Cheapest Domain Registrar for Renewals (2026)
That $0.99 domain? It renews at $21.99. The real cost of a domain is the renewal price—that's what you'll pay every year for as long as you own it. Here's what registrars actually charge.
.com Renewal Prices Ranked (Cheapest First)
| Rank | Registrar | .com Renewal | WHOIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Spaceship | $10.18 | FREE |
| 🥈 2 | Cloudflare | $10.44 | FREE |
| 🥉 3 | Porkbun | $10.67 | FREE |
| 4 | NameSilo | $10.95 | FREE |
| 5 | Dynadot | $10.99 | FREE |
| 6 | Namecheap | $14.58 | FREE |
| 7 | Squarespace | $20.00 | FREE |
| 8 | GoDaddy | $21.99 | $9.99/yr |
Understanding the Wholesale Cost
Every .com domain has a base cost that registrars pay to Verisign (who operates .com):
This is why Cloudflare charges exactly $10.44—they sell at cost with zero markup. Spaceship at $10.18 is actually below this, meaning they're subsidizing renewals to win market share.
5-Year Cost Comparison
A domain isn't a one-time purchase. Here's what you'll actually pay over 5 years:
Over 5 years, choosing Spaceship over GoDaddy saves you more than the cost of a premium domain name.
Why First-Year Pricing Is Meaningless
Registrars advertise first-year prices because that's what sells. But look at what happens after year one:
| Registrar | First Year | Renewal | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy | $0.99 | $21.99 | +2,121% |
| IONOS | $1.00 | $20.00 | +1,900% |
| Domain.com | $3.99 | $19.99 | +401% |
| Spaceship | $9.08 | $10.18 | +12% |
Our Recommendation
Spaceship offers the lowest .com renewals we've found at $10.18/year. Combined with free WHOIS privacy and a clean interface, it's the best choice for cost-conscious users.
If you're a developer already using Cloudflare, their at-cost registrar is a great option—just know you're locked to their nameservers.
Porkbun is another excellent choice if you prefer their interface and want to support an independent registrar.
Transfer your domains to Spaceship and start paying $10.18/year instead of $22+. Each transfer includes a free 1-year extension.
Start Saving →We earn commissions from Spaceship, Dynadot, Namecheap, and GoDaddy. Cloudflare and Porkbun have no affiliate programs. Our rankings are based on actual renewal prices, not commission rates.