9 Best Domain Registrars of 2026

This ranking is for anyone buying a domain who wants to know what it will cost in year one and in every year after. We compared documented features and published prices for nine registrars, taking .com prices in US dollars from each vendor's own page on November 9, 2026. Read three numbers for each one: the first-year price, the renewal price and the transfer price, and check whether WHOIS privacy is included.

1. 01Top value

   

   Porkbun

   9.0/10

   A low-cost registrar that charges the same price to register, renew and transfer a .com.

   Price

   $11.81per year for a .com, first year

   .com $11.81 a year to register, renew or transfer, ICANN fees included

   “AMAZING PRICES, ALWAYS AND FOREVER .COM from $11.81” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   9.4

   Features (35%)

   8.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.8

   Best forAnyone who wants a cheap .com that stays cheap at renewal, with privacy and DNS included.

   Porkbun lists .com at $11.81 for registration, renewal and transfer, and its price table says the figures include ICANN and any other fees, so the number you compare is the number you pay. That flat pricing is the main reason it leads this ranking: several rivals look cheaper in year one and cost more from year two. Every domain comes with free WHOIS privacy, a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate that renews itself, DNS hosted on Cloudflare's network, up to 20 email forwards and URL forwarding, which covers what most small sites need without add-ons. Transfers in usually include a one-year renewal, so moving a domain over does not cost a wasted year. The catch is outside .com: many newer extensions show a low first-year sale price and a much higher renewal, for example .bond at $1.28 then $15.96, so check the renewal column before buying anything other than a classic extension.

   • ✓The .com price is the same for registration, renewal and transfer
   • ✓Listed prices include ICANN and other fees
   • ✓Most transfers include a one-year renewal

   • ✕Many other extensions have first-year sale prices that rise at renewal
   • ✕Hosting is sold separately
   • ✕Email hosting is a separate product

   .com registration:

   $11.81 per year

   .com renewal:

   $11.81 per year

   .com transfer:

   $11.81, most transfers include a one-year renewal

   WHOIS privacy:

   Free

   Fees:

   ICANN and other fees included in listed prices

   Bottom line: The best all-round registrar for buyers who care about the renewal bill as much as the first one. Read the renewal column before buying sale-priced extensions.

   Visit porkbun.com ↗

2. 02

   

   Spaceship

   8.6/10

   A newer registrar with low .com prices, a small renewal step-up and free domain privacy.

   Price

   $9.48per year for a .com, first year

   .com $9.48 first year on sale ($10.38 regular), renews at $10.68, plus a $0.20 ICANN fee

   “Register SALE $10.38 $9.48 /yr Renew $10.68 /yr” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   9.3

   Features (35%)

   7.9

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.6

   Best forPrice-focused buyers who want the lowest regular .com renewal among commercial registrars.

   Spaceship's domains page shows .com at $9.48 for the first year on sale, down from $10.38, with renewal at $10.68 and transfer at $10.18 on sale. A $0.20 ICANN fee per year is listed separately, so the real renewal bill is about $10.88, still among the lowest we found from a registrar that adds a margin. The gap between first-year and renewal pricing is small, which is the opposite of the promo-heavy approach at IONOS or Namecheap. Domain privacy is free and auto-renewal is built in. The page also lists other extensions in the same format, such as .org at $6.65 on sale with a $11.39 renewal, so it is easy to see what year two will cost. The trade-off is depth: Spaceship's domain page lists fewer bundled extras than Porkbun, and its sale prices are temporary, so check the regular price before you count on the discount.

   • ✓Lowest .com renewal among the registrars we priced, after Cloudflare's at-cost model
   • ✓Renewal and transfer prices are shown next to the sale price
   • ✓Domain privacy is free

   • ✕The $0.20 ICANN fee is listed on top of the price
   • ✕The $9.48 .com price is a sale and may end
   • ✕The domains page lists fewer bundled extras than Porkbun

   .com registration:

   $9.48 per year on sale, $10.38 regular

   .com renewal:

   $10.68 per year

   .com transfer:

   $10.18 on sale, $10.68 regular

   ICANN fee:

   $0.20 per year, shown separately

   Domain privacy:

   Free

   Bottom line: A strong low-cost choice whose renewal price sits close to the sale price. Add the $0.20 ICANN fee when you compare.

   Visit spaceship.com ↗

3. 03

   

   Cloudflare Registrar

   8.5/10

   A registrar that sells domains at the registry and ICANN cost with no markup.

   Price

   Check price

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   9.6

   Features (35%)

   8.0

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.6

   Best forSite owners who already use Cloudflare DNS and want the lowest possible renewal price.

   Cloudflare Registrar's pitch is simple: it says registration, transfer and renewal prices are always at or below what registries and ICANN charge it, and its FAQ states there is no markup. That makes it the cheapest place to keep a .com over many years, although the product page we fetched does not print a .com price, so we have marked the price as pending rather than quote a figure from elsewhere. Free WHOIS redaction, DNS, CDN, SSL and one-click DNSSEC come with every domain, and domains are locked by default. The limits are real, though. Every domain must use Cloudflare nameservers, so anyone who wants DNS elsewhere has to move registrars. Transfers in only work for domains already active on a Cloudflare full setup, and Cloudflare says renewals are final with no refunds. For people already on Cloudflare these rules cost nothing; for others they add setup work.

   • ✓No markup on registration or renewal
   • ✓Privacy and DNSSEC are free
   • ✓Domain lock is on by default

   • ✕Domains must use Cloudflare nameservers
   • ✕Transfers in require the domain to be active on a Cloudflare full setup
   • ✕Renewals are final and not refunded

   Pricing model:

   At cost: registry and ICANN price, no markup

   WHOIS privacy:

   Free WHOIS redaction

   Nameservers:

   Cloudflare nameservers required

   Transfers in:

   Domain must be active on a Cloudflare full setup

   Refunds:

   Renewals are final

   Bottom line: The lowest-markup registrar there is, as long as you are happy to run DNS on Cloudflare. Not the right pick if you need another DNS host.

   Visit cloudflare.com ↗

4. 04

   

   Namecheap

   8.5/10

   A large registrar with first-year .com discounts, multi-year savings and free privacy.

   Price

   $12.08per year for a .com, first year

   .com $12.08 first year on sale ($15.98 regular), renews at $19.98, transfer $12.28

   “.com registration $12.08 Sale 25% off 1st year $15.98” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   8.2

   Features (35%)

   8.7

   Ease of use (25%)

   8.6

   Best forBuyers who want frequent promotions, 24/7 support and a wide range of add-on products.

   Namecheap's .com page shows a first-year sale price of $12.08 against a regular $15.98, a renewal of $19.98 and a transfer price of $12.28, and new customers can get a first .com for $6.48 with a promo code. Multi-year registrations get 10% off for 2 to 5 years and 15% for 6 to 10 years, applied to the standard price from the second year onward. Free lifetime privacy protection, BasicDNS and DNSSEC are included, support runs 24/7, and a one-month email trial is bundled. The weak spot is the renewal: at $19.98, a .com costs about $8 a year more than at Porkbun or Spaceship once the promotion ends, which is why Namecheap ranks fourth on a list weighted toward value. It is still a sensible choice for buyers who want one account for domains, hosting and certificates and who prefer promotions and round-the-clock support over the lowest renewal.

   • ✓Privacy protection is free for the life of the domain
   • ✓Multi-year discounts lower the standard price from year two
   • ✓New customers can get a .com for $6.48 with a promo code

   • ✕The .com renewal of $19.98 is far above the first-year price
   • ✕Discounts make the real multi-year cost harder to compare
   • ✕Email is only a one-month trial

   .com registration:

   $12.08 first year on sale, $15.98 regular

   .com renewal:

   $19.98 per year

   .com transfer:

   $12.28 on sale

   Privacy:

   Free lifetime privacy protection

   Multi-year discount:

   10% for 2 to 5 years, 15% for 6 to 10 years

   Bottom line: Good features and frequent deals, but the .com renewal is high. Lock in a multi-year term if you plan to stay.

   Visit namecheap.com ↗

5. 05

   

   Squarespace Domains

   7.8/10

   A registrar whose quoted price includes taxes, fees, privacy and SSL, built to pair with Squarespace sites.

   Price

   Check price

   See vendor pricing (USD check pending)

   US price check pending. Vendor pricing page

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   7.0

   Features (35%)

   7.8

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.0

   Best forPeople building a Squarespace site who want one bill with nothing added at checkout.

   Squarespace Domains says the price you see is the price you pay, with taxes and fees already counted, and that is its clearest advantage for buyers tired of checkout surprises. Every eligible domain includes WHOIS privacy, a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate, DNSSEC, email and URL forwarding, spam-free parking pages, two-factor authentication and 24/7 support, and an activity log records changes made by owners and managers. It offers more than 400 extensions and connects directly to Squarespace websites, with Google Workspace available for email. The main gap for this ranking is price transparency before a search: the domains page we fetched shows no .com price in USD, so the price is marked pending. Value is scored conservatively for that reason. If you already build on Squarespace, keeping the domain in the same account removes DNS setup entirely.

   • ✓No added taxes or fees at checkout
   • ✓Privacy, SSL and forwarding are included
   • ✓Simple connection to Squarespace websites

   • ✕The domains page does not print a .com price without a search
   • ✕Email is through paid Google Workspace
   • ✕Best suited to people using Squarespace for their site

   Pricing:

   Price shown includes taxes and fees

   WHOIS privacy:

   Included for eligible domains

   SSL:

   Free, from Let's Encrypt

   Extensions:

   400+

   Security:

   DNSSEC, two-factor authentication, activity log

   Bottom line: The easiest registrar for Squarespace site owners, with taxes and extras included in the quoted price. Compare its .com renewal against Porkbun before buying.

   Visit squarespace.com ↗

6. 06

   

   Hover

   7.6/10

   A domain-only registrar with flat prices across registration, renewal and transfer.

   Price

   $19.99per year for a .com, first year

   .com $19.99 a year to register, renew or transfer

   “com $19.99 $19.99 $19.99” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   7.0

   Features (35%)

   7.4

   Ease of use (25%)

   9.0

   Best forPeople who want a simple domain and email account and are willing to pay more for it.

   Hover keeps its pricing table simple: all prices are per year in USD, and .com costs $19.99 to register, renew or transfer. There are no first-year teaser rates on .com, which makes budgeting easy, but the flat price is about $8 a year above Porkbun and Spaceship, so Hover ranks in the middle on value. WHOIS privacy is free on supported domains, and the page says renewal prices fall once an account holds ten or more domains, with larger savings at higher tiers. Hover also sells email hosting with webmail, which suits people who want a custom address without a full hosting plan. Its product menu is limited to domains and email, with no hosting plans to sort through. For a single .com held for many years, though, the extra cost adds up, so Hover makes most sense for people who value a quiet interface or manage a portfolio large enough to qualify for renewal discounts.

   • ✓No first-year promo that jumps at renewal
   • ✓Privacy is free on supported domains
   • ✓Discounts for portfolios of ten or more domains

   • ✕At $19.99, .com costs about $8 more per year than at Porkbun
   • ✕The pricing page lists privacy as the only free extra
   • ✕Privacy is limited to supported domains

   .com registration:

   $19.99 per year

   .com renewal:

   $19.99 per year

   .com transfer:

   $19.99

   WHOIS privacy:

   Free on supported domains

   Volume pricing:

   Renewal savings from 10 domains

   Bottom line: Clear, flat pricing and a simple account, at a premium over the cheapest registrars. Worth it mainly for larger portfolios.

   Visit hover.com ↗

7. 07

   

   IONOS

   7.5/10

   A hosting company that sells .com domains with a $1 first year and a free wildcard SSL certificate.

   Price

   $1per year for a .com, first year

   .com $1 for the first year as an intro offer; renewal price not shown on the .com page

   “$ 1 /year Intro offer” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   7.4

   Features (35%)

   7.6

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.6

   Best forBuyers who want the cheapest first year and may add IONOS hosting or email later.

   IONOS has the cheapest way into a .com in this ranking: its US .com page advertises $1 per year as an intro offer for the first year. Each domain includes up to 10,000 subdomains, a transfer lock and a free wildcard SSL certificate, which normally costs extra elsewhere, although IONOS ties the certificate to the initial domain contract. Domains connect to IONOS hosting and email products and to more than 110 third-party services, and support is available by phone, chat or email. The weakness is renewal transparency. The .com page we checked does not print the price you pay from year two, and the footer notes that state and local sales taxes may apply. Because value depends on the renewal, we scored IONOS below the flat-price registrars. Check the renewal price in the cart before buying, and consider transferring out once the first year ends if it is high.

   • ✓$1 first year is the lowest entry price in this list
   • ✓Wildcard SSL is included
   • ✓Phone support is listed

   • ✕The .com page does not state the renewal price
   • ✕The SSL certificate is tied to the initial domain contract
   • ✕US sales taxes may be added

   .com first year:

   $1, intro offer

   .com renewal:

   Not shown on the .com page

   SSL:

   Free wildcard SSL with the initial contract

   Subdomains:

   Up to 10,000

   Taxes:

   State and local sales taxes may apply

   Bottom line: The cheapest first year here at $1, with a wildcard SSL included. Confirm the renewal price in the cart before you commit.

   Visit ionos.com ↗

8. 08

   

   Gandi

   7.4/10

   A long-running registrar with more than 800 extensions, mailboxes and LiveDNS.

   Price

   $11.71per year for a .com, first year

   .com $11.71 first year, renews at $38.38 a year, US prices excluding VAT

   “Registration $11.71 per year For 1 to 10 years” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   6.4

   Features (35%)

   8.3

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.8

   Best forTechnical users who need unusual extensions and email aliases under one account.

   Gandi has been accredited for .com since February 2000 and lists more than 800 extensions, which makes it one of the broadest catalogs here. With the United States selected, its .com page shows $11.71 to register or transfer and $38.38 a year to renew, or $34.54 a year on a 2 to 9 year promotion, all excluding VAT. Every .com includes LiveDNS nameservers with Anycast and DNSSEC, 10,000 aliases and forwarding addresses, and an SSL certificate that is free for the first year. Owner changes are free, but restoring a domain after the late-renewal window costs $56. The renewal is the problem for this ranking: at $38.38, a .com costs more than three times Porkbun's price from year two, so Gandi scores lowest on value among the registrars with flat or near-flat renewals. It remains useful for people who need rare country-code or new extensions in the same account as their main domains.

   • ✓Very wide extension catalog
   • ✓DNSSEC and Anycast DNS included
   • ✓Free owner changes

   • ✕The .com renewal of $38.38 is the highest in this list
   • ✕The free SSL certificate covers only the first year
   • ✕Late-renewal restore costs $56

   .com registration:

   $11.71 per year

   .com renewal:

   $38.38 per year, $34.54 on 2 to 9 year promo

   .com transfer:

   $11.71

   Extensions:

   More than 800

   Restore after late renewal:

   $56.00

   Bottom line: A deep catalog and solid DNS, held back by a $38.38 .com renewal. Use it for rare extensions, not for a cheap .com.

   Visit gandi.net ↗

9. 09

   

   Network Solutions

   6.6/10

   One of the oldest registrars, selling domains with AI-powered site and marketing apps.

   Price

   $11.99per year for a .com, first year

   .com $11.99 first year, renews at $22.99

   “.com $11.99 Renews at $22.99” Quoted from the pricing page, November 9, 2026.

   Free plan

   No

   Value (40%)

   5.8

   Features (35%)

   7.2

   Ease of use (25%)

   7.2

   Best forBusinesses that want a domain bundled with website, marketing and security services from one vendor.

   Network Solutions prints its domain prices with the renewal alongside, which helps: .com costs $11.99 for the first year and renews at $22.99, while .net starts at $1.25 and renews at $24.99. That renewal gap is the main reason it ranks last on a value-weighted list, since keeping a .com costs roughly twice what Porkbun charges every year after the first. The company positions a domain as the start of a bundle, with free AI-powered apps, a link in bio page builder, a marketing calendar for social, email and blog campaigns, and paid hosting, security and email. Privacy is offered as the Domain Privacy + Protection service, and the domain page does not present it as included in the price, so check the cart. For a business that wants one vendor for everything and values that over cost, the bundle can make sense; for anyone who just needs a domain, cheaper registrars do the same job.

   • ✓Renewal prices are printed next to first-year prices
   • ✓One vendor for domain, site, email and security
   • ✓Wide range of add-on services

   • ✕The .com renewal of $22.99 is nearly double the first year
   • ✕Privacy is sold as a named service rather than shown as included
   • ✕Many upsells to compare

   .com registration:

   $11.99 per year

   .com renewal:

   $22.99 per year

   .net:

   $1.25 first year, renews at $24.99

   Privacy:

   Domain Privacy + Protection service

   Extras:

   AI-powered apps, link in bio page, marketing calendar

   Bottom line: A broad bundle from a long-standing registrar, with renewals that cost about twice the first year. Pick it only if you want the extra services.

   Visit networksolutions.com ↗

Questions or corrections: editorial@rankozo.comSee our disclosure. Prices change; confirm on the vendor page before buying.