.com Domain Names
44 registrars compared — cheapest from $6.99 at Internet.bs
Delegated on January 1, 1985, .com wasn't just the first commercial top-level domain — it became the internet's default address, the one people type without thinking.
| # | Registrar | Registration | Renewal | Transfer | 5-Year Cost | 10-Year Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internet.bs Cheapest | $6.99 | $14.25 | $13.45 | $63.99 | $135.24 | Visit |
| 2 | Moniker Cheapest | $6.99 | $16.29 | $14.89 | $72.15 | $153.60 | Visit |
| 3 | Truehost | $8.25 | $11.88 | $11.22 | $55.77 | $115.17 | Visit |
| 4 | Cosmotown | $8.59 | $11.35 | $11.35 | $53.99 | $110.74 | Visit |
| 5 | Blacknight | $8.86 | $22.18 | $8.86 | $97.58 | $208.48 | Visit |
| 6 | Spaceship | $9.08 | $10.18 | $9.68 | $49.80 | $100.70 | Visit |
| 7 | OVHcloud | $9.20 | $14.69 | $9.20 | $67.96 | $141.41 | Visit |
| 8 | IONOS | $10.00 | $20.00 | $9.50 | $90.00 | $190.00 | Visit |
| 9 | Squarespace | $10.00 | $20.00 | $20.00 | $90.00 | $190.00 | Visit |
| 10 | Cloudflare | $10.46 | $10.46 | $10.46 | $52.30 | $104.60 | Visit |
| 11 | Infomaniak | $10.54 | $12.65 | $12.65 | $61.14 | $124.39 | Visit |
| 12 | Sav | $10.87 | $10.15 | $10.15 | $51.47 | $102.22 | Visit |
| 13 | Dynadot | $10.88 | $10.88 | $10.88 | $54.40 | $108.80 | Visit |
| 14 | Namecheap | $10.98 | $18.48 | $11.48 | $84.90 | $177.30 | Visit |
| 15 | DreamHost | $10.99 | $21.99 | $10.99 | $98.95 | $208.90 | Visit |
| 16 | NameBright | $10.99 | $10.99 | $10.99 | $54.95 | $109.90 | Visit |
| 17 | Regery | $10.99 | $11.49 | $10.99 | $56.95 | $114.40 | Visit |
| 18 | Gandi | $11.00 | $38.38 | $11.00 | $164.52 | $356.42 | Visit |
| 19 | Porkbun | $11.08 | $11.08 | $11.08 | $55.40 | $110.80 | Visit |
| 20 | Above.com | $11.51 | $11.51 | $11.51 | $57.55 | $115.10 | Visit |
| 21 | EuroDNS | $11.84 | $22.62 | $22.62 | $102.32 | $215.42 | Visit |
| 22 | Alibaba Cloud | $11.99 | $12.99 | $10.88 | $63.95 | $128.90 | Visit |
| 23 | OnlyDomains | $12.49 | $17.99 | $17.99 | $84.45 | $174.40 | Visit |
| 24 | Bluehost | $12.99 | $23.99 | $12.99 | $108.95 | $228.90 | Visit |
| 25 | eDomains | $12.99 | $12.99 | $12.99 | $64.95 | $129.90 | Visit |
| 26 | Name.com | $12.99 | $19.99 | $17.99 | $92.95 | $192.90 | Visit |
| 27 | All Domains | $13.32 | $15.54 | $15.54 | $75.48 | $153.18 | Visit |
| 28 | GoDaddy | $13.39 | $23.19 | $13.19 | $106.15 | $222.10 | Visit |
| 29 | INWX | $13.50 | $17.52 | $17.52 | $83.58 | $171.18 | Visit |
| 30 | Gname | $13.99 | $13.99 | $13.99 | $69.95 | $139.90 | Visit |
| 31 | Marcaria | $14.00 | $14.00 | $14.00 | $70.00 | $140.00 | Visit |
| 32 | Hello.co | $14.99 | $14.99 | $14.99 | $74.95 | $149.90 | Visit |
| 33 | Directnic | $15.00 | $19.19 | $12.99 | $91.76 | $187.71 | Visit |
| 34 | 101domain | $15.17 | $20.17 | $14.17 | $95.85 | $196.70 | Visit |
| 35 | Crazy Domains | $15.39 | $17.09 | $15.39 | $83.75 | $169.20 | Visit |
| 36 | Epik | $15.99 | $15.99 | $15.99 | $79.95 | $159.90 | Visit |
| 37 | NameSilo | $16.29 | $17.29 | $9.80 | $85.45 | $171.90 | Visit |
| 38 | MrDomain | $17.70 | $17.70 | $17.70 | $88.50 | $177.00 | Visit |
| 39 | Netim | $19.00 | $19.00 | $13.00 | $95.00 | $190.00 | Visit |
| 40 | UK2 | $19.12 | $19.12 | $16.99 | $95.60 | $191.20 | Visit |
| 41 | Hover | $19.19 | $19.19 | $19.19 | $95.95 | $191.90 | Visit |
| 42 | Regtons | $19.90 | $19.90 | $19.90 | $99.50 | $199.00 | Visit |
| 43 | Hostinger | $20.19 | $20.19 | $20.19 | $100.95 | $201.90 | Visit |
| 44 | 123 Reg | $25.06 | $25.06 | $23.74 | $125.30 | $250.60 | Visit |
Prices updated daily. Some registrars show promotional first-year prices. Always verify the final price on the registrar's website before purchasing.
The First Dot-Com Wasn't a Company
When .com was delegated in 1985, it wasn't intended for startups or e-commerce. The original purpose was narrow: "commercial entities." But the first registrant wasn't a business at all — it was a computer company's internal network. The domain quickly outgrew its label, becoming the standard for anything web-related, from personal blogs to nonprofit projects. By the late 1990s, "dot-com" had become shorthand for the internet economy itself, and the TLD's meaning shifted from a sector marker to a universal address. Today, VeriSign Global Registry Services runs the registry, and .com remains the benchmark against which all other TLDs are measured. Its delegation date places it among the oldest top-level domains, yet its intended use and actual use have diverged so completely that the original charter reads like a historical footnote.
Why .com Commands a Premium — and a Floor
Unlike newer gTLDs that compete on price, .com pricing sits in a category of its own. Across 44 registrars, the spread is wide — from budget operators like Internet.bs to premium services — but the average cost stays above most alternatives. The reason is scarcity: the most desirable short, memorable names were taken decades ago, and the aftermarket drives values far beyond registration fees. Registrars may discount first-year registration to attract customers, but renewal prices — $14.25 at the low end — rarely match those teaser rates. This pricing structure reflects .com's status as the "standard" TLD, a position reinforced by VeriSign's stewardship. While a .net or .org can be had for less, the perceived authority of a .com address justifies the extra cost for businesses that want to signal legitimacy. The wide price spread also means savvy shoppers can find deals, but the long-term cost is the real consideration.
The Dispute System That Shaped All Others
Every modern TLD's conflict resolution process traces back to the policy .com pioneered. The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy, known as UDRP, was first implemented for .com and .net, setting a global standard for handling cybersquatting disputes. Before UDRP, trademark holders had to sue in court — slow, expensive, and jurisdiction-dependent. UDRP created a faster administrative path, and its success led to its adoption by virtually every other top-level domain, including all of .com's general-purpose siblings. The policy's influence is so profound that it's now the standard dispute mechanism for gTLDs and ccTLDs alike. For .com registrants, the practical takeaway is that registering a name that infringes on a trademark carries real risk — even if the registration itself is unrestricted. The system remains a cornerstone of the domain industry, a legacy that began with .com.
No Restrictions, But Not Equal: The .com Hierarchy
On paper, .com has no restrictions — anyone can register any available name. That openness, combined with its 1985 debut, created a de facto hierarchy. The shortest, most generic words were snapped up early, leaving later registrants to piece together longer names, hyphens, or creative spellings. This is why "cheap .com domain" searches (over 2,600 per month) often lead to disappointment: the inexpensive names are rarely the ones people want. The real cost of a good .com isn't the registration fee — it's the years of squatting, the aftermarket premiums, and the negotiation with current holders. Compared to newer gTLDs with empty spaces, .com's surface is crowded, and its value is stratified. For those who can't secure a desirable .com, alternatives like .net, .org, or .name offer a path — but they carry a perception penalty. The hierarchy is self-reinforcing: the more .com dominates, the more valuable its good names become.
Security and Identity: DNSSEC and IDN Under the Hood
Despite its age, .com hasn't rested on its legacy. The registry supports both DNSSEC and IDN, the technical foundations that keep the internet secure and multilingual. DNSSEC — deployed for .com in the early 2010s — adds cryptographic signatures to DNS records, helping prevent cache poisoning and man-in-the-middle attacks. IDN support means domain names can include non-ASCII characters, a crucial feature for the international community that .com serves. These aren't just checkboxes; they're the reason .com remains the standard for businesses and users worldwide. The technical infrastructure, managed by VeriSign, handles billions of queries daily, and its stability is a public trust. When people ask "is .com secure?" the answer lies in these protocols — DNSSEC protects the domain's integrity, while IDN ensures that the next billion users can navigate without a Latin-alphabet barrier.