Are you looking for the cheapest place to buy domain names this year?
Together with my team, I’ve analyzed the prices of over 40 domain registrars and resellers. We dug deep and gathered data for their first-year costs, renewal costs, transfer costs, and discounted costs too.
Not only have we looked at prices for the .com domain extension, but we’ve also analyzed their prices for over 1,780 other top-level domain (TLD) extensions too!
These include new TLD (nTLD) extensions, general TLD (gTLD) extensions, and country-code (ccTLD) extensions.
As seasoned professionals, we know how important a good domain name can be and we also understand that you need to work with a set budget.
So, we’ve scoured the market to find the most affordable domain name registration options for you, so you don’t have to waste time and money searching for the best deals.
Cheapest Places To Buy A Domain Name
Now let’s look at the best low cost domain name registration services across the board.
1. Namecheap
As a team, we constantly scout for the most affordable and reliable domain name providers, and one source that has consistently impressed us is Namecheap. Despite the self-explanatory brand name, we were genuinely surprised at just how affordable Namecheap’s domains were when we first put them to the test.
Speaking from our first-hand experience, Namecheap’s first-year registration costs are incredibly budget-friendly.
With over 97 different domain extensions available for less than $5 per year, it’s no surprise that Namecheap firmly anchors the top spot in our list of domain registrars for budget-conscious users.
But what about renewal costs?
On Namecheap, over 100 TLD extensions renew for less than $15 a year. We also liked that Namecheap offers discounts on their renewal pricing, and their pricing is consistently below average in all our tests.
You can check out our detailed Namecheap review to learn more.
| Registration | Renewal / Year | |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $5.68 | $13.48 |
| .org | $8.88 | $14.98 |
| .net | $10.98 | $14.98 |
| .site | $1.88 | $19.88 |
| .biz | $4.88 | $16.98 |
| .store | $1.79 | $25.88 |
| .me | $5.88 | $18.98 |
| .online | $1.88 | $21.88 |
| .io | $32.98 | $34.98 |
| .co | $2.98 | $9.48 |
| .space | $1.88 | $14.98 |
| .tech | $8.88 | $34.88 |
| .co.uk | $7.98 | $25.98 |
| .xyz | $1 | $12.98 |
*Green = below average, red = above average
Namecheap includes free features with every domain purchase and offers reasonable rates for any additional features you may like.
Free security on all domains- Free email address trial (but renews at only $0.84/month after the trial)
- Free SSL certificate on all shared web hosting plans, otherwise from $10/year
- Good customer support
2. Freenom
Are you interested in those somewhat sketchy but zero-cost domain name extensions? Freenom is the best place to look if so!
Not only do they offer free TLD extensions, but their cost prices for some of the most popular extensions are lower than average.
| Registration | Renewal / Year | |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $8.38 | $8.38 |
| .org | $9.58 | $9.58 |
| .net | $6.71 | $6.71 |
| .site | $20.53 | $20.53 |
| .store | $40.53 | $40.53 |
| .me | $12.57 | $12.57 |
| .online | $25.53 | $25.53 |
| .space | $6.53 | $6.53 |
| .tech | $35.53 | $35.53 |
| .biz | $13.16 | $13.16 |
| .xyz | $8.53 | $8.53 |
*Green = below average, red = above average
All domains purchased through Freenom come with:
- Free URL forwarding
- Free email forwarding
- Free DNS service
- Free ID shield
Freenom does not offer free SSL certificates for its domains.
We have also found that the availability of .com, .net, and .org domains is questionable while testing Freenom.
We tested out specific names we know are available on some of the best domain registrars, but they all came up as unavailable on Freenom.
3. GoDaddy
Hosting over 84 million domain names and with 15.39% market share on new domains[1], GoDaddy is the most popular domain name registrar.
As a prime example of loss leader pricing in action, GoDaddy makes available domain names for as little as $0.05.
Hands down, this is the lowest definitive cost for a reputable domain name that we have tried.
Heck, even .com domains are available for as little as $0.29. As far as initial registration costs go, these are by far the cheapest on the market.
| Registration | Renewal / Year | |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $0.30 | $18.99 |
| .org | $9.99 | $20.99 |
| .net | $14.99 | $19.99 |
| .site | $0.99 | $39.99 |
| .biz | $7.99 | $24.99 |
| .store | $1.99 | $79.99 |
| .me | $4.99 | $21.99 |
| .online | $0.99 | $49.99 |
| .io | $34.99 | $62.99 |
| .space | $1.99 | $29.99 |
| .tech | $9.99 | $69.99 |
| .co | $0.30 | $34.99 |
| .xyz | $0.99 | $15.99 |
*Green = below average, red = above average
But, to secure these low domain rates, there are often conditions attached which ultimately can make it more expensive in the long run.
In the above table, note how GoDaddy’s renewal rates are consistently higher than average regardless of the extension.
Despite being the most popular web hosting and domain registering company, GoDaddy is known for its tendency to hit customers with hidden costs for standard features. For instance:
- Domain Privacy & Protection: Starts at $13.15/domain/year
- Professional Email Address: Starts at $3.95/month
- Free SSL Certificate: Only available with web hosting services, otherwise from $94.95/year
When it comes to GoDaddy, we suggest triple-checking your math to make sure your domain is really going to work out cheaper in the long run.
4. NameSilo
NameSilo is another web hosting provider and domain registrar that impressed us with its low rates. In particular, NameSilo offers first-year registrations for less than $5 on over 80 domain extensions.
We also liked that a tiered pricing structure is applied to reward people who buy in bulk. I mean, surely we’re not the only ones who own a bunch of domains?
If you’re anything like us and tend to buy a new domain name for every entrepreneurial idea that crosses your mind, NameSilo will reward you for that with lower fees.
As far as renewals go, NameSilo offered us second-year renewals for less than $15 on 57 different extensions, and its prices are also consistently below average.
| Registration | Renewal / Year | |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $9.95 | $9.95 |
| .org | $10.79 | $10.79 |
| .net | $11.79 | $11.79 |
| .site | $3.79 | $23.99 |
| .biz | $6.49 | $14.49 |
| .store | $4.99 | $43.99 |
| .me | $7.49 | $16.99 |
| .online | $2.99 | $26.99 |
| .io | $33.99 | $49.99 |
| .space | $3.99 | $17.99 |
| .tech | $8.29 | $39.99 |
| .co | $9.99 | $22.69 |
| .xyz | $0.99 | $9.95 |
*Green = below average, red = above average
- Free WHOIS Privacy
- Free domain parking
- Free email forwarding
- Free domain privacy & security
- Free DNS management
- Bulk discounts
- Free API for developers
Something worth noting is that NameSilo does not provide a free SSL certificate. However, you can get an SSL certificate for as little as $9.59/year.
5. Cloudflare
Many people know Cloudflare for its state-of-the-art CDN service. But did you know that Cloudflare is also an ICANN-accredited domain registrar?
Compared to all the other players in the market, Cloudflare offers the most transparent pricing model[5] in our experience. All domain names are available at cost, with no hidden fees or markups.
This often means that a Cloudflare domain is more expensive in the first year but becomes significantly cheaper in the long term since no markups are added.
| Registration | Renewal / Year | |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $8.03 | $8.03 |
| .org | $10.11 | $10.11 |
| .net | $9.95 | $9.95 |
| .site | $20.18 | $20.18 |
| .store | $40.18 | $40.18 |
| .info | $11.02 | $11.02 |
| .online | $25.18 | $25.18 |
| .io | $45 | $45 |
| .space | $15.18 | $15.18 |
| .tech | $35.18 | $35.18 |
| .xyz | $8.18 | $8.18 |
*Green = below average, red = above average
- Wholesale pricing for all domains
- No hidden fees or markup costs
- No add-on services required
- DNS, CDN, and SSL services
- Advanced security and performance
- Developer-friendly API
6. Dynadot
Dynadot is another one of the ICANN-accredited domain registrars and web hosting companies with some low cost domains.
Only slightly behind Namecheap, Dynadot offers first-year domain name registrations for under $5 on 75 different TLD extensions. Renewal fees are lower than $15 on 105 extensions.
The best bit is that Dynadot also offers tiered pricing for bulk domain orders.
| Registration | Renewal / Year | |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $7.99 | $9.99 |
| .org | $8.99 | $10.88 |
| .net | $5.99 | $10.99 |
| .site | $1.49 | $25.99 |
| .biz | $5.99 | $14.99 |
| .store | $2.08 | $49.99 |
| .me | $5.88 | $15.99 |
| .online | $1.99 | $29.99 |
| .io | $29.99 | $31.99 |
| .co.uk | $2.49 | $6.99 |
| .space | $1.88 | $22.99 |
| .tech | $8.88 | $49.99 |
| .co | $10.99 | $22.99 |
| .xyz | $0.99 | $9.99 |
*Green = below average, red = above average
- Free account lock
- Free two-factor authentication
- Free privacy protection
- Free email protection
- A Grace period that allows you to return a domain name
- Domain API for developers
- Bulk pricing available
Cheapest Places To Buy .com, .org And .net Domain Names
Being among the world’s most popular TLD extensions, .com, .org and .net are often more expensive than the TLDs in the above list.
However, you can score some awesome deals on these if you know where to look!
Cheapest .com Domain Registration And Renewal Costs
| First Year | Renewal / Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Average | $13.61 | $15.80 |
| GoDaddy | $0.30 | $18.99 |
| Ionos | $1 | $15 |
| Namecheap | $5.98 | $13.48 |
| Dynadot | $7.99 | $9.99 |
| Dreamhost | $7.99 | $17.99 |
| Cloudflare | $8.03 | $8.03 |
| Freenom | $8.38 | $8.38 |
| Espace 2001 | $9.36 | $9.82 |
| Name Silo | $9.95 | $9.95 |
*Green = below average, red = above average
If we consider the lowest cost over two years, Ionos and Cloudflare are in the lead for .com domains.
Cheapest .net Domain Registration And Renewal Costs
| First Year | Renewal / Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Average | $13.61 | $15.80 |
| Ionos | $1 | $20 |
| Dynadot | $5.99 | $10.99 |
| Freenom | $6.71 | $6.71 |
| Cloudflare | $9.95 | $9.95 |
| Namecheap | $10.98 | $14.98 |
| Dreamhost | $10.99 | $16.00 |
| Espace 2001 | $11.23 | $11.23 |
| Name Silo | $11.79 | $11.79 |
| GoDaddy | $14.99 | $19.99 |
*Green = below average, red = above average
If you’re after a .net domain, Freenom and Dynadot are good places to start.
Cheapest .org Domain Registration And Renewal Costs
| First Year | Renewal / Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Average | $12.09 | $15.64 |
| Ionos | $1 | $20 |
| Namecheap | $8.88 | $14.98 |
| Dynadot | $7.99 | $10.99 |
| Fat Cow | $8.99 | $17.99 |
| Name.com | $8.99 | $17.99 |
| Netfirms | $8.99 | $17.99 |
| Dotster | $8.99 | $17.49 |
| Domain.com | $8.99 | $17.49 |
| Freenom | $9.58 | $9.58 |
*Green = below average, red = above average
For .org domains, Dynadot, Name.com, and Freenom come out on top.
Ionos is also a worthy contender when considering the costs over the first two years. However, with their renewal rate higher than the average, there are more economical options for the long term.
Cheapest Domain Name Extensions
One thing to consider when it comes to cheap domain names is the TLD extension. This relates to the end of your domain name, with the most popular domain extensions being: