How much does a domain name cost? Registration, renewal and transfer explained
By the serverserv team · 7 min read · Updated
How much does a domain name cost? Usually $10 to $20 a year for .com, .net or .org, about $50 to $90 a year for .io, and $80 to $160 a year for .ai, which must be bought for at least two years. The first price you see is often not the price you pay later. This guide compares registration, renewal and transfer prices, explains why renewals rise and shows how to work out the real cost.
How much does a domain name cost per year?
Most people pay between $10 and $20 a year for a .com, .net or .org. Newer and specialist extensions cost more: .io sits around $50 to $90 a year and .ai around $80 to $160 a year, depending on the registrar.
Here are serverserv's prices for every extension we sell, in US dollars per year. All three prices are shown so you can see what year two costs before you buy.
| Extension | Register (first year) | Renew (per year) | Transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $13.99 | $18.99 | $13.99 |
| .net | $13.99 | $18.99 | $13.99 |
| .org | .991.99 | .998.99 | .993.99 |
| .ca | $11.99 | $14.99 | $11.99 |
| .xyz | $4.99 | $20.99 | $16.99 |
| .top | $3.99 | $6.99 | $6.99 |
| .shop | $4.99 | $47.99 | $37.99 |
On our domains page, every extension renews at a standard market price that is higher than the first year: .com and .net renew at $18.99, .org at $18.99 and .ca at $14.99. .xyz, .top and .shop have a very low first year and then renew at $20.99, $6.99 and $47.99 a year, so check the renewal column before you choose one. Some extensions, such as .ca, have eligibility rules, covered in how to choose a domain name.
Registration, renewal and transfer: three different prices
Every domain has three prices. Registration is what you pay to create the domain, renewal is what you pay every year after that, and transfer is what you pay to move it from another registrar.
- Registration buys the first year, or the first two years for .ai. This is the number most registrars advertise, often the only one in large type.
- Renewal keeps the domain yours for another year. Over the life of a domain you pay this price far more often than the registration price, so it matters more.
- Transfer moves the domain to a new registrar. For .com, .net, .org and most other generic extensions, a transfer adds one year to the registration, so the transfer price is usually close to the renewal price. You do not lose the time you already paid for.
Some country codes work differently. A .uk or .co.uk transfer is a change of tag at the registry and adds no year, so many registrars charge $0.00 for them and you pay the renewal price when the domain next comes up for renewal. The full process is in how to transfer a domain.
Why do renewal prices go up at other registrars?
Renewals rise because many registrars sell the first year below cost to win the customer, then make the money back on renewals. Registry promotions, coupons for new customers only and long minimum terms all make the first year look cheaper than the domain really is.
At the time of writing, these were the first-year and renewal prices listed by some large registrars (USD per year, before any separate $0.20 ICANN fee):
| Registrar and extension | First year | Renewal | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy .com | $2.99 | $22.99 | Code GDWELCOME, new customers only |
| Namecheap .com | $11.28 | $18.48 | First-year sale |
| Namecheap .io | $34.98 | $75.98 | First-year sale |
| GoDaddy .shop | $0.99 | $59.99 | First year only |
| Hostinger .xyz | $1.69 | $19.99 | First-year price usually includes a coupon |
| Namecheap .online | $0.98 | $35.68 | One per household |
None of this is hidden, but it is easy to miss. The renewal price is usually in small print, in a footnote or on a separate page.
The second reason is that wholesale costs go up. Verisign, which runs .com, raises its wholesale price from $10.26 to $10.97 a year on 1 November 2026, and the .net price rises from $10.91 to $12.00 on 1 March 2027. Registrars pass increases like these on at renewal.
What goes into the price of a domain?
Every domain price has a floor: the registry's wholesale fee plus ICANN's $0.20 yearly fee. Everything above that is the registrar's margin, which pays for support, the control panel, payment fees and any extras.
- Registry fee. Each extension has a registry that sets the wholesale price. For .com it is $10.26 a year today, so nobody can sell a .com for less than about $10.46 a year without losing money.
- ICANN fee. $0.20 per domain per year on generic extensions. Some registrars include it in the advertised price, others add it at checkout.
- Registrar margin. Registrars that sell at or near cost charge close to the wholesale figure. Large registrars with heavy first-year promotions usually charge the most at renewal.
- Extras. Privacy protection, DNS hosting and email forwarding are free at some registrars and paid at others. Check what is included before you compare prices.
Premium domains are a separate case. A short or sought-after name that the registry has priced higher can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, and some premium names also renew at a premium price. Registrars mark these names as premium in search results.
What does a .ai domain cost, and what is the 2-year rule?
A .ai domain costs about $80 to $160 a year and must be registered for at least two years, so the first bill is usually $160 or more. .ai is the country code of Anguilla, and its registry sets the two-year minimum, which most registrars also apply to renewals.
At serverserv, .ai is $191.99 for the first two years and renews at $229.98 for two years. At the time of writing, these registrars listed these per-year prices:
| Registrar | First year (per year) | Renewal (per year) |
|---|---|---|
| Spaceship | $79.98 | $79.98 |
| Hostinger | $84.99 | $109.99 |
| Namecheap | $89.98 | $114.98 |
| GoDaddy | $104.99 | $159.99 |
Transfers of .ai vary too. Some registrars charge for two years on a transfer: Porkbun, for example, listed $165.09 for a .ai transfer covering two years. Check the term as well as the price.
Demand explains the price. More than one million .ai domains had been registered by January 2026, bringing Anguilla's government an estimated $70 million. If you are building an AI product, our guide to choosing a domain name compares .ai with .com and .io.
How to work out the real cost of a domain
Add the first-year price to the renewal price for every year you plan to keep the domain. Five years is a fair test, because a business domain is rarely kept for just one.
| Extension (5 years) | Namecheap | GoDaddy |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $85.20 | $94.95 |
| .io | $338.90 | $419.95 |
| .xyz | $87.92 | $105.95 |
These totals are the first year plus four renewals, using the prices above at the time of writing, and exclude any separate ICANN fee. The GoDaddy .com figure assumes the new-customer code.
Also look for costs that only appear later:
- Minimum terms. Some first-year offers need a two or three year purchase.
- New-customer coupons. They do not apply to renewals or to your second domain.
- Late renewal. Once a generic domain is deleted after expiry there is a 30-day redemption grace period, but restoring it then costs a restore fee that is usually far higher than a renewal. Renew early or save a payment method for automatic renewal.
- Add-ons such as privacy, DNS or email forwarding, if they are not included.
Buying a domain at serverserv
Search for a name on the domains page and add web hosting or business email in the same checkout. The renewal price for each extension is in the table above, and checkout shows your renewal and transfer price again before you pay.
Hosting plans renew at the same price you paid for the same term, and if a price ever has to change you get at least 30 days' email notice. Domains renew at the renewal prices listed above. You can pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal; see ways to pay for hosting.
Questions
How much does a domain name cost per year?
Most .com, .net and .org domains cost $10 to $20 a year. At serverserv a .com is $13.99 for the first year and $18.99 a year to renew, while .io and .ai cost much more elsewhere.
Why is the renewal price higher than the first-year price?
Many registrars discount the first year to win new customers and charge the full price from year two. Registry price rises, such as the .com wholesale increase on 1 November 2026, also reach customers at renewal.
Do .ai domains have to be registered for 2 years?
Yes. The .ai registry requires at least two years, so a new .ai usually costs $160 or more for the first two years. serverserv does not sell .ai yet.
What happens if I forget to renew my domain?
After expiry the domain stops working, taking your website and email with it. Generic domains then go through a redemption period where they can be restored for a fee usually far higher than a renewal, and after that anyone can register the name.
Does a domain transfer add a year?
For .com, .net, .org and most generic extensions, yes: the transfer adds one year to the current expiry date. .uk and .co.uk transfers add no year, which is why many registrars charge nothing to transfer them.
Sources
- Namecheap full TLD price list
- Porkbun domain pricing
- Spaceship domain pricing
- ICANN Expired Registration Recovery Policy
- Sherwood News: more than one million .ai websites
Prices from other companies are as published at the time of writing and can change.
More guides
Email Hosting vs Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365
Email hosting vs Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365: real cost per mailbox, what each includes, which one a small team needs, and SPF, DKIM and DMARC basics.
7 min readRead →Hosting Renewal Price vs Intro Price, Explained
Why the hosting renewal price is often 2 to 6 times the intro rate, how to work out the true 3-year cost of web hosting, VPS and email, and what to ask first.
7 min readRead →How Much Does Web Hosting Cost in 2026?
How much does web hosting cost in 2026? Shared, VPS and managed VPS prices compared, with the real rate after year one and the extra costs to budget for.
6 min readRead →Ready to deploy?
Pick a plan, choose a term and you are online in minutes.
See all plansTalk to salesNeed a custom server, bulk pricing or help moving from another host? Our team will build a quote for you.