/yr · Renewal: $10.11/yr
WHOIS Privacy: Free
Stable Price 🛡️ Stable Price

Best for: Best value

2

Porkbun

4.3Good Value
$31.55 total over 3 years
Register: $9.73/yr · Renewal: $10.91/yr
+12% markup
WHOIS Privacy: Free
🛡️ Stable Price

Best for: Low renewals

3

Squarespace Domains

4.3Good Value
$36.00 total over 3 years
Register: $12.00/yr · Renewal: $12.00/yr
WHOIS Privacy: Free
Stable Price

Best for: Simplicity

4

Namecheap

3.2Average
$41.94 total over 3 years
Register: $9.98/yr · Renewal: $15.98/yr
+60% markup
WHOIS Privacy: Free

Best for: Budget buyers

5

GoDaddy

2.1Below Average
$87.94 total over 3 years
Register: $11.99/yr · Renewal: $22.99/yr
+92% markup
WHOIS Privacy: $9.99/yr

Best for: Brand recognition

Common Hidden Costs

WHOIS Privacy

Some registrars charge $10-15/yr extra to hide your personal info. Namecheap, Cloudflare, Porkbun, and Squarespace include it free.

Renewal Shock

GoDaddy's $11.99 promo renews at $22.99 — a 92% increase. Cloudflare charges the same price forever.

Transfer Fees

Moving domains between registrars usually costs a year's renewal. Some registrars make it intentionally difficult.

Premium DNS

Basic DNS is usually free, but "premium" DNS with better performance or DNSSEC can cost $5-10/yr extra.