Cheapest Domain Registrar: Registration vs Renewal Prices

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How we compared

We compared official .com prices on each registrar’s own website or price catalog on October 31, 2026, in U.S. dollars before tax. We did not buy a domain at each registrar for this article. Our own sites use Hostinger-managed DNS, which is where the DNS notes come from. Where a registrar does not print a .com price on its public pages, we say so rather than quoting a third-party number.

.com prices compared: registration vs renewal

Official prices checked October 31, 2026. GoDaddy figures are from GoDaddy’s own U.S. pricing guide dated May 20, 2026, because its storefront showed us a Swiss franc price list. Namecheap’s regular (non-sale) first-year .com price was $14.98.

What a .com costs over five years

First-year deals hide the real cost. Here is what one .com would cost over five years at each registrar with published prices, ignoring tax and any future price changes.

Our arithmetic from the prices above. The GoDaddy line assumes the two remaining years of the 3-year purchase are billed at the $22.99 renewal rate; check your cart, since multi-year terms can be priced differently.

The gap is roughly $35 to $40 per domain over five years. That is small for one site, but it adds up quickly if you own several domains, as we do for our restaurant-menu and comparison sites.

The cheapest domain registrars, ranked

1. Cloudflare Registrar: lowest long-term price, with one condition

Cloudflare charges exactly what the registry and ICANN charge, with no markup on registration or renewal, and adds free WHOIS redaction, DNSSEC and a domain lock by default. It supports over 430 extensions.

The catch is control: domains at Cloudflare Registrar must use Cloudflare’s nameservers, so you cannot point the nameservers somewhere else. To transfer in, the domain must already be active on Cloudflare’s DNS. Registrations and renewals are non-refundable. Cloudflare does not print a .com price on its product page; you see the exact at-cost figure at checkout.

See Cloudflare RegistrarOfficial site

2. Porkbun: best value if you want DNS anywhere

Porkbun is refreshingly simple: on October 31, 2026, a .com was $11.08 to register, $11.08 to renew and $11.08 to transfer. WHOIS privacy and a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate are included. You can use Porkbun’s DNS or point the domain to any host, which makes it a good fit if your site lives on a VPS or a hosting plan elsewhere.

See Porkbun pricesOfficial site

3. Namecheap: cheap first year, mid-range renewal

Namecheap had a .com on sale at $11.28 (regular $14.98), plus a $6.48 first-year price for new customers. It renews at $18.48, and transfers are $11.48. Privacy (Withheld for Privacy) is free for life, and DNSSEC is free. A $0.20 ICANN fee is added on some extensions.

See Namecheap pricesOfficial site

4. Hostinger: convenient if you host there

Hostinger’s .com was $9.99 for a one-year term and $19.99 to renew. A 3-year term was $39.99 in total, marketed as “$0.01 for the first year”. Free privacy is included on supported extensions. If your site is on Hostinger, keeping the domain there means one login and one bill. We do exactly that for several sites; see our hands-on Hostinger review.

See Hostinger domain pricesOfficial site

5. Squarespace Domains: all-inclusive pricing

Squarespace (which took over Google Domains customers) shows prices with taxes and fees included, includes WHOIS privacy, SSL, DNSSEC and two-factor login, and gives a free first-year domain with annual website plans. Its domains home page does not print a .com price; you see it when you search for a name. It charges about 15 days before renewal.

See Squarespace DomainsOfficial site

6. GoDaddy: the $0.01 deal and a high renewal

GoDaddy’s own pricing guide lists a .com at $0.01 for the first year when you register for three years, then $22.99 a year plus a $0.20 ICANN fee. It also lists .net renewals at $24.99 and .org at $9.99 first year and $23.99 renewal. Domain privacy is included. GoDaddy is the most expensive registrar here over five years.

See GoDaddy domainsOfficial site

Which registrar should you pick?

• Lowest long-term cost and you already use Cloudflare: Cloudflare Registrar.
• Low, predictable price and full DNS freedom: Porkbun.
• Cheapest first year as a new customer: Namecheap, then consider transferring later.
• Your site is on Hostinger: Hostinger, for one bill and one dashboard.
• You build with Squarespace: Squarespace Domains.

Keeping your registrar separate from your hosting has one big advantage: if you move hosts, as we did when we moved this site to a VPS, you only change DNS records rather than the domain itself. Our step-by-step guide on how to point a domain to hosting shows how.

How to avoid paying more than you need

1. Compare the renewal price, not the first-year price.
2. Watch the cart. Untick paid privacy, email trials and “premium DNS” you do not need.
3. Transfer instead of renewing at an expensive registrar. A .com transfer usually adds one year, so you lose nothing. ICANN rules block transfers for 60 days after registration or a contact change.
4. Turn on auto-renew so you never pay redemption fees after an expiry.

Still choosing the name itself? Read how to choose a domain name. Comparing hosting costs too? See hosting renewal prices and the domains hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest domain registrar?

Over several years, Cloudflare Registrar is the cheapest because it charges wholesale cost with no markup, but you must use its nameservers. Among registrars that let you use any DNS, Porkbun was the cheapest we found at $11.08 per year to register and renew a .com on October 31, 2026.

Why is the first year so cheap and the renewal so expensive?

Registrars use low first-year prices to win customers and recover the cost through renewals, because few people move their domain later. Always check the renewal price before you buy.

Is WHOIS privacy free?

At all six registrars we compared, WHOIS privacy or redaction is included at no extra charge, at least for supported extensions. Check the cart, because some registrars still offer paid privacy upgrades.

Can I transfer my domain to a cheaper registrar?

Yes. Unlock the domain, get the authorization (EPP) code from your current registrar and start the transfer at the new one. A .com transfer usually adds a year to the registration. You cannot transfer within 60 days of registering or changing the registrant.

Is a $0.01 domain really $0.01?

Only for the first year, and usually only with a multi-year purchase. GoDaddy’s $0.01 .com requires three years and renews at $22.99 plus a $0.20 ICANN fee, which makes it the most expensive option over five years in our comparison.

Sources

1. Cloudflare Registrar (checked Oct 31, 2026)
2. Cloudflare Registrar FAQ (checked Oct 31, 2026)
3. Porkbun domain prices (checked Oct 31, 2026)
4. Namecheap domain prices (checked Oct 31, 2026)
5. Hostinger domain search and prices (checked Oct 31, 2026)
6. GoDaddy: how much does a domain name cost (May 20, 2026)
7. Squarespace Domains (checked Oct 31, 2026)
8. ICANN transfer policy

FindNChoose Editorial Team

We run our own WordPress sites on shared hosting and on a VPS, and use AI coding tools every day. We publish what we measured, list every price with the date we checked it and label anything we have not tested ourselves. About us · Editorial policy

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