How Much Does a Domain Name Really Cost? (Expert Answer)

When you’re looking to register a domain name, you might notice prices can vary widely. Some domains start as low as $9, while others can cost thousands of dollars. We’ve found that these price differences often confuse many first-time website owners.

Several factors influence the cost, such as the domain extension (.com, .org, .net), the registrar you choose, and the availability of the name. Premium domain names, which are often shorter and more memorable, can be more expensive since they are bought and resold by investors.

In this article, we’ll explain the real cost of a domain name based on our experience helping countless users. You’ll also learn about different ways to buy one, including how to get one for free.

Since this is a comprehensive guide on domain name costs, we have broken it down into a few sections:

How Much Does a New Domain Name Cost?

Buying a new domain name will typically cost you anywhere between $9 and $14.99 per year. However, these prices may differ based on your domain extension or domain registrar.

If you are starting a new website, then we recommend using Bluehost. They are one of the top web hosting companies in the world.

They are offering WPBeginner users a free domain name + a free SSL certificate on top of the 60% discount on their web hosting plans.

Since you need both a domain name and web hosting to make a website, this is the most affordable option.

If you only want to purchase a domain name for now, then we recommend using Domain.com as your registrar. You can use our Domain.com coupon code to get 25% off your purchase.

Here is how much a new domain registration costs with different registrars:

Domain Registrar	Pricing
Bluehost	Free domain with hosting for $1.99 per month
Domain.com	$7.45 for .com domain names with our coupon code
Hostinger	Free domain with hosting for $2.69 / month
Network Solutions	$7.49 for .com with our coupon code
HostGator	Free domain with hosting for $2.52 / month
GoDaddy	$11.99 for the first year
DreamHost	Free domain with hosting for $2.59 / month

These prices are for new .com domain names only.

The pricing of other TLDs (top-level domains) or extensions, such as .net, .org, .info, .blog, .biz, etc., will vary based on your domain registrar. In our experience, users often find these extensions priced differently depending on the provider they choose.

There are also ccTLDs (country code top-level domains) like .co.uk, .de, .ca, and more. These domains can sometimes be more expensive than .com, especially if you’re targeting specific regions.

There are also TLDs reserved for government (.gov), military (.mil), and education websites (.edu). You cannot buy .gov or .mil domain names from domain registrars.

Similarly, .edu domain registration is reserved for recognized and accredited educational organizations. We’ve guided many educational institutions through this process to ensure they meet the necessary criteria.

When it comes to domain extensions or TLDs, we always recommend users choose .com because it’s the most popular and widely recognized.

A .com domain name works well for all types of websites, whether personal, business, eCommerce, or more.

Hidden Costs of a Domain Name

Aside from the domain registration cost, there are a few hidden domain costs and upsells that you should be aware of so you can make the most educated decision.

Yearly Renewals

Domain name registration is done yearly. You can maintain control over your domain name as long as you continue to renew your registration each year.

We recommend setting up auto-renew for your domain names to avoid accidental expiry of your domain name. It has no additional costs but helps you ensure your online presence is not hijacked.

Some domain registrars offer domain name discounts on first-year purchases, but their renewal costs are much higher. If you see a promotion where you can pay $0.99 for a domain name, then please know that it’s usually for the first year only. Your annual renewal fees will be at a much higher price.

WHOIS and Domain Privacy

ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation responsible for coordinating the assignment and maintenance of domain names.

Each domain registrar must collect contact information for the website owner as part of its requirements. Many users have asked for our help when they encounter this step during domain registration.

This information can be publicly accessed using WHOIS data, which allows businesses and companies to contact you for potential partnerships. In our experience, this has been a useful feature for some but a nuisance for many.

Having WHOIS data publicly available often leads to unwanted emails and phone calls. Many domain registrars offer an add-on called Domain Privacy Protection, which we’ve found to be a helpful option for keeping information private.

This optional add-on typically costs around $9.99. However, some registrars automatically include it in the cart, so you may need to remove it manually if you don’t want to pay for it. We’ve guided users through this process many times.

Some registrars, like DreamHost, include free domain privacy with their domains, which can save you additional costs.

Business Email Accounts (Email Domains)

When buying a domain name, you will likely see an addon for email domains for setting up a professional business email address.

You do not need to buy this because you can get a free business email address with most web hosting companies.

If you want a more professional option, we recommend buying directly from Google Workspace or Microsoft Office 365 so you are not locked into a registrar.

Pro Tip: Secure Domain Discounts for Multiple Years

Some registrars, like Domain.com, allow you to pre-pay for multiple years upfront. This is a great way to take advantage of the introductory discount offer for multiple years.

Since you have to pay for domain renewals every year, pre-paying for multiple years can be a significant saving. Not to mention, it saves you from future price increases.

However, these hidden fees and domain cost explanations are primarily for new domains that are available to register.

What about premium domains or domains that you buy from other people? Let’s take a look at the premium domain costs in detail.

How Much Does a Premium Domain Name Cost?

Premium domain names are pre-registered, often shorter, brandable, and more memorable. Often, domain investors register these premium domain names to sell later at a higher price for profit.

The cost of premium domain names can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. It all depends on the name’s uniqueness, domain length, and overall brand potential.

Some premium domains may even cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Here are some of the most expensive domains sold in history:

• Insurance.com – $35.6 million
• PrivateJet.com – $30.18 million
• Hotels.com – $11 million
• Fb.com – $8.5 million
• Business.com – $7.5 million

You can find premium domain names listed for sale by private sellers on various websites.

We recommend buying domain names from reputable websites to ensure a safe transfer. See our guide on the best places to buy a premium domain name.

How to Estimate the Value of a Premium Domain Name

Many beginners ask us how to find the right offer to make for a premium or pre-registered domain name.

Domain names that are already taken are often sold at a higher price. However, the asking price is often outrageously high, which discourages many inexperienced domain buyers from making an offer.

We recommend users do some research and make a reasonable counteroffer. Remember, the domain investor only makes money when they sell the domain.

Like most trades, the value of a premium domain largely depends on the maximum you’re willing to pay and the lowest the seller is willing to accept.

However, you can look at domain marketplaces like BuyDomains, Sedo, or Flippa to better understand the market rates and make a respectable offer for a particular niche.

If the domain you are looking for already has a listed price, then you can start by offering 50-75% of the listed price.

Note: Most domain value estimation tools are completely useless, so it’s best to avoid using them as a reference.

We recommend caution when buying a registered domain name. If you are unsure about the domain’s potential worth to your business, then simply walk away.

How Much Does an Expired Domain Name Cost?

Each day, thousands of domain names expire. These are the domain names where the owner decided not to renew their registration, or they forgot about these domain names.

Expired domains provide an excellent opportunity to find great brandable domain names. The following are a few places where you can look for recently expired domain names.

1. FreshDrop

FreshDrop is a domain marketplace that allows you to follow expired and soon-to-be-expired domain names. It also has an advanced search tool that allows you to narrow down your search.

2. ExpiredDomains

ExpiredDomains is a search engine dedicated to expired domain names. It may not look as easy to use as other domain search tools, but it has a large and constantly updated index of domain names.

Note: You need to check for domain abuse and other problems before buying a used, pre-registered, or expired domain name (more on this later).

Cost of Expired Domain Names

Usually, you can register an expired domain name at your domain registrar company’s usual yearly rates.

However, if a domain name is soon to expire, you can use a domain backorder service. This allows you to place an advance order for the domain name.

If there is no other advance order for that domain name, then your order will become successful. Most domain name companies charge a small one-time fee ($25 – $99) to provide this service, which is separate from the price of a domain name.

How to Buy a Domain Name Not Listed for Sale

So far, we have discussed the cost of domain names that are available for registration or sold by third parties. What if you have your eye on a domain name that has already been taken but is not listed for sale?

There is a good chance that you can still get your hands on that particular domain name.

Many users register domain names to start new online businesses. Many end up never using that domain name or abandoning the idea.

Since they are not using the domain name, you can contact the domain owner directly to make an offer.

If the domain name has a website, then you can use the contact form on their website to reach out.

Alternatively, you can use the Whois search to find the domain owner’s contact information and send them a message to express your interest.

Sometimes, people register domain names for future ideas, so even if they are not using them, they still won’t want to sell them. Some folks get greedy and will ask for a premium to part ways with their domain.

Remember, you are buying someone’s “dream idea,” so you must be respectful and realistic about the value.

Pro tip: If you have a business idea, it’s better to register a domain name, even if you are not 100% sure. You don’t want to risk someone else registering it before you get around to it. We consider it an insurance policy because a domain costs only $9.99.

Doing Your Homework Before Buying a Domain Name

If you are buying a domain name that has never been used before, then you are good to go.

However, if you are buying a domain name previously owned by someone else, you need to do some basic due diligence.

These domain names could violate copyright or trademarks, be used to distribute malware or spam, or be misused in other malicious activities.

Don’t worry. There are plenty of tools that you can use to do your homework.

1. Check For Trademark

First, you would want to ensure that the domain name is not a registered trademark of an existing business.

According to ICANN rules, if a domain name violates a company’s registered trademark, then that company can claim the domain name or ask you to take it down.

You can check the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s database to do a quick trademark search. Simply enter your domain name in the search box to see if it returns any matches.

2. Check Past Domain Name Usage

Next, you will want to see how the domain name has been used in the past. What kind of websites were made using that particular domain name?

The easiest way to do this is to use the Wayback Machine. It is a massive historical archive of the Internet, with snapshots of websites archived regularly.

3. Check Historical Whois Records

Whois tools provide you with historical whois records for all types of domain names. This helps you see when a domain name was created, last renewed, DNS changes were made, and other historical data.

4. Run a Domain Health Check Test

Finally, you need to make sure that the domain is not used to send spam, launch DDoS attacks, or spread malware. You can use MxToolBox’s domain health tool to see if it raises any red flags.

Frequently Asked Questions About Domain Name Costs

While helping thousands of users start blogs and websites, we have answered a lot of questions related to domain names. Below are some of the most common ones:

Can I get a domain name for free?

While a domain name typically costs $14.99 / year, you can get a domain name for free as a bundled offer with various web hosting companies.

Hosting services providers like Bluehost, Hostinger, HostGator, Dreamhost, GreenGeeks, and others offer free domains with their web hosting packages.

Remember that the free domain name is usually only offered for the first year. Renewal prices may be higher.

Which is the best domain name registrar?

We believe that Domain.com is the best registrar right now because it offers the features you need and a 25% discount.

However, it’s a smarter money decision to get a free domain with web hosting like Bluehost because it saves you time and money.

You can always transfer your domain name to another popular domain name registrar if you’re not happy with your existing provider. On some domain registrars, you may have to pay an additional year of registration fee for domain transfer.

Do I need both domain name and web hosting to build a website?

You need both the domain name and web hosting to build a website. A domain name is your website’s address on the internet, whereas web hosting is where your website files are stored. For more details, see our guide on the difference between domain name vs. web hosting (explained).

Can I buy a domain name forever (permanently)?

No, you cannot buy a domain name permanently. Domain name prices are for annual registrations, meaning you must renew it yearly. However, you can pre-pay for up to 10 years, which guarantees that you will have a domain name for 10 years.

How much does a domain name cost on Wix vs. WordPress?

When using a hosted website builder platform, the cost of your domain name will vary. It’s important to remember that website builder platforms offer a combination of hosting + domain.

For example, Wix domains cost $14.95 / year but are free if you choose the annual plan, which costs $13 / month.

WordPress.com domains cost $18 / year, but they are included for free with the annual Personal plan, which costs $8 / month.

But if you use a self-hosted WordPress platform, then you can start a website with Bluehost for $2.75 per month, and it comes with a free domain name. For more details, see the difference between WordPress.com vs. self-hosted WordPress.org.

We hope this article helped you learn how much a domain name really costs. You may also want to see our guide on how much it really costs to build a WordPress website.

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