Many of my friends have been planning to start their own international trade websites and have reached out to me for advice on choosing and registering domain names. To make things easier, I’ve put together a list comparing the prices of .com domains from various reputable registrars, such as Cloudflare, Namecheap, and Namesilo.
It’s crucial to be aware of the renewal cost in the second year and the fees for transferring the domain. Some domain providers offer the first year for free or at a steep discount, only to hike the price for renewals. Watch out for hidden charges that come 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. If you’re looking for a short-term solution, consider affordable first-year options from NameCheap or Ionos. 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 that are 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 that: If you are buying a Namecheap shared server, you will be required to change nameservers to use its addon domain. But the Cloudflare domain doesn’t support changing the nameservers unless you purchase its Pro plans, about $200/year, which is so expensive.
