.direct Domain Names
41 registrars compared — cheapest from $9.99 at Sav
Delegated in 2014 as part of ICANN's new gTLD program, .direct is a generic top-level domain operated by Binky Moon, LLC, a company tied to Identity Digital's registry platform.
| # | Registrar | Registration | Renewal | Transfer | 5-Year Cost | 10-Year Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sav Cheapest | $9.99 | $34.52 | $34.52 | $148.07 | $320.67 | Visit |
| 2 | Porkbun | $10.81 | $34.50 | $34.50 | $148.81 | $321.31 | Visit |
| 3 | Dynadot | $10.92 | $35.53 | $35.53 | $153.04 | $330.69 | Visit |
| 4 | Regery | $10.99 | $35.99 | $35.99 | $154.95 | $334.90 | Visit |
| 5 | INWX | $12.10 | $61.20 | $61.20 | $256.90 | $562.90 | Visit |
| 6 | Spaceship | $13.14 | $34.36 | $34.36 | $150.58 | $322.38 | Visit |
| 7 | Cosmotown | $14.11 | $34.96 | $34.96 | $153.95 | $328.75 | Visit |
| 8 | Above.com | $14.19 | $35.42 | $35.42 | $155.87 | $332.97 | Visit |
| 9 | All Domains | $14.43 | $46.62 | $46.62 | $200.91 | $434.01 | Visit |
| 10 | Namecheap | $14.98 | $55.98 | $45.48 | $238.90 | $518.80 | Visit |
| 11 | OVHcloud | $15.02 | $38.59 | $37.89 | $169.38 | $362.33 | Visit |
| 12 | Blacknight | $16.63 | $48.82 | $48.82 | $211.91 | $456.01 | Visit |
| 13 | NameSilo | $16.99 | $41.99 | $37.99 | $184.95 | $394.90 | Visit |
| 14 | Netim | $18.50 | $52.50 | $35.00 | $228.50 | $491.00 | Visit |
| 15 | EuroDNS | $18.53 | $63.55 | $63.55 | $272.73 | $590.48 | Visit |
| 16 | Truehost | $18.69 | $53.81 | $41.86 | $233.93 | $502.98 | Visit |
| 17 | Gname | $18.99 | $43.99 | $43.99 | $194.95 | $414.90 | Visit |
| 18 | Name.com | $19.99 | $54.99 | $54.99 | $239.95 | $514.90 | Visit |
| 19 | GoDaddy | $20.19 | $66.19 | $66.19 | $284.95 | $615.90 | Visit |
| 20 | Directnic | $24.99 | $52.99 | $52.99 | $236.95 | $501.90 | Visit |
| 21 | eDomains | $30.00 | $30.00 | $30.00 | $150.00 | $300.00 | Visit |
| 22 | Infomaniak | $32.13 | $32.13 | $32.13 | $160.65 | $321.30 | Visit |
| 23 | Cloudflare | $32.20 | $32.20 | $32.20 | $161.00 | $322.00 | Visit |
| 24 | Hello.co | $34.99 | $34.99 | $34.99 | $174.95 | $349.90 | Visit |
| 25 | NameBright | $35.00 | $35.00 | $35.00 | $175.00 | $350.00 | Visit |
| 26 | Epik | $37.95 | $37.95 | $37.95 | $189.75 | $379.50 | Visit |
| 27 | Crazy Domains | $38.99 | $38.99 | $38.99 | $194.95 | $389.90 | Visit |
| 28 | UK2 | $39.71 | $39.71 | $52.99 | $198.55 | $397.10 | Visit |
| 29 | DreamHost | $39.99 | $39.99 | $39.99 | $199.95 | $399.90 | Visit |
| 30 | MrDomain | $43.23 | $43.23 | $43.23 | $216.15 | $432.30 | Visit |
| 31 | 123 Reg | $43.54 | $43.54 | $43.54 | $217.70 | $435.40 | Visit |
| 32 | Marcaria | $44.00 | $44.00 | $44.00 | $220.00 | $440.00 | Visit |
| 33 | Gandi | $44.05 | $95.98 | $37.32 | $427.97 | $907.87 | Visit |
| 34 | Internet.bs | $45.52 | $45.52 | $38.06 | $227.60 | $455.20 | Visit |
| 35 | Regtons | $48.99 | $48.99 | $48.99 | $244.95 | $489.90 | Visit |
| 36 | 101domain | $54.17 | $61.67 | $54.17 | $300.85 | $609.20 | Visit |
| 37 | Squarespace | $55.00 | $55.00 | $55.00 | $275.00 | $550.00 | Visit |
| 38 | Hover | $55.19 | $55.19 | $55.19 | $275.95 | $551.90 | Visit |
| 39 | Moniker | $57.74 | $64.89 | $57.74 | $317.30 | $641.75 | Visit |
| 40 | IONOS | $59.00 | $59.00 | $59.00 | $295.00 | $590.00 | Visit |
| 41 | OnlyDomains | $60.49 | $67.99 | $67.99 | $332.45 | $672.40 | Visit |
Prices updated daily. Some registrars show promotional first-year prices. Always verify the final price on the registrar's website before purchasing.
A Blank-Cheque Name in the New gTLD Boom
.direct was delegated on 2014-05-22 during the 2012 new gTLD round, one of hundreds of generic strings that flooded the namespace after ICANN opened the doors to competition. The word 'direct' is a blank cheque — it can signal an unmediated connection, a straight path, a no-nonsense approach. That ambiguity is both its strength and its weakness. It isn't tied to any industry, profession, or geography, so it can't lean on a built-in audience the way a niche TLD can. Instead, its meaning is whatever the registrant makes of it. The IANA delegation record shows Binky Moon, LLC as the sponsor, a name that appears repeatedly across the ambitious new gTLD portfolio.
The Meaning Is Up for Grabs
Because 'direct' carries no inherent semantic anchor, the TLD works best when paired with words that sharpen it. Think of callcenter.direct or sneaker.direct — the extension promises a straight line from customer to provider, cutting out intermediaries. That framing has made it a candidate for e-commerce and service businesses that want to emphasize efficiency or authenticity. It's a close cousin of other abstract, action-oriented strings launched in the same round, such as .business, .cafe, or .codes, all of which are also under the Identity Digital umbrella. None of them possess a fixed semantic, so their registrants must actively construct meaning. That's a challenge for adoption, but for a brand that fits, .direct can read as a powerful promise.
Who's Behind the Registry?
Binky Moon, LLC is listed as the sponsoring organization for .direct, and its registry website reveals that it operates as part of Identity Digital, a major registry services provider. This corporate structure is common among the new gTLDs: a single company can manage dozens of extensions, sharing infrastructure and backend services. For .direct, that means the registry likely inherits the same technical stack, security protocols, and customer support systems used for its sibling TLDs. But the brandTld flag is false — .direct is not a single company's branded namespace. It's an open registry, available to anyone, which is why registrar pricing for it can vary so widely.
Pricing: A Wide Middle Ground
The pricing landscape for .direct is characterized by a wide spread, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's expensive at every registrar. You can register it through any of 41 registrars, and the cheapest option is offered by Sav at $9.99. However, renewal costs can be higher, averaging $30.39, with some registrars charging $60.49. This puts .direct in the mid-range category for new gTLDs. The variation in price reflects differing registrar strategies: some treat it as a budget-friendly entry point into the new gTLD space, while others position it as a premium brandable domain. Before committing, it's worth checking renewal rates, as the first-year discount often masks a steeper ongoing cost.