Many of my friends have been planning to start their own international trade websites and have asked me for advice on choosing and registering domain names. To simplify things, I’ve compiled a list comparing the prices of .com domains from various reputable registrars, such as Cloudflare, Namecheap, and Namesilo.
Knowing the renewal cost in the second year and the fees for transferring the domain is also crucial. Some domain providers offer the first year for free or at a deep discount, only to hike the price for renewals. Watch out for hidden charges after purchasing a domain, like fees for domain privacy protection or SSL certificates. To help you avoid any surprises, I recommend checking out the updated comparison chart below, especially noting the costs for renewing in the second year.
.com Domain Price Comparison [International, No Registration Required]
For those who value privacy, you can choose a registrar that provides free WHOIS privacy, so your ownership details are kept confidential. Consider affordable first-year options from NameCheap or Ionos if you want a short-term solution. For a long-term investment, opt for registrars with stable pricing, such as NameCheap, Cloudflare, or Namesilo. There’s also SpaceShip, a new player offering competitive introductory rates expected to remain stable for a few years.
Here’s a table that lays out the prices for the first and second years, along with some notes on each registrar:
| Registrar | First Year Fee | Second Year Renewal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namecheap | $5.98 | $13.98 | Free CDN, SSL in the first year, well-established |
| Cloudflare | $9.77 | $9.77 | Free CDN and SSL, cannot change DNS nameserver |
| Porkbun | $10.37 | $10.37 | Free WHOIS privacy |
| Dynadot | $7.99 | $11.99 | Free WHOIS privacy |
| SpaceShip | $8.48 | $9.55 | Free CDN, new player |
| GoDaddy | $11.99 | $21.99 | Well-established, free WHOIS privacy, higher renewal |
| Ionos | $1.00 | $17.00 | Free WHOIS privacy and SSL |
| Dreamhost | $7.99 | $17.99 | Free WHOIS privacy |
| Namesilo | $13.95 | $13.95 | Free WHOIS privacy, well-established, can change nameserver |
| Squarespace | $12.00 | $20.00 | Free WHOIS privacy and SSL, Google-recommended |
| Bluehost | $12.85 | Unknown | WHOIS privacy at extra cost |
Notice: If you are buying a Namecheap shared server, you must change nameservers to use its addon domain. However, the Cloudflare domain doesn’t support changing the nameservers unless you purchase its Pro plans, which are about $200/year, which is expensive.
