Mind the renewal price: the traps

The advertised price is almost always the first year. The real cost is the renewal — sometimes 2 to 10× higher. Here, on .com, is who plays fair and who traps you:

#Registrar1st yearRenewal
1Hostinger$0.01$19.99 ⚠ renews $19.99See offer
2IONOS€1.00€20.00 ⚠ renews €20.00See offer
3GoDaddy$5.19$23.19 ⚠ renews $23.19See offer
4Spaceship$9.08$10.18See offer
5Cloudflare Registrar$10.46$10.46See offer
6Dynadot$10.88$10.88See offer
7Gandi$11.00$38.38 ⚠ renews $38.38See offer
8Namecheap$11.28$18.48 ⚠ renews $18.48See offer
9OVHcloud€14.69€14.69See offer
10Hover$14.99$14.99See offer
11Name.com$14.99$14.99See offer
13Squarespace Domains$20.00$20.00See offer

Spot the rows with the ⚠ renews badge: their renewal is well above year one. Conversely, registrars like Cloudflare (at-cost) or NameSilo keep an almost flat price.

🏆 Our pick: NameSilo

For most projects, NameSilo is the best all-round choice from $16.29 (renews at $17.29, no spike): low prices, free lifetime WHOIS privacy and, above all, a renewal almost identical to year one (no trap). Full transparency: this is an affiliate link — at no extra cost to you, and our ranking stays sorted by real price.

Visit NameSilo →

Frequently asked questions

Why is a domain renewal more expensive?

Registrars lure you with a teaser price in year one, then apply their standard rate (often much higher) at renewal. It's legal but not very transparent.

How do I avoid the renewal trap?

Pick a registrar whose renewal is close to year one (Cloudflare at cost, NameSilo). Our comparator always shows both prices.

Can I transfer a domain to pay less at renewal?

Yes: transferring to a cheaper registrar is possible (often +1 year included). It's a way to escape an abusive renewal.

Find your name at the best price

Type a name, a keyword or an extension: we compare real prices and flag the traps.

Start a search →

Verified, indicative, dated prices — never ranked by commission. Some "See offer" links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.