.directory Domain Names
43 registrars compared — cheapest from $3.99 at Sav
When the internet's address book opened a new shelf in 2013, .directory arrived as a purpose-built label for those who organize the chaos of links, listings, and local guides.
| # | Registrar | Registration | Renewal | Transfer | 5-Year Cost | 10-Year Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sav Cheapest | $3.99 | $25.16 | $25.16 | $104.63 | $230.43 | Visit |
| 2 | Spaceship | $4.34 | $25.04 | $25.04 | $104.50 | $229.70 | Visit |
| 3 | Dynadot | $4.50 | $25.90 | $25.90 | $108.10 | $237.60 | Visit |
| 4 | Porkbun | $4.63 | $25.23 | $25.23 | $105.55 | $231.70 | Visit |
| 5 | Namecheap | $4.98 | $42.48 | $32.98 | $174.90 | $387.30 | Visit |
| 6 | Regery | $4.99 | $25.99 | $25.99 | $108.95 | $238.90 | Visit |
| 7 | INWX | $5.04 | $43.80 | $43.80 | $180.24 | $399.24 | Visit |
| 8 | Hostinger | $5.19 | $32.19 | $5.19 | $133.95 | $294.90 | Visit |
| 9 | OVHcloud | $5.19 | $25.79 | $25.29 | $108.35 | $237.30 | Visit |
| 10 | Truehost | $6.60 | $42.11 | $27.56 | $175.04 | $385.59 | Visit |
| 11 | Above.com | $7.04 | $23.32 | $23.32 | $100.32 | $216.92 | Visit |
| 12 | Cosmotown | $7.10 | $23.20 | $23.20 | $99.90 | $215.90 | Visit |
| 13 | EuroDNS | $7.43 | $49.55 | $49.55 | $205.63 | $453.38 | Visit |
| 14 | Blacknight | $7.75 | $35.50 | $35.50 | $149.75 | $327.25 | Visit |
| 15 | All Domains | $7.77 | $38.85 | $38.85 | $163.17 | $357.42 | Visit |
| 16 | Name.com | $7.99 | $39.99 | $39.99 | $167.95 | $367.90 | Visit |
| 17 | NameSilo | $7.99 | $32.99 | $27.99 | $139.95 | $304.90 | Visit |
| 18 | GoDaddy | $8.19 | $48.19 | $48.19 | $200.95 | $441.90 | Visit |
| 19 | Netim | $11.50 | $40.50 | $24.00 | $173.50 | $376.00 | Visit |
| 20 | Directnic | $11.99 | $36.99 | $36.99 | $159.95 | $344.90 | Visit |
| 21 | Gname | $11.99 | $34.99 | $34.99 | $151.95 | $326.90 | Visit |
| 22 | eDomains | $20.40 | $20.40 | $20.40 | $102.00 | $204.00 | Visit |
| 23 | Cloudflare | $21.20 | $21.20 | $21.20 | $106.00 | $212.00 | Visit |
| 24 | Infomaniak | $21.86 | $21.86 | $21.86 | $109.30 | $218.60 | Visit |
| 25 | Alibaba Cloud | $22.00 | $22.00 | $22.00 | $110.00 | $220.00 | Visit |
| 26 | NameBright | $23.00 | $23.00 | $23.00 | $115.00 | $230.00 | Visit |
| 27 | DreamHost | $24.99 | $24.99 | $24.99 | $124.95 | $249.90 | Visit |
| 28 | Hello.co | $24.99 | $24.99 | $24.99 | $124.95 | $249.90 | Visit |
| 29 | Crazy Domains | $25.99 | $26.49 | $25.99 | $131.95 | $264.40 | Visit |
| 30 | Marcaria | $28.00 | $28.00 | $28.00 | $140.00 | $280.00 | Visit |
| 31 | Gandi | $28.86 | $63.98 | $24.46 | $284.78 | $604.68 | Visit |
| 32 | Epik | $28.95 | $28.95 | $28.95 | $144.75 | $289.50 | Visit |
| 33 | Internet.bs | $29.42 | $33.25 | $29.42 | $162.42 | $328.67 | Visit |
| 34 | MrDomain | $31.02 | $31.02 | $31.02 | $155.10 | $310.20 | Visit |
| 35 | UK2 | $32.59 | $32.59 | $26.49 | $162.95 | $325.90 | Visit |
| 36 | 123 Reg | $32.98 | $32.98 | $32.98 | $164.90 | $329.80 | Visit |
| 37 | OnlyDomains | $33.49 | $37.49 | $37.49 | $183.45 | $370.90 | Visit |
| 38 | Squarespace | $35.00 | $35.00 | $35.00 | $175.00 | $350.00 | Visit |
| 39 | Moniker | $37.84 | $43.31 | $37.84 | $211.08 | $427.63 | Visit |
| 40 | Regtons | $37.99 | $37.99 | $37.99 | $189.95 | $379.90 | Visit |
| 41 | IONOS | $40.00 | $40.00 | $40.00 | $200.00 | $400.00 | Visit |
| 42 | 101domain | $40.17 | $45.67 | $40.17 | $222.85 | $451.20 | Visit |
| 43 | Hover | $40.19 | $40.19 | $40.19 | $200.95 | $401.90 | Visit |
Prices updated daily. Some registrars show promotional first-year prices. Always verify the final price on the registrar's website before purchasing.
The Registry Behind the Ordinary Name
Don't let the generic name fool you — .directory is the product of one of the most prolific new gTLD registries of the 2012 expansion. Binky Moon, LLC runs the show, an entity whose parent, Identity Digital, has spun up dozens of similar string-based TLDs. Delegated on 2013-11-13, .directory was part of the 2012 new gTLD round, the largest ever expansion of the namespace. That round's logic: match a TLD to a word that describes what a site does. .directory was a bet that someone — a city guide, a business index, a link hub — would want a label that says "we point you elsewhere."
A Label That Means What It Says
Unlike .com or .net, whose meaning dissolved decades ago, .directory still carries its dictionary definition. That's the point of these "vertical" TLDs. For a chamber of commerce, an open directory project like DMOZ's successors, or a local restaurant roundup, the suffix does the explaining. It also works for a now-common web niche: the curated link page. The IANA record lists no restrictions on who can register, so the label is available to any of the 43 registrars that carry it — no proof of directory-ness required. That's both a feature and a bug, but for a descriptive word TLD, it's the standard deal.
"Powered by Identity Digital" Is a Genre
.directory is one of many siblings from the same corporate family. If you've seen .business, .cafe, .church, .coach, or .codes, you've seen the playbook: strap a descriptive word onto the top level and let registrants self-select their niche. These are all delegated in the same 2012 round and share the same technical infrastructure. The practical effect is a cluster of budget-priced suffixes where the difference between one and another is purely semantic. For a site owner, picking .directory over .business is a tone decision — "we organize" versus "we sell." The registry doesn't care; it's all the same tax.
The Price Spread Tells a Story
One of the most telling things about .directory is the gap between the cheapest registrar and the most expensive. At Sav, you can register it for roughly a tenth of what the priciest outlets charge — a spread that puts .directory firmly in the budget tier. That gap hints at the TLD's real position: not a premium product, not a scarce commodity, just another shelf in the registrars' catalog. With 43 registrars competing, the price is basically dictated by how much a given seller thinks the word "directory" is worth. For a domain that most people type without thinking, the honest answer is "not much" — and the market says so.