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Extension:
Currency:
| Renewal / yr ▲ | Registrar | First year | Free WHOIS privacy | Notes |
|---|
How we rank. By the renewal price, because you keep a domain for years and pay that every single one, the cheap first year is a one-off hook. The standouts are the at-cost registrars: Cloudflare adds zero markup by policy, and Spaceship, Porkbun and Dynadot sit near the wholesale registry price with the same rate to register and renew. GoDaddy and Namecheap lure you with a cheap first year then mark the renewal up, and GoDaddy charges extra for WHOIS privacy. Premium extensions (.io, .ai) have a high wholesale price everywhere, with no cheap first year. Prices are indicative USD, converted live to your currency, confirm on the registrar's site.
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Common questions
Why is my renewal dearer than the first year?
Many registrars sell year one cheap (sometimes $1) then renew at the standard rate forever after. Since you keep domains for years, the renewal is what matters, often 2-3× the teaser at GoDaddy and Namecheap.
What's the cheapest registrar?
For long-term cost, the at-cost ones: Spaceship, Cloudflare and Porkbun charge near wholesale with the same register/renew rate and no gimmick. Cloudflare adds zero markup by policy.
Which registrar has no renewal markup?
Cloudflare (at cost). Spaceship, Porkbun and Dynadot are also near-wholesale with flat, transparent renewals, which is why developers favour them.
Why are .io and .ai so expensive?
The registry sets a high wholesale price for those extensions, so every registrar charges more, usually with no cheap first year. Expect full price from day one and every renewal.