Where to buy a domain and what it really costs
A domain costs more than its first-year price suggests. Here is where to buy, what to pay and how to register it safely, in your own name.
You buy a domain from a company called a registrar, and the price on the front page is rarely what you pay for long. In 2026, a .com usually renews for roughly $10 to $25 a year, while the first year can cost far less. Prices vary by company and change over time. This lesson shows where to buy, how to read the real cost, which extras you can skip and how to register your domain safely, in your own name.
Where you can buy a domain
Every domain is registered through a registrar, a company accredited to sell domains. ICANN, the organization that coordinates domain names, keeps the official list of accredited registrars. You can reach one in four common ways.
A registrar that focuses on domains
These companies sell domains as their main business. Prices are usually clear, and moving a domain in or out is a normal, well-documented process. They are often the simplest choice if you want full control.
A hosting company
Many hosting companies sell domains too, which puts one bill and one login in one place. That is convenient. The catch is that when your domain and your hosting sit together, leaving one can mean sorting out the other, so make sure you can still move each part on its own.
A website builder
Builders often offer a domain in the same checkout. It is easy, but the domain can be tied to the builder's account, with extra steps or waiting periods if you want to move it later. Ask before you buy whether you can transfer it out.
A person who built your site for you
A designer or a studio can buy the domain on your behalf, which is fine when the domain is registered in your name, in an account you can log in to. It is a problem when the domain sits in their name or in their account, because they then control your address. More on this later in the lesson.
A marketplace or broker, for names that are taken
If the name you want is already registered and the owner is willing to sell, a marketplace or a broker can handle the sale. Treat this as a purchase, with a price limit, and not as a bargain hunt.
What a domain really costs
The first-year price and the renewal price are different numbers
A low first-year offer gets your attention. The renewal price is the one you pay every year after that, and it is the number to compare. For a .com in 2026, mainstream registrars charge roughly $10 to $25 a year to renew. A few charge much more, and first-year offers can be only a few dollars. The wholesale price of .com tends to rise by a few percent most years, so renewals creep up over time.
A fair way to compare is to add up three years: the first year plus two renewals. A name that looks cheap on day one can cost more than a plainly priced one by year three.
Other endings and special names cost differently
Endings such as .org and .net usually sit in a similar range to .com. Some newer endings cost a few dollars in the first year and much more to renew. A premium name is one priced above the standard rate because the seller or the registry thinks it is valuable, and it can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. For a small business, a good ordinary name beats an expensive short one.
Extras: what you need and what you can skip
- Domain privacy. It hides your personal details from the public record of who owns the domain. Many registrars now include it at no charge, or hide the details by default. Check before you pay for it.
- Automatic renewal. Free, and worth turning on. It stops your site and your email from going down by accident.
- Registrar lock and two-step login. Usually free, and they protect the domain from being moved or taken. Turn both on.
- Email. A separate service, with its own price. A later lesson covers it.
- SSL certificate. Often free with your hosting. Do not pay twice. The lesson on SSL explains what you need.
- Bundles, "SEO tools" and monitoring add-ons. Usually unnecessary for a small business. Skip them unless you can say exactly what you will use.
Buying several years at once
You can register a domain for one to ten years. A longer term saves you from renewing every year, and some registrars offer a discount. It is not a ranking trick, though, and it will not help you in Google. The best reason to register for more years is simple: fewer renewal dates to miss.
How to buy your domain, step by step
Step 1: Decide the name and the ending
Use the lessons on choosing a domain name and an ending. Have two or three options ready, in order of preference.
Step 2: Search at the registrar
Type your first choice in the search box. If it is free, you will see a price. If it is taken, the registrar suggests alternatives. Ignore the long list of cheap endings and look at the exact name you want.
Step 3: Compare the full price
Look at the renewal price, the privacy price and any required add-ons. Remove anything the checkout adds that you did not ask for.
Step 4: Create the account with care
Use an email address that you will always have, and that is not on the domain you are buying. If the domain ever lapses, an address on that same domain would stop working, and you could not recover your account. Choose a strong, unique password, and turn on two-step verification.
Step 5: Enter the owner details truthfully
The registrant is you or your business. Use your real name or your legal business name, a real address, a working phone number and an email you read. Accurate details are a requirement of registration, and after you register you will get an email asking you to confirm them. Do it right away. If you ignore that email, the registrar can suspend the domain.
Step 6: Turn on privacy, auto-renew and the lock
Check each one before you pay, so nothing is left on a default you did not choose.
Step 7: Pay with a business card and keep the receipt
Use a card that will not expire next month, and keep the receipt with your business records.
Step 8: Save the login details
Store the email, the password and the recovery codes in a password manager or another safe place. Share them with one person you trust, so the domain is not lost if you are away.
Step 9: Add a renewal reminder
Put the expiry date in your calendar, with an alert a month before. Check that the payment card on file is still valid.
What to do right after you buy
A new domain points nowhere until you tell it where to go. Three jobs come next, and none of them is hard.
- Confirm your contact email. Click the link in the verification message the registrar sends you.
- Point the domain to your site. Your hosting company or your studio gives you the settings, usually name servers or DNS records. Copy them exactly as they are written.
- Set up your email. Business email needs its own records. The lesson on professional email walks you through them.
After a change, it can take from a few minutes to a day or two for the new settings to spread across the internet. That delay is normal, and it is called propagation. Do not panic if the site does not appear at once.
If the domain you want is taken
Look up who owns it with the lookup tool on the ICANN website, then visit the address. Three things can happen.
- A live business uses it. Choose another name. Fighting for a name that a working business already owns is a waste of money and invites trouble.
- It is parked or for sale. You can make an offer, usually through the page or a broker. Set a limit before you start, and expect the first price to be high.
- It has expired or is about to. Some registrars let you place a backorder. Check the name's history before you buy, because a name that once belonged to a spam site can carry a bad reputation.
Also check that the name does not clash with a registered trademark, even when the domain is free.
How to keep your domain safe
- Be the registrant and the account owner. Do not let a developer, a relative or an agency hold it in their name.
- Keep the contact details current. Renewal notices go to the email on file.
- Know the transfer rules. Registrars usually lock a new registration for 60 days. To move a domain later, you unlock it, ask your current registrar for a transfer code, and start the transfer at the new one. Do not wait for the last week before expiry.
- Beware of fake renewal notices. Letters and emails that look like bills for your domain, from companies you have never used, are a known scam. Check the sender against your own registrar, and pay only inside your account.
- Know what expiry means. After the expiration date, most registrars give a short grace period, and then a recovery period in which you can still get the name back for an extra fee. After that, the name is released to the public. Your website and your email stop working as soon as the domain does.
Your domain and your website
Registering your domain in your own name keeps your address in your hands. The site that sits behind it needs a home too. With Good Sites Only, hosting is included with every site, along with a design for your industry, texts written for you, a mobile version, SEO setup and contact forms, and each site is online in 7 days. When you are ready, you can start your site.
Questions people ask
Where is the best place to buy a domain name?
Choose an ICANN-accredited registrar with clear prices, free or low-cost privacy, two-step login, an easy way to transfer out and decent support. The name on the front page matters less than those basics.
How much does a domain name cost per year?
In 2026, mainstream registrars charge roughly $10 to $25 a year to renew a .com, and first-year offers can be much lower. Other endings and premium names cost different amounts, so always check the renewal price.
Why is the renewal price higher than the first-year price?
Many registrars sell the first year at a discount to win you as a customer, and then charge their regular price. The regular price is the one to compare, because you pay it every year after the first.
Do I need to pay for domain privacy?
Not always. Many registrars include privacy at no charge or hide your details by default. If yours charges for it, think about whether you are comfortable with your name, address and phone number being visible in the public record.
Should I buy my domain from my web host?
You can, as long as the domain is in your name and you can move it without moving your hosting. Many owners prefer a separate registrar so that one problem never affects both.
Can I buy a domain that is already taken?
Sometimes. Find the owner with a lookup, check whether it is for sale and make an offer through the page, a broker or a marketplace. Set a price limit first. If an active business uses it, pick another name.
What happens if my domain expires?
Your website and your email stop working. Most registrars give a grace period, and then a recovery period with an extra fee. After that, the name is released and anyone can register it, so renew early and turn on auto-renew.
How do I transfer my domain to another registrar?
Unlock the domain, ask your current registrar for a transfer code, and start the transfer at the new registrar. A new registration is usually locked for 60 days, and a transfer often adds a year to your registration.
Is it cheaper to buy a domain for several years?
Sometimes, because some registrars discount longer terms. The main benefit is fewer renewals to remember. It does not help your Google rankings.
How do I know a domain renewal notice is real?
Real notices come from your own registrar, and you can confirm them by logging in to your account. Notices from companies you have never used, especially paper letters that look like invoices, are a known scam. Do not pay them.
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