.cc Domain Names
44 registrars compared — cheapest from $3.11 at Spaceship
Barely a decade after the Cocos (Keeling) Islands became an Australian territory, its two-letter code was turned into one of the Internet's most versatile domain hacks — with none of the geographic baggage you'd expect.
| # | Registrar | Registration | Renewal | Transfer | 5-Year Cost | 10-Year Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spaceship Cheapest | $3.11 | $8.26 | $8.26 | $36.15 | $77.45 | Visit |
| 2 | NameSilo | $3.19 | $9.99 | $8.49 | $43.15 | $93.10 | Visit |
| 3 | Porkbun | $3.40 | $8.55 | $8.55 | $37.60 | $80.35 | Visit |
| 4 | Truehost | $3.95 | $12.21 | $12.34 | $52.79 | $113.84 | Visit |
| 5 | Dynadot | $3.99 | $8.80 | $8.80 | $39.19 | $83.19 | Visit |
| 6 | Hostinger | $3.99 | $10.99 | $3.99 | $47.95 | $102.90 | Visit |
| 7 | Namecheap | $4.98 | $13.98 | $10.98 | $60.90 | $130.80 | Visit |
| 8 | GoDaddy | $5.99 | $15.99 | $15.99 | $69.95 | $149.90 | Visit |
| 9 | Gname | $7.99 | $15.99 | $15.99 | $71.95 | $151.90 | Visit |
| 10 | Cloudflare | $8.00 | $8.00 | $8.00 | $40.00 | $80.00 | Visit |
| 11 | Above.com | $8.80 | $8.80 | $8.80 | $44.00 | $88.00 | Visit |
| 12 | Cosmotown | $8.87 | $8.87 | $8.87 | $44.35 | $88.70 | Visit |
| 13 | Alibaba Cloud | $8.99 | $8.99 | $8.99 | $44.95 | $89.90 | Visit |
| 14 | Regery | $8.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 | $48.95 | $98.90 | Visit |
| 15 | All Domains | $9.31 | $13.87 | $13.87 | $64.79 | $134.14 | Visit |
| 16 | Sav | $9.34 | $31.18 | $17.00 | $134.06 | $289.96 | Visit |
| 17 | OnlyDomains | $9.99 | $12.49 | $18.00 | $59.95 | $122.40 | Visit |
| 18 | NameBright | $10.20 | $10.20 | $10.20 | $51.00 | $102.00 | Visit |
| 19 | eDomains | $10.44 | $10.44 | $10.44 | $52.20 | $104.40 | Visit |
| 20 | Internet.bs | $10.99 | $12.35 | $11.99 | $60.39 | $122.14 | Visit |
| 21 | OVHcloud | $11.49 | $12.49 | $11.49 | $61.45 | $123.90 | Visit |
| 22 | Blacknight | $12.19 | $12.19 | $12.19 | $60.95 | $121.90 | Visit |
| 23 | MrDomain | $13.26 | $13.26 | $13.26 | $66.30 | $132.60 | Visit |
| 24 | Epik | $14.95 | $14.95 | $14.95 | $74.75 | $149.50 | Visit |
| 25 | Hello.co | $14.99 | $19.99 | $14.99 | $94.95 | $194.90 | Visit |
| 26 | Regtons | $17.00 | $17.00 | $17.00 | $85.00 | $170.00 | Visit |
| 27 | Gandi | $17.50 | $39.98 | $15.50 | $177.42 | $377.32 | Visit |
| 28 | Directnic | $19.99 | $19.99 | $19.99 | $99.95 | $199.90 | Visit |
| 29 | IONOS | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $100.00 | $200.00 | Visit |
| 30 | Marcaria | $20.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $100.00 | $200.00 | Visit |
| 31 | Infomaniak | $20.55 | $20.55 | $20.55 | $102.75 | $205.50 | Visit |
| 32 | INWX | $20.84 | $20.84 | $20.84 | $104.20 | $208.40 | Visit |
| 33 | 101domain | $20.99 | $25.99 | $20.99 | $124.95 | $254.90 | Visit |
| 34 | Netim | $21.50 | $21.50 | $10.50 | $107.50 | $215.00 | Visit |
| 35 | Moniker | $24.49 | $25.25 | $24.49 | $125.49 | $251.74 | Visit |
| 36 | DreamHost | $24.95 | $24.95 | $24.95 | $124.75 | $249.50 | Visit |
| 37 | Bluehost | $24.99 | $29.99 | $24.99 | $144.95 | $294.90 | Visit |
| 38 | EuroDNS | $25.31 | $25.31 | $25.31 | $126.55 | $253.10 | Visit |
| 39 | Hover | $29.99 | $29.99 | $29.99 | $149.95 | $299.90 | Visit |
| 40 | Name.com | $35.00 | $35.00 | $35.00 | $175.00 | $350.00 | Visit |
| 41 | UK2 | $35.87 | $34.57 | $18.00 | $174.15 | $347.00 | Visit |
| 42 | Crazy Domains | $37.50 | $38.69 | $37.50 | $192.26 | $385.71 | Visit |
| 43 | Squarespace | $40.00 | $40.00 | $40.00 | $200.00 | $400.00 | Visit |
| 44 | 123 Reg | $46.18 | $46.18 | $46.18 | $230.90 | $461.80 | Visit |
Prices updated daily. Some registrars show promotional first-year prices. Always verify the final price on the registrar's website before purchasing.
The Accidental Global Extension
Though .cc was delegated on 13 October 1997 for entities connected with the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, its real life began the moment registrants realized 'cc' could mean something else. The IANA record lists eNIC Cocos (Keeling) Islands Pty. Ltd. d/b/a Island Internet Services as sponsor, but the registry's commercial face is Verisign — the same company behind .com and .net. Unrestricted, inexpensive, and global, .cc quickly escaped its territorial origins. The Wikipedia entry notes its actual use is broad and not tied to the islands, making it one of the few ccTLDs that behaves like a generic extension.
Country Code in Name Only
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands — an Australian territory in Oceania with West Island as its capital — lent their ISO 3166 code 'CC' to the domain, but their Wikipedia article_Islands) shows a population measured in the hundreds. That tiny footprint means there's no local demand to protect, so the registry never imposed restrictions. No presence requirement, no local address, no citizenship tests. Anyone anywhere can register a .cc name, which is precisely why it became a favorite for startups, side projects, and brands seeking a short, memorable suffix that carries none of the baggage of a heavily regulated TLD.
Why .cc Became a Hack Magnet
The two-letter combination 'cc' carries multiple meanings: carbon copy in email, creative commons, credit card, even 'closed captions.' That ambiguity turned .cc into a canvas for domain hacks like domain or brandable names. Unlike many ccTLDs that demand local ties, .cc's UDRP-based dispute policy is the only real guardrail, according to the Wikipedia entry. With no use restrictions, the suffix became a default fallback when a .com was taken — offering a clean, two-letter alternative that still reads as a global extension. The IANA record lists no restrictions, and the WHOIS server (ccwhois.verisign-grs.com) routes inquiries through Verisign's global infrastructure, the same one that handles .com — a signal of enterprise-grade stability unusual for a tiny island ccTLD.
Pricing: A Budget Extension With a Catch
The .cc pricing landscape is wide open. The cheapest registrars — such as Spaceship — list .cc at $3.11, but renewal costs creep toward an average of $16.23. That's a typical pattern for ccTLDs run by commercial registries: cheap to acquire, but the renewal floor rises. The spread between the cheapest and most expensive registrars is extreme — the least expensive is about a tenth of the priciest — which means a savvy buyer can hold .cc for a budget-level outlay, but an unwary one can end up paying premium rates. With 44 registrars offering .cc, comparison shopping pays off, especially for portfolio holders who plan to keep names for years.
The Multiple Meanings Behind .cc's Appeal
The Cocos code sits in a crowded neighborhood: .tv, .fm, .ws, .pw, and .cx all come from Oceania, and all have been repurposed far beyond their borders. But .cc stands apart because it has no single dominant narrative — .tv is television, .fm is radio, .ws could be 'website.' .cc's meaning is multiple-choice: carbon copy, creative commons, credit card, or simply a compact alternative to .com. That ambiguity makes it more flexible but less brandable than a suffix with one clear hook. When you're choosing among these island codes, the question isn't geography — it's what you want the letters to say. None of them require local presence, so the decision comes down to connotation and price, where .cc's neutral 'cc' often wins for general-purpose uses.