The website
A domain is an address, not a building. Buy only the name and visitors see a blank page or the registrar’s parking ad. That is what happens when the name comes first.
Prices as of August 2026
How much does a domain name cost?
Short answer
Most businesses pay $10–$22 per year for a .com. Specialty endings cost more.
A .com renews around $10 at registrars that sell at cost and up to $22 at the big retail brands. A .net or .org is usually a few dollars more. Trendy extensions like .io or .ai can be $35–$140 to renew. Every domain is an annual subscription — the price that matters is year two, because almost every store advertises year one at a loss.
- .com$10 – $22per yearThe default. If you can get this, get this.
- .net · .org$11 – $18per yearSolid backups when the .com you want is taken.
- .us$7 – $13per yearSignals a U.S. business. Cheap at some registrars.
- .io · .co · .ai$25 – $140per yearStartup favorites. Check renewal before you fall in love with the name.
With CreateWebToday, a standard domain is included in your website plan.
Side by side
What each registrar charges for the same domain
Same database record everywhere — only the store margin changes. Every cell labels the price type, because comparing a first-year promo to a renewal is how these pages usually lie.
| Registrar | .com | .net | .org | .us | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare RegistrarAt-cost, no markupCharges in USD | $10.44Renewal | $11.86Renewal | $10.81Renewal | $9.77Renewal | The lowest honest price: registration cost plus the ICANN fee, renewing at the same rate. You must use Cloudflare DNS. No upsells in the cart. See their prices |
| PorkbunIndependent registrar, popular with developersCharges in USD | $9.73Renewal | $12.48Renewal | $10.68Renewal | $6.68Renewal | Often beats everyone on renewal. WHOIS privacy is free. First-year promos exist but the renewal column is what you will pay for years. See their prices |
| NamecheapLarge international storeCharges in USD | $13.98Renewal | $14.98Renewal | $12.98Renewal | $12.98Renewal | First year from about $6 with a coupon; renewal is roughly double. Free WHOIS privacy on most TLDs. See their prices |
| GoDaddyBiggest brand, highest renewalsCharges in USD | $21.99Renewal | $22.99Renewal | $20.99Renewal | $19.99Renewal | Famous for $0.99–$1.99 first years. Uncheck every pre-selected add-on in the cart and read the renewal line before you pay. See their prices |
| Squarespace DomainsSimple pricing, no promo gamesCharges in USD | $12.00Renewal | $12.00Renewal | $12.00Renewal | $12.00Renewal | Formerly Google Domains. One flat renewal price, privacy included. Smaller TLD list than the specialists. See their prices |
| CreateWebTodayBundled with your website planCharges in USD (plan) | IncludedIncluded | IncludedIncluded | IncludedIncluded | IncludedIncluded | A standard domain (.com, .net, .org) is included with the plan along with hosting, SSL and domain email forwarding. Premium names cost extra and show up in the wizard before checkout. |
List prices published by each registrar, checked in August 2026, per year before tax where applicable. Prices change — confirm renewal in the cart before you pay.
The number that matters
Year one is marketing. Renewal is the real price.
You keep a domain for years, so what you pay in years two through five matters more than the welcome offer. Here is the same .com over five years.
| Registrar | Year 1 | Years 2–5 | 5-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Registrar | $10.44 | $10.44 × 4 | ≈ $52 |
| Porkbun | $9.15 promo | $9.73 × 4 | ≈ $48 |
| GoDaddy | $1.99 promo | $21.99 × 4 | ≈ $90 |
The store that shouts the cheapest first year often costs the most over time — here, roughly $40 more than at-cost registrars for the same name.
What moves the price
Six levers — two actually matter
Ordered by how much they change the final number, not how important they sound.
- 01
The extension you pick
This matters most. The registry sets the wholesale price — Verisign for .com, Identity Digital for .org, and so on. A .ai renewal can be ten times a .com in the same shopping cart. No registrar can sell it cheap forever; they would be losing money.
- 02
Where you buy it
The exact same .com costs $9.73 at one store and $21.99 at another. There is no “better” domain in the expensive cart — it is the same record in the same database.
- 03
First year vs renewal
Most stores lose money on year one to win you as a customer and make it back on renewals. You keep a domain for years, so the price that matters is year two onward.
- 04
Premium names
Short or high-demand names can be flagged as premium by the registry and cost hundreds or thousands per year. The store has to show you before you pay — it is not negotiable.
- 05
Add-ons in the cart
Privacy, “protection,” email you do not need, website builders you did not ask for. They are pre-checked on purpose. None are required to own the domain.
- 06
How many years you prepay
You can register up to ten years ahead. It rarely lowers the per-year price, but it does lock today’s rate and protects you from forgetting to renew.
Which to pick
Popular extensions for U.S. businesses
Google does not rank .com above .org by default. What changes is price, how often you spell it on the phone, and whether renewal fits your budget.
| Extension | Typical price | Best for | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $10 – $22 / year | Almost every business. The one people type from memory. | None. Open worldwide. |
| .net | $11 – $18 / year | Tech and service businesses when the matching .com is gone. | None. |
| .org | $10 – $16 / year | Nonprofits, communities, causes — but no proof required. | None. You do not need nonprofit status. |
| .us | $7 – $13 / year | U.S. businesses that want the country code in the address. | U.S. presence or citizenship (registrant must meet nexus rules). |
| .io | $35 – $50 / year | Startups and dev tools. Popular, expensive to renew. | None, despite looking like a country code. |
| .co | $25 – $35 / year | When yourbrand.com is taken and you want something short. | None. |
| .app · .dev | $12 – $18 / year | Apps and developer projects. HTTPS required on the site. | Google Registry TLDs — your host must serve SSL. |
| .ai | $60 – $140 / year | AI companies riding the hype cycle. Budget for renewal. | None, but premium inventory is common. |
| .store · .shop · .online | $1 – $3 year one, $30 – $60 after | Rarely worth it — the renewal jump is the business model. | None. Read renewal before you commit. |
| .biz · .info | $15 – $25 / year | Legacy alternatives. Fine technically, weaker trust signal. | None. |
| .me · .tv | $15 – $35 / year | Personal brands (.me) and media (.tv). Niche pricing. | .tv is for Tuvalu but sold globally. |
For step-by-step help choosing a name, see our guide on picking your domain.
The expensive misunderstanding
What a domain does not include
An address is not a house. People buy the name, have nothing to put on it, and keep paying for a URL that opens nowhere.
Hosting
Files have to live on a server somewhere. That is a separate monthly or annual bill in every stack.
SSL certificate
The browser padlock. Free everywhere serious hosts use Let’s Encrypt — yet registrars still try to sell it for $100/year in the cart.
Email on your domain
[email protected] is not automatic. It can be a free forward to Gmail or a paid mailbox — but never bundled with the domain itself.
For the full cost of a website — design, domain, hosting and upkeep — see our how much does a website cost.
Free and critical
Make sure the domain is in your name
More businesses lose control here than from picking the wrong registrar. If someone else is the registrant, it is not yours — even if you paid.
How to check and fix it
- The registrant controls it, not whoever paidIf your cousin or agency registered it under their email, they legally control the domain even if you paid. They can move, sell or let it expire.
- Check in two minutesLook up the domain at lookup.icann.org. If privacy hides the data, ask your admin for a screenshot of the registrant email in their panel.
- Fix it while you still get alongRequest a registrant update or transfer to your own account. After a dispute, the domain becomes leverage.
Before you pay
How not to overpay
In the order that actually helps, and it takes about ten minutes.
- 01
Compare renewal, never the promo
Find the renewal price on the pricing page before you register. If they hide it, that tells you something.
- 02
Default to .com when you can
Cheapest mainstream choice, easiest to say on the phone, no explaining the spelling.
- 03
Uncheck everything in the cart
SSL, protection, email trials, builders — none are required to own the domain.
- 04
Confirm free WHOIS privacy
If they charge yearly, add it to the real price before you compare stores.
- 05
Leave auto-renew on
Redemption fees dwarf ten years of renewals. Use a card that will still be valid next year.
- 06
Make sure you are the registrant
The most important line on this page. See the section below.
Straight talk
When you should buy it yourself and skip a bundle
Our table includes registrars that beat us on domain-only price. Here is when that is the right call.
You already have someone building the site
If hosting exists and you only need the name, buy at cost from Cloudflare or Porkbun and point DNS where your developer says. You will pay about $10 a year and nothing else.
You are reserving a name for later
Grabbing the domain before you are ready is reasonable. It is a two-minute purchase — no plan, no builder, no monthly “management fee.”
You want the lowest price and can handle DNS
When the table says a registrar sells at cost, believe it. That is the right answer if you are not buying a website bundle today.
What we do not recommend: paying someone a monthly fee just to “manage” your domain. Registration is ten minutes once a year — and if you need the site too, the domain is already in the plan.
If you also need the website
Here the domain is not a separate line item
We do not sell standalone domains. A standard TLD comes with your site plan, in your name, renewing while the plan stays active.
Included in the plan
- Standard domain (.com, .net, .org) registered in your name
- Hosting and SSL certificate
- Domain email forwarding ([email protected])
- The website, editor and AI edits
- Annual domain renewal while your plan stays active
Extra — quoted before you pay
- Premium domainsNames the registry marks as premium. The wizard shows the surcharge before checkout — pick another name if you prefer.
- Already have a domain?Connect it with DNS. Keep renewing wherever you bought it.
Still deciding if you need a site? Our website vs social media comparison is here if you are still deciding whether you need a site.
FAQ
What people ask before buying
Short answers.
Do I pay for a domain once or every year?
Every year. You register for one to ten years at a time. Stop paying and, after grace periods, the name goes back to the pool — competitors included.
Why does the same .com cost $10 at one place and $22 at another?
Store margin. The registry charges everyone the same wholesale; some sell at cost and others add markup, ads and support. The domain record is identical.
Should I get .com, .net or .org?
Get .com if it is available. Use .net or .org when the .com you want is taken. Buying all three “just in case” on day one usually wastes money.
What is a .us domain and do I need one?
It is the U.S. country-code extension. You need a U.S. nexus (citizenship, residence or business presence). Nice signal for local trust, not required if .com fits.
What happens if I forget to renew?
The site and email stop. You get a short redemption window where only you can recover it — for a large fee. Then it releases publicly. Keep auto-renew on.
How much is a premium domain?
From a few hundred per year to whatever the registry asks. Stores must show the price before checkout. In CreateWebToday, premium quotes appear in the wizard first.
Can I bring my own domain to CreateWebToday?
Yes. Point DNS at our server and publish — no transfer required. You keep renewing wherever you bought it.
Is the domain extra on CreateWebToday?
Not for a standard .com, .net or .org — it is included with hosting, SSL and domain email forwarding, registered to you. Premium names are extra and shown before payment.
Can I move to another registrar later?
Yes. Wait 60 days from registration or your last transfer, get the auth code from your current registrar, and pay the new one about one renewal year — which extends your term.
Domain included
See your finished website before you spend on anything
Answer a few questions about your business and preview the site. Publish with your domain if you like it — or walk away without paying.
Create it free. No card. Standard domain included in the plan.
Create my site for freeNo card. Create it first and decide later if you want to publish.