How Much Does a Domain Name Cost in 2026?

The Short Answer

We set up a lot of domains for small businesses. The question we hear first is always the same. How much will this cost me?

For a plain .com, plan on $11 to $23 a year to keep it. That is the renewal price, and it is the number that matters. The first year is often much lower, sometimes $1 or even one cent. That deal ends after year one.

Other endings run from a few dollars to more than $80 a year. Premium names and names bought from another owner can cost hundreds or thousands.

Where the Money Goes

Every .com you buy pays three parties. The top price guides we read skip this part, and it is the part that explains every price you will see.

1. The registry. Verisign runs .com and .net. It charges registrars a set yearly fee for every name. Its report to the SEC for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 puts the .com fee at $10.26 a year, in place since September 1, 2024.
2. ICANN. The group that oversees domain names charges registrars $0.20 per domain for each year added, renewed or moved. Registrars voted for that fee for the year that began July 1, 2025.
3. The registrar. This is the company you pay, like Porkbun, Namecheap or GoDaddy. It adds its own margin on top.

So the true cost of a .com year is $10.26 plus $0.20, or $10.46. That is the floor. A registrar that charges you less is taking a loss to win you as a customer, and it plans to make that back at renewal.

Cloudflare is the plain example of the floor. Its docs say its registrar charges only what the registry and ICANN charge, with no markup.

The .com Price Rises on November 1, 2026

This is the news the top price guides have not caught up with.

In the same SEC report, Verisign says the .com fee rises from $10.26 to $10.97 a year on November 1, 2026. That is about 7 percent, and the floor moves from $10.46 to $11.17 with the ICANN fee.

.net is next. In an August 27, 2026 filing, Verisign said the .net fee goes from $10.91 to $12.00 on March 1, 2027.

Openprovider, a domain wholesaler, wrote on September 9, 2026 that renewals done before November 1 are billed at the old fee. It also notes that .com renewals are not limited to the last few weeks before expiry.

The saving is small per name, about 71 cents a year at the registry level. It adds up if you own a handful of names, or a multi year term.

Real .com Prices We Checked

We opened each registrar's own price page on October 10, 2026. These are the .com prices they showed, before tax. Prices change often, so check the page before you buy.

The GoDaddy row comes from GoDaddy's own domain price guide, which says its prices were current on May 20, 2026. Every other row comes from the registrar's price page.

Two things jump out. The spread on renewal is about two to one. And the lowest first year prices sit next to the highest renewals.

What a .com Costs Over 10 Years

A domain is not a one time buy. A business keeps its name for as long as it is open. So we did the math on ten years, using the prices above. These are worked examples, not quotes, and they assume no price changes.

The one cent deal costs about $98 more over ten years than the plain $11 price. Real prices will likely rise for both, since the registry fee goes up November 1. The gap stays.

The lesson is simple. Compare renewal prices, not first year prices.

What Other Endings Cost

The ending you pick changes the price more than the registrar does. Here is what Porkbun showed on October 10, 2026.

Look at the bottom of that list. A .store that costs $2.57 the first year renews at $43.77. That is a jump of about 17 times. Many newer endings work this way.

If you are torn between endings, our guide on .com vs .net covers which one customers expect.

Fees People Forget

The yearly price is not the only cost. Watch for these.

• The ICANN fee. Some registrars show it as its own line, like GoDaddy's $0.20. Others build it into the price.
• Privacy. Wix and GoDaddy both say privacy for your contact details is included free. Ask before you assume.
• Transfers. Moving a domain to a new registrar costs money too. GoDaddy's guide says its transfer price includes a year of renewal. Porkbun and Dynadot listed .com transfer prices equal to their renewal prices.
• Late renewal. If a domain lapses, getting it back costs more, and the longer you wait the worse it gets. Our guide on what happens when a domain expires walks through each stage.
• Bundled extras. Email, site builders and security add ons are often sold at checkout. Each one renews too.

Is a Free Domain Really Free?

Many hosts and site builders give a domain free for the first year with a plan. Wix does this with its yearly plans. It is a fair deal, but know two things.

First, the domain renews at the regular price in year two, often on a different date than your plan. Second, check whose name it is in. The domain should be registered to your business, with a login you control. Our guide on domain vs hosting explains why keeping them apart can save you trouble later.

How to Pay Less for a Domain

• Compare the renewal price. It is the price you pay for every year after the first.
• Pick a common ending. .com, .net and .org renew near the wholesale floor at low cost registrars.
• Renew early when a price rise is coming. The .com change on November 1, 2026 is a good example.
• Turn on auto renew. A lapsed domain costs far more to recover than it costs to renew.
• Skip the extras you do not use. Most small businesses need one domain, not ten.

If you have not picked a name yet, our domain name ideas tool checks several at once.

Talk to a Real Person

We register and look after domains for local businesses, always in your business name, with auto renew on. Tell us the name you want and we will tell you what it costs to keep, not just what it costs on day one.

Call or text (949) 65-T3CHS, or ask about a domain.

Common Questions

What is the average price of a domain?

A standard .com renews for about $11 to $23 a year at well known registrars, based on prices we checked on October 10, 2026. Newer endings can cost much more at renewal.

Is it expensive to own a domain?

No. A .com costs about the price of one lunch a year at a low cost registrar. The cost to watch is the renewal price, which can be double the cheapest option.

Can I buy just a domain name?

Yes. You can register a domain without hosting or a website. You can use it for email first and add a site later.

Why is my domain renewal more expensive than the first year?

The first year is a sign up deal. Renewal is the regular price. Some registrars sell year one below their own cost and make it back at renewal.

How much does a .com domain cost per year?

The registry fee is $10.26 a year, rising to $10.97 on November 1, 2026. With ICANN's $0.20 fee and the registrar's margin, most renewals we checked ran $11.08 to $22.99.

Will domain prices go up in 2026?

The .com wholesale fee goes up on November 1, 2026, and the .net fee goes up on March 1, 2027. Registrars pay more after those dates, so the prices you pay may rise too.

Can you buy a domain name forever?

No. You rent a domain by the year. You can pay ahead for several years, and Dynadot's price page lists terms of up to ten years.

Sources

1. Verisign: Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended June 30, 2026sec.gov
2. Verisign: Form 8-K, August 27, 2026sec.gov
3. ICANN: Registrars Approve Registrar-Level Fees for Fiscal Year 2026icann.org
4. Openprovider: What the .com Price Increase in 2026 Meansopenprovider.com
5. Cloudflare Docs: Registrardevelopers.cloudflare.com
6. Porkbun: Domain Pricingporkbun.com
7. Dynadot: .com Domainsdynadot.com
8. Name.com: Domain Pricingname.com
9. Wix: Domain Pricingwix.com
10. IONOS: .com Domainsionos.com
11. GoDaddy: How Much Does a Domain Name Cost?godaddy.com

Last reviewed October 11, 2026.