01
Domain name cost today and in every year after
A domain name costs a yearly fee that depends on the extension, plus whatever the registrar charges for extras. A .com usually costs less than twenty dollars a year anywhere, while .io and .ai cost several times that because their registries charge more. NameBest shows the first year and the renewal price for every extension on every search result, with privacy and DNS included.
03
What makes up the cost of a domain name
Every registration price has the same building blocks, whichever registrar you use.
| Part of the price | Who sets it | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Registry wholesale fee | The registry of the extension | The registry record for one year |
| ICANN fee | ICANN, on generic extensions | A small fixed fee per registration year |
| Registrar margin | The registrar | Running the service, support and payments |
| Extras | The registrar | Privacy, forwarding, email, often billed separately |
The registry fee is the same for every registrar. The differences you see between registrars come from their margin and from what they charge for extras.
04
Domain name cost in year one and at renewal
Many registrars discount the first year to win the order, then renew at their full price. That is why two numbers matter: the first year price and the renewal price. On NameBest both are shown in the same row of every search result, in the cart and in the domain prices table. On some extensions, such as .xyz and .io, the renewal costs more than the first year. The first year and renewal price are both shown before you pay, so year two holds no surprise.
- First year price: what you pay today
- Renewal price: what you pay every year after
- Transfer price: what you pay to move a domain in, which also adds one year
05
How domain name cost differs by extension
The extension sets the floor. Here is how the common ones compare in general terms. The live figures are on the list of domain extensions.
| Extension | Typical cost level | Note |
|---|---|---|
| .com | Low and stable | Rises only when the registry raises its wholesale fee |
| .net, .org | Low | Close to .com |
| .co | Medium | Often discounted in year one, check the renewal |
| .io | High | Registry priced, see .io domains |
| .ai | High | Minimum 2 year term, see .ai domains |
| .app, .dev | Medium | HTTPS only |
| .xyz, .shop | Very low first year | Renewal much higher than year one |
| Premium names | Set per name by the registry | Shown with the label Premium price |
06
The real cost over five years
To compare two offers, add the first year to four renewals and any yearly extras. A domain that is cheap in year one but renews high, plus a privacy fee every year, often ends up costing more than a domain with one plain price. Because NameBest includes WHOIS privacy, DNS and forwarding, the five year cost of a domain here is simply the first year price plus four times the renewal price shown in the search result.
07
Costs people miss
- Privacy charged every year at registrars that do not include it
- Restore fees if a domain expires and goes into redemption, see expired domains
- Premium renewals on some names set by the registry, see premium domain names
- Registry price increases that every registrar passes on
- Multi year promos that renew at full price later
Our article on domain renewal pricing explains how renewals are set.
08
Domain name cost questions
How much does a domain name cost per year?
For common extensions such as .com, .net and .org, usually between about ten and twenty dollars a year at most registrars. Extensions like .io and .ai cost much more because their registries charge more. Our search shows the exact current price for every extension.
Is the domain price a one time payment?
No. A domain is paid yearly. At NameBest each domain is a yearly subscription that renews automatically, and you can switch auto renew off at any time.
Why is the renewal price higher at some registrars?
Some registrars use a discounted first year to attract buyers, then charge their full price on renewal. We show the renewal price on every result so you know it before you buy.
Do I need to pay for hosting as well?
Only if you want a website hosted somewhere. A domain alone covers the name, DNS, email routing and forwarding. Hosting is a separate service from a host of your choice.