Do you know that every company charges differently for a domain?
The bigger surprise comes in the second year when you have to renew your domain.
What is this article about?
In this exceptional article, you’ll discover the top domain registrars based on criteria such as pricing for registration and renewal, customer support, additional services, transparency, hidden BS, and more.
Cost of a .com domain across some of the biggest registrars
Buying a domain name is one of the first major steps when starting an online business or personal project. As the cornerstone of any website, choosing a domain strategically while also considering the associated costs is important.
One of the most common Top Level Domains (TLD) is .com, given its association with commercial websites.
However, the price to register a .com domain can vary depending on which domain name registrar you use to purchase it.
Let’s break down the standard registration fees for a .com domain across some of the biggest registrars currently available.
Please note that the prices mentioned are accurate as of the time of writing this article on November 10, 2023.
The order of the registrars in the list below does not correspond to their rating (first is not best in any way)
GoDaddy – .com price
$11.99 registration – first year (witouth taxes) / $21.99 renewalGoDaddy, in my experience, is quite chaotic, and I strongly recommend avoiding this site at all costs.
If I have to say something positive it would be their Auctions, where you can find lots of listed domains.
Everything else is terrible. The support – nonexistent (if you browse the site you can’t find a contact e-mail, no live chat for logged-in users, some phone support where I guess a robot will test your patience.
You’ll go through a never-ending upsell journey before you make it to the checkout page.
But let’s start with the first step.
Then we have to pass through several upsells – Domain Protection, Websites + Marketing, and custom email addresses. Some of these are even pre-selected by default, so make sure to uncheck everything!
You don’t need any of these, which is essentially BS, and it does nothing that you can’t get for free anyway.
With VAT and ICANN fees, my final price for .com registration is $14.60.
Do you remember when GoDaddy was selling .com domains for 1 cent? Of course, that price was only for the first year.
Namecheap – .com price
$10.18 registration – first year (witouth taxes or promo code) / $16.06 renewalBetter than GoDaddy in my opinion, but still an overpriced domain registrar. Discounts are always available for first-year registrations and new users.
I believe an image speaks a thousand words, so here’s a screenshot of my .com renewal receipt from November 10, 2023:
As one of Godaddy’s biggest competitors, Namecheap has earned a solid reputation for providing affordable domain registration services. Their standard .com registration fee comes in at around $13 annually before any applicable discounts.
Namesilo – .com price
$13.95 registration for the first year (witouth taxes or promo code) / $13.95 renewalThe US based registrar hosts around 5.5 million domains, and it’s known for its clear terms and old school dashboard. One of the first registrars to offer free WHOIS privacy for the most populat TLDs.
Dynadot – .com price
$10.19 registration – first year (witouth taxes) / $10.19 renewalDynadot was awarded the ‘Favorite Registrar of the Year 2023’ by the Namepros forum. They offer fair and transparent pricing, a brilliant user experience (UX), and quick, adequate support.
Porkbun – .com price
$10.37 registration – first year (witouth taxes) / $10.37 renewalPorkbun is known for its competitive pricing for domain registrations and renewals. They often offer promotions and discounts, making them an attractive option for those seeking cost-effective domain services.
The Good and the Bad registrars overview
- Dynadot
- Namesilo
- Namecheap
- Porkbun
- Sav
- Network Solutions (+ Register.com, Web.com)
- Namebright
- Godaddy
- Domain.com
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