How Much Does a Domain Name Cost? (2026 Guide)

A domain is your online address. It’s where your brand and ecommerce store live and one of the main places where your audience can find you. Knowing your domain name cost up front helps you plan and budget with confidence.

The cost of domain names varies. Ahead, learn which factors influence domain name pricing and what to consider when registering your domain name.

How much does a domain name cost?

Most domain names cost between $10 and $20 per year. This covers registering a domain with a popular top-level domain (TLD) like .com or .co.uk and keeping it active. Some domain registrars offer lower introductory prices for the first year, with higher renewal costs in later years.

Domain pricing can vary based on demand. More desirable or sought-after domains may cost considerably more. For example, carinsurance.com reportedly sold for $49.7 million, and hotels.com went for $11 million.

What about free domain names?

Some platforms, including Shopify, offer free subdomains, which are web addresses that live under a parent domain. For example, every Shopify store automatically receives the subdomain “www.[storename].myshopify.com.” You keep this subdomain along with up to 20 total domains or subdomains as part of your subscription.

Another cost-saving option is bundled domains. Some hosting providers and website platforms include a free custom domain for the first year when you sign up for paid hosting services.

How much should you pay for a domain?

There’s no single answer to how much you should pay for a domain. It depends on your goals, budget, and stage of business. 

A free subdomain can work well when you’re just getting started. Waterboy, for example, opted for the cheaper waterboycan.com domain to test their idea before investing $11,000 in waterboy.com.

“If we do podcast ads or if we ever need to tell someone our website address in a video, do we think we can pick up $11,000 worth of simplicity in the future?” says cofounder Mike Xhaxho in a Shopify Masters interview. “We saw this as an investment in the company.”

Domain name price comparison table

When you register a domain name, you’re paying a reputable domain registrar to keep your domain online and correctly connected to your website’s IP address.

Here’s an example of the different domain prices for TLD variations of bakehacks.com bought through Shopify:

These values are estimated ranges from typical prices for the first year and domain renewal costs. Prices can also vary widely between domain registrars. Always check whether a low first-year price is tied to a promotion, and review renewal costs before committing. Some registrars also offer discounts for multiyear registrations, which can help lock in lower rates.

Don’t choose a domain based on first-year pricing alone. Instead, calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) so you don’t get caught off guard by hidden costs.

Examples of domain name cost from popular registrars

The domain name market is on the rise. As of mid-2026, there were about 401.6 million registered domain names worldwide across all TLDs. The number of new registrations increased 8.1% year over year, signaling steady expansion of domain adoption.

Here’s what popular domain sellers charge to register the example domain name “bakehacks.com” for a fictional baking business. These are sample prices as of fall 2026. 

When buying a domain, make sure your registrar is accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN oversees the global domain name system to ensure domains are registered and managed securely.

Shopify works with ICANN-accredited registrars. You can buy domains and manage them inside the Shopify admin that powers the rest of your ecommerce business.

What affects domain pricing?

The price of your desired domain is influenced by its length, TLD, popularity, and add-ons such as domain privacy protection. 

Here’s a closer look at the key factors that determine how much a domain will cost:

Top-level domain extension (TLD)

The top-level domain letters at the end of your domain name play a major role in pricing. A .com or .org TLD typically cost more than niche extensions such as .tv or .io.

For most businesses, .com remains the top choice because it’s widely recognized and trusted by customers. 

That said, country-code TLDs like .ca or .co.uk can be an option if you operate in a specific region. Princess Polly, for example, uses princesspolly.com for their US audience and princesspolly.co.uk for British visitors. 

Domain length and popularity

Popular and memorable domain names have higher price tags. For example, AI.com is the most expensive domain ever sold. It went for a reported $70 million in early 2026.

Availability

If the domain you want is already owned by someone else, you may still be able to buy it. Desirable names with multiple potential buyers may sell via auctions where the highest bidder wins. It’s also possible to pick up an expired domain name if its previous owner doesn’t renew. 

Where you purchase the domain

Choose a registrar with an introductory offer for new customers. If you already have an account with that registrar, you may not be eligible for the discount.

“Every domain registrar has its own pricing system, though they all try to remain competitive. It’s worth looking at various registrars and price-shopping,” says independent UX/UI designer Dave Smyth.

Consider ongoing costs before jumping at the first introductory offer. You could pay more for the domain in the long run if its renewal prices are higher than other registrars. Calculate the domain’s total cost of ownership (TCO) from different registrars before committing.

Privacy protection

When you register a domain, your personal information including your name, address, email, and phone number is typically added to the WHOIS database. This is a publicly accessible record that anyone can look up to find out who owns a domain.

Domain registrars like Shopify, Hover, and GoDaddy offer privacy protection services (also known as WHOIS protection) to hide your personal information. This keeps details safe from scammers and potential online identity theft.

Other registrars charge an additional fee for this service. For example, Bluehost offers free WHOIS protection only for the first year when you register your domain. 

Domain lifecycle and redemption costs

Every domain goes through several stages during its lifetime, from registration to expiration. 

Here’s a simplified domain lifecycle timeline:

• Active registration: This is when your domain is live and fully operational. You’re paying the domain name cost per year for this stage, which is typically between $8 to $15 annually, depending on the TLD you’ve chosen.
• Expiration: If you forget to renew your domain, it enters an expired state. However, many registrars offer a grace period when you can still renew without facing any additional fees. During this period, your domain is inactive, but it hasn’t been released to other buyers yet.
• Redemption period: After the grace period ends, your domain enters the redemption period, which usually lasts 30 days. Instead of paying only the typical domain cost per year for a renewal, you’ll need to pay an additional redemption fee. This restore fee is set by each registrar and must be disclosed, per ICANN’s policy.
• Pending deletion: If you don’t redeem the domain during the redemption period, it will eventually be deleted and released back into the pool of available domains for somebody else to buy.

Hidden domain costs to watch for

The up-front cost to register a domain name is just one part of what you’ll pay to connect your domain to an IP address and list it in the domain name system (DNS).

There are a few other domain costs to consider:

• High renewal prices: Always check the renewal price before signing up so you understand the long-term cost, not just the introductory deal.
• Premium domains: Premium domains are owned by individuals or businesses and resold at a higher price. They’re often short, descriptive, or highly memorable, which drives up their value. For example, Voice.com sold for $30 million in 2019.
• Domain extensions and subdomains: Some registrars charge extra fees for certain domain extensions or for using specific subdomains, which can increase your overall costs.
• Contract length: You don’t own a domain outright; you lease it from a registrar. Registering your domain for multiple years can lower the annual cost, while shorter terms may cost more over time.
• Transfer fees: Moving your domain to a different registrar can involve transfer fees. ICANN has a mandatory fee of about 20¢ charged on every generic top-level domain (gTLD) registration, renewal, or transfer.
• Additional services. Email hosting, web hosting, SSL certificates, and other add-ons are often upsold at checkout. Before adding extras, confirm which services you actually need so you don’t inflate your domain costs unnecessarily.

How to get a premium domain for a good price

Here’s how to research domain name providers and secure the best price for your domain.

Shop around

Prices for the same domain name can vary across providers. Compare pricing to secure the best deal. 

Look closely at sales and promotional offers; some registrars offer deep discounts for new customers. Ionos, for example, offered an introductory price of $1 for the first year, which would then switch to a renewal price of $20 per year. 

Avoid unnecessarily expensive domains

There’s no need to purchase an expensive domain if you don’t need one. Fashion brand Tala, for example, uses the longer version wearetala.com as their primary domain.

Dave Smyth also advises: “Use the company name first, then add something after, e.g., companyhq.com. Why? Visitors looking for your site are much more likely to start typing your company name into their address bar. If the domain starts with the name of the company, there’s a good chance the browser will autocomplete this for them, making it easier for them to reach your site.”

If you believe a premium domain name is necessary for branding or marketing purposes, allocate funds for it in your marketing budget. Confirm with a legal profession whether you can deduct a portion of the cost as a business expense. 

Think beyond .com

Exploring less popular domain extensions can help you secure a popular domain name at a lower price. For example, on Shopify, bakehacks.co costs $20 per year and bakehacks.store costs $9 per year. 

Many new TLDs have emerged recently, offering variety and more opportunities to land a short and simple address. For example:

• .shop or .store work for ecommerce websites.
• .app domains may appeal to developers
• .blog is suited to writers.
• .nyc or .london go beyond country code TLDs to make your business hyper-local.

For some merchants, a newer TLD is a smart, budget-friendly option. For others, the familiarity and credibility of .com is worth the investment. The latter was true for Andrew Lissimore, who bought headphones.com. 

“We worked so hard to get the domain because we needed to buy some credibility in order to get the next slew of brands we were dealing with: storied audio companies that have been with headphones that are handmade in France or Germany,” Andrew says in a Shopify Masters interview. “[It was] really tough to convince those guys as a new company that they should take a gamble on us with their brand.”

Consider the renewal price

When you register a domain name, you rent it for a certain period. When that time is up, you’ll need to renew your registration to keep your domain.

Many domain registration services offer discounts for registering a domain for multiple years. Ionos, for example, advises businesses to register their domain for 24 months to take advantage of savings.

If you’re confident in your choice, this can save you money while securing your domain name for longer. Just remember to turn on auto renewal so the domain stays under your control.

Consider domain auctions

Domain auctions are platforms for buying and selling currently owned domain names. They can be a great place to find unique and valuable domains.

Examples include:

• Namecheap Auctions 
• GoDaddy Auctions
• Sedo

If you’re considering buying a domain from an auction, set a budget and stick to it. If you don’t win the auction for your first choice domain, you could fall back on a different TLD or slight variation in your domain name.

You can also negotiate privately for an owned domain. Domain broker services, available through many registrars, can handle negotiations for you. They’ll help uncover the domain owner, suggest a reasonable offer, and assist you during domain migration.

Bulk purchases

Some domain registrars offer discounts to save money if you buy multiple domain names at the same time. This can be particularly useful if you want different TLD options, like both a .com and a .co.uk, to protect your brand across different markets.

Ionos, for example, offers the .com, .net, .store, and .info version of “bakehacks” for $1 for your first year. The renewal price for all four domains is $159 annually. 

Domain negotiation tactics

If you’re eyeing a premium or aftermarket domain that’s already owned by someone else, you might find yourself negotiating with the current owner. 

Andrew took this approach to secure headphones.com. He spent four months negotiating the domain’s price, which was originally listed at $1 million: “I said, ‘Hey, I'm interested in your domain. Are you looking to sell it by any chance?’ totally thinking there's no way this would ever work.”

“It was very expensive, but I was able to get it tied to the business,” Andrew says. “We were just paying for it monthly and then as the business grew, our payments would grow.”

If you’re still stuck, consider a domain name broker. These are experienced negotiators who can help you secure a domain for a fair price and handle the legal and technical aspects of the transaction.