We are reader-supported, earning a commission when you purchase through our links. There’s no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support! Full disclosure here.
Are you in the process of creating a new website or considering a name change for your existing site? In that case, you’ll require the services of a domain registration provider. In this article, we will discuss the leading options for domain name registration, their associated costs, and the additional services they provide. Continue reading for a comprehensive comparison of the top four affordable domain registration services.
- Namecheap – Best Overall Domain Registrar
- GoDaddy – Largest Variety of Website Add-ons
- Domain.com – Best Introductory Rates
- Bluehost – Best Domain + Web Hosting Bundle Packages
We’ve rounded up what each service charges for the first year of domain registration, as well as renewal rates, for the most popular domain extensions: .com, .net, and .org. Keep in mind that all of these services offer other domain extensions as well if your chosen name is already taken at your preferred extension.
1. Namecheap
Namecheap offers a wide variety of domain options with offerings suitable for individuals, large companies, and anyone in-between. They often offer deep discounts for the most popular domain registrations, like .com and .net – making it a really attractive option.
How Much Does It Cost?
Namecheap offers special rates for the first year of subscription. We’ve listed Namecheap’s pricing below. All of these prices are per year and are charged at the start of the domain registration service period.
- .com – $10.38
- .net – $10.98
- .org – $8.98
Note that if you are transferring a domain over to Namecheap, the first-year pricing rate applies. After the first year, you will renew at the normal rate.
Renewal Rates
Domain registration needs to be renewed each year, or you will lose the right to use that domain name. After the first year, Namecheap charges the following rates per year:
- .com – $13.98
- .net – $13.98
- .org – $12.98
What’s Included
Namecheap offers some added incentives for purchasing domain registration. Here are some of the main benefits of registering your website’s domain name with Namecheap.
Free Migration
If you decide to change your hosting provider, Namecheap offers a free migration wizard to walk customers through the migration process.
Privacy Protection
With each new registration or transfer, Namecheap includes Whois protection to prevent identity theft and copycat websites.
It also offers domain privacy protection, which prevents your site from being listed in public directories and attracting spammers.
DNSSEC Service
Namecheap domain registration includes DNSSEC protection, which prevents inbound traffic from being rerouted to fraudulent sites.
24/7 Support
Namecheap’s customer service is available around the clock – though you will go through a chatbot for most questions or problems.
Other Available Services
If you want to stick with the same provider for your other web hosting needs, Namecheap offers other key services as well.
Specialized Domain Names
If you want a unique domain extension – like a country code extension – NameCheap offers those along with the more popular options listed above.
Web Hosting
Namecheap offers website hosting in three tiers of shared hosting for small websites. The more expensive plans come with more storage space for the files on your website. These plans also offer free domain name registration, but only for select extensions. All prices are per month for the first year of service. Renewal rates are slightly higher. Discounts are available on multi-year contracts. Each plan is priced based on the amount of disc space (file storage) that’s included.
- Stellar – $1.48/month
- Stellar Plus – $2.38/month
- Stellar Business – $4.98/month
Domain Privacy
Namecheap offers free SSL certificates and privacy protection for its domain registration service.
Email Hosting
Domain registration on Namecheap comes with a free 2-month trial of their email hosting service. If you decide to continue with the service, it is offered in three tiers.
Pricing is per year, and customers have the option to increase the number of mailboxes included for additional fees.
- Starter – $14.88 for 1 mailbox, 5 GB for emails, and 2 GB for files
- Pro – $29.88 for 3 mailboxes, 30 GB for emails, and 15 GB for files
- Ultimate – $43.88 for 5 mailboxes, 75 GB for emails, and 30 GB for files
As with domain registration, Namecheap frequently offers sales on its email hosting.
Visit Namecheap to learn more >>
2. GoDaddy
One of the best-known domain registration services out there, GoDaddy offers a variety of domain extensions for purchase.
GoDaddy also allows you to transfer a domain name over to its registration service. This costs $8.49, regardless of the domain extension, and includes free hosting for one year. After the first year, you can renew the registration at the normal annual cost for that domain extension.
How Much Does It Cost?
GoDaddy offers competitive introductory rates for the first year of domain registration. We’ve assembled a list of GoDaddy’s domain registration costs for each domain extension provided so you can figure out if it’s the right fit for you.
- .com – $11.99
- .net – $16.99
- .org – $9.99
All of these rates are for the first year of service and are typically charged upfront. After the first year, you can choose to renew your domain name registration with GoDaddy at the renewal rate pricing listed below.
Renewal Rates
Domain registration needs to be renewed each year. GoDaddy charges the following rates for each subsequent year of domain registration services:
- .com – $21.99
- .net – $22.98
- .org – $22.99
What’s Included?
Along with domain name registration, the fees you will pay to GoDaddy include some other benefits.
Customer Service
GoDaddy has made a name for itself by providing top-notch customer service, available in dozens of languages. It has won a Stevie Award for Customer Service for five years in a row.
Bundled Services
GoDaddy offers domain name registration for free along with its web hosting plans, making the bundled prices more affordable.
These bundled plans, along with its long history as a reliable hosting service, are one of the main reasons GoDaddy remains a popular choice.
Other Available Services
If you want to work with GoDaddy for your other website services, here’s what’s available.
Web Hosting
GoDaddy is well-known for its web hosting plans, available in tiered pricing. Each of these plans includes free domain registration, a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 email, and 1-click WordPress installation.
They each require a 3-year term. Each of these prices is per month for the first year. Renewal rates are slightly higher.
- Economy – $5.99 for standard processing performance, 100 GB of storage, and up to 10 databases
- Deluxe – $7.99 for standard processing performance, unlimited storage, and up to 25 databases
- Ultimate – $12.99 for increased processing performance, unlimited storage, and unlimited databases
- Maximum – $19.97 increased processing performance and speed, unlimited storage, and unlimited databases
Domain Privacy
Domain privacy protection is included free with domain registration services for almost all domain extensions. This helps protect your domain name from hackers, spam, and unauthorized access.
Email Hosting
To create an email address that matches your domain name extension, GoDaddy offers three options with varying levels of storage. Each one comes with Microsoft 365.
These prices are per month, per user.
- Email Essentials – $1.99 for 10 GB of email storage
- Email Plus – $3.99 for 50 GB of email storage
- Business Professional – $7.99 for 50 GB of email storage and 1 TB of online file storage
SSL Certificates
GoDaddy offers free security assessments if you aren’t sure what level of protection your site needs. It also offers three tiers of SSL Certificates.
These prices are per year for the first year with a 2-year term. Renewal rates are slightly higher.
- Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificate – $69.99
- Managed DV SSL Service – $119.99
- Organizational Validation (OV) SSL Certificate – $135.99
- Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate – $124.99
Visit GoDaddy to learn more >>
3. Domain.com
Another well-established hosting and registration platform, Domain.com offers a wide variety of individual and bundled services.
How Much Does It Cost?
As with the other domain registration providers we’ve covered, Domain.com offers special introductory rates for the first year. All prices are per year.
- .com – $11.99
- .net – $14.99
- .org – $9.99
Alternatively, if you want to transfer a domain, the prices are charged at the introductory rate for new customers.
Renewal Rates
If you choose to continue registering your domain name with Domain.com, you will be charged the following rates. All prices are per year.
- .com – $21.99
- .net – $22.99
- .org – $20.99
What’s Included
Registering a domain name with Domain.com comes with the following benefits.
Customer Service
Domain.com offers 24/7 customer service with the purchase of domain registration services.
Bundled Services
If you choose to purchase web hosting with Domain.com – and haven’t already purchased your domain name – you can get a domain name for free for the first year at checkout.
Other Available Services
If you choose to purchase multiple hosting services via Domain.com, you have several options.
Web Hosting
Hosting your website along with your domain name is available at Domain.com. There are three plans available, listed with their monthly cost which is billed annually.
- Basic – $3.75/month for 1 website with up to 10 databases and unlimited storage
- Deluxe – $6.75/month for unlimited websites with up to 25 databases and unlimited storage
- Ultra – $13.75/month for unlimited websites, databases, and storage
Purchasing web hosting through Domain.com also comes with a free domain name registration.
Domain Privacy
Domain.com offers a standard package of domain privacy and protection for $8.99/year, with discounts available for purchasing multi-year plans.
This privacy plan protects personally identifiable information from being publicly listed, routinely scans for malware and checks blacklists.
Email Hosting
Domain.com offers for email hosting via Google Workspace.
Pricing per month, per user, for Google Workspace, including Gmail:
- Business Starter (30 GB storage) – $6.00
- Business Standard (2 TB storage) – $12.00
- Business Plus (5 TB storage) – $18.00
SSL Certificates
If you purchased web hosting with Domain.com, a free basic SSL certificate was included.
Advanced SSL certificates are available in three tiers. Pricing is per year:
- Domain Validated (DV) SSL – $33.00
- Organization Validated SSL – $47.88
- Wildcard SSL – $179.88
- eCommerce SSL – $119.88
Visit Domain.com to learn more >>
4. Bluehost
How Much Does It Cost?
For first-time domain registrants, Bluehost offers discounted pricing. All prices are per year.
- .com – $12.99
- .net – $18.99
- .org – $9.99
Those with an existing domain name can also transfer it to Bluehost at a discounted rate.
Renewal Rates
If you decide to continue using the domain registration service Bluehost provides, your account will renew at the following rate.
All prices are per year.
- .com – $18.99
- .net – $18.99
- .org – $17.99
What’s Included
If you choose to purchase domain registration through Bluehost, here is what you will receive.
Customer Service
Bluehost offers 24/7 customer service, both via voice call and online chat.
Domain Lock
Although the Security + Privacy service comes with an additional $15/year charge, domain registration comes with domain lock.
This keeps anyone unauthorized from accessing your account.
Other Available Services
Bluehost is popular largely because of its easy integration with WordPress. If you choose to stay with the same hosting provider for multiple services, here are some of the most prominent choices and their pricing.
Web Hosting
Bluehost offers shared, dedicated, and VPS website hosting.
Within these categories, there are various pricing tiers. Each of these is priced per year. Note that most of these renew at a slightly higher rate per year.
Shared Hosting
- Basic – $2.95/month for 1 website and 10 GB storage
- Choice Plus – $5.45/month for 3 websites and 40 GB storage, plus security features
- Online Store – $9.95 for 3 websites and 40 GB storage and online store themes and designs
- Pro – $13.95/month for 5 websites and 100 GB storage, plus extra computing power
For those in need of web hosting for much larger, high-traffic websites, Bluehost offers VPS and dedicated hosting plans ranging from $30 to $200 per month.
Domain Privacy
Bluehost offers privacy features for its domain registration service at a flat rate of $15.
This applies to the .com, .org, and .net extensions. The price is the same for the first year of service and the renewal rate.
This service keeps private information from being listed on the public WHOIS database and routinely scans for malware.
Email Hosting
Bluehost offers email hosting through Google Workspace in three tiers.
Pricing is per month and per user.
- Business Starter (30 GB storage) – $6.00
- Business Standard (2 TB storage) – $12.00
- Business Plus (5 TB storage) – $18.00
SSL Certificates
Bluehost now offers free SSL certificates for all hosted domains.
Visit Bluehost to learn more >>
Summary of Your Domain Registration Options
Now that we’ve looked at the top domain registration services, here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of their prices.
.com Domain Registration Prices
| Namecheap | GoDaddy | Domain.com | Bluehost | |
| First Year | $10.38 | $11.99 | $11.99 | $12.99 |
| Renewal | $13.98 | $21.99 | $21.99 | $18.99 |
.net Domain Registration Prices
| Namecheap | GoDaddy | Domain.com | Bluehost | |
| First Year | $10.98 | $16.99 | $14.99 | $18.99 |
| Renewal | $13.98 | $22.99 | $22.99 | $18.99 |
.org Domain Registration Prices
| Namecheap | GoDaddy | Domain.com | Bluehost | |
| First Year | $8.98 | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Renewal | $12.98 | $22.99 | $20.99 | $17.99 |
All of the services we reviewed allow you to purchase web and email hosting along with your domain registration service if you choose.
Keep in mind that there are hundreds of domain extensions available. If you can’t find the name you are looking for at the .com, .net, or .org extensions, it’s always possible to choose a different extension.