.fr Domain Names
33 registrars compared — cheapest from $5.30 at NameSilo
Delegated in 1986, .fr has evolved into one of Europe's most guarded country-code domains, with eligibility rules that stretch far beyond French borders.
| # | Registrar | Registration | Renewal | Transfer | 5-Year Cost | 10-Year Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NameSilo Cheapest | $5.30 | $7.28 | $7.28 | $34.42 | $70.82 | Visit |
| 2 | Infomaniak | $5.66 | $7.77 | $7.77 | $36.74 | $75.59 | Visit |
| 3 | Dynadot | $6.54 | $6.54 | $6.54 | $32.70 | $65.40 | Visit |
| 4 | Truehost | $6.58 | $7.00 | $7.77 | $34.58 | $69.58 | Visit |
| 5 | Regery | $6.99 | $7.69 | $6.99 | $37.75 | $76.20 | Visit |
| 6 | EuroDNS | $7.53 | $21.54 | $21.54 | $93.69 | $201.39 | Visit |
| 7 | Gandi | $8.00 | $31.98 | $8.00 | $135.92 | $295.82 | Visit |
| 8 | OVHcloud | $8.49 | $8.59 | $6.24 | $42.85 | $85.80 | Visit |
| 9 | Netim | $8.50 | $14.50 | $8.50 | $66.50 | $139.00 | Visit |
| 10 | Internet.bs | $9.08 | $9.38 | $9.08 | $46.60 | $93.50 | Visit |
| 11 | Above.com | $10.78 | $10.78 | $10.78 | $53.90 | $107.80 | Visit |
| 12 | MrDomain | $11.04 | $11.04 | $11.04 | $55.20 | $110.40 | Visit |
| 13 | All Domains | $11.10 | $16.65 | $16.65 | $77.70 | $160.95 | Visit |
| 14 | Crazy Domains | $11.25 | $11.59 | $11.25 | $57.61 | $115.56 | Visit |
| 15 | Moniker | $11.57 | $13.05 | $11.57 | $63.77 | $129.02 | Visit |
| 16 | Epik | $11.95 | $11.95 | $11.95 | $59.75 | $119.50 | Visit |
| 17 | Squarespace | $12.60 | $21.00 | $21.00 | $96.60 | $201.60 | Visit |
| 18 | Hostinger | $12.99 | $12.99 | $12.99 | $64.95 | $129.90 | Visit |
| 19 | INWX | $13.20 | $13.20 | $13.20 | $66.00 | $132.00 | Visit |
| 20 | DreamHost | $14.99 | $14.99 | $14.99 | $74.95 | $149.90 | Visit |
| 21 | Marcaria | $17.00 | $17.00 | $17.00 | $85.00 | $170.00 | Visit |
| 22 | 101domain | $17.99 | $28.99 | $17.99 | $133.95 | $278.90 | Visit |
| 23 | Cosmotown | $17.99 | $28.99 | $17.99 | $133.95 | $278.90 | Visit |
| 24 | Directnic | $17.99 | $28.99 | $17.99 | $133.95 | $278.90 | Visit |
| 25 | Name.com | $17.99 | $18.99 | $17.99 | $93.95 | $188.90 | Visit |
| 26 | Sav | $19.91 | $19.91 | $19.91 | $99.55 | $199.10 | Visit |
| 27 | GoDaddy | $19.99 | $19.99 | $19.99 | $99.95 | $199.90 | Visit |
| 28 | Blacknight | $22.14 | $22.14 | $22.14 | $110.70 | $221.40 | Visit |
| 29 | eDomains | $22.99 | $22.99 | $22.99 | $114.95 | $229.90 | Visit |
| 30 | Regtons | $24.60 | $24.60 | $24.60 | $123.00 | $246.00 | Visit |
| 31 | OnlyDomains | $35.99 | $37.49 | $19.99 | $185.95 | $373.40 | Visit |
| 32 | UK2 | $35.99 | $35.99 | $19.99 | $179.95 | $359.90 | Visit |
| 33 | Gname | $45.00 | $45.00 | $45.00 | $225.00 | $450.00 | Visit |
Prices updated daily. Some registrars show promotional first-year prices. Always verify the final price on the registrar's website before purchasing.
The 1986 Delegation That Shaped French Identity Online
When .fr was delegated on September 2, 1986, it joined a handful of pioneering country-code TLDs. The IANA record shows it was assigned to the Association Française pour le Nommage Internet en Coopération (A.F.N.I.C.), which still runs the registry today. In the pre-commercial internet, .fr was a domain for academic and research institutions. The Wikipedia entry for .fr notes that it remained restricted to entities with a clear French connection, a posture that would define its character for decades. Unlike some ccTLDs that drifted toward open registration, .fr held the line, preserving a distinctly national space even as the internet went global.
Why .fr Reaches Beyond France's Borders
Eligibility for a .fr domain might surprise you. It is not limited to French residents. Under current rules, anyone residing in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein can register one. That's a deliberate policy choice by AFNIC, loosening the reins to capture the broader European francophone community and neighboring markets. The restrictions page spells it out plainly. What's the practical upshot? A German startup with French customers, or a Swiss watchmaker targeting France, can adopt a .fr without establishing a French legal entity. The rule balances national identity with commercial pragmatism — a tension that makes .fr more accessible than its reputation suggests.
AFNIC's Stewardship of .fr and Its Island Offshoots
AFNIC doesn't just run .fr. The registry's IANA record confirms its oversight of several French overseas territories' ccTLDs, including .re for Réunion, .tf for French Southern Territories, .wf for Wallis and Futuna, .yt for Mayotte, and even .pm for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. This family of TLDs shares the same administrative backbone and technical infrastructure. For registrants, that means consistent policies and dispute resolution across the board. It also means .fr isn't an isolated silo — it's the flagship of a networked archipelago of French digital domains, each with its own geographic claim but a shared guardian.
Dispute Resolution That Favors the Complainant, Quietly
If you ever find yourself in a .fr domain dispute, the process is notably French. The dispute policy relies on Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) rather than the UDRP common to many gTLDs. That's a significant quirk. AFNIC administers its own procedure, often seen as more accessible to local parties than the international arbitration route. The system is designed to resolve conflicts without courts, but its nuances matter: the rules bias toward trademark holders, and the outcomes can be faster than litigation. For anyone registering a .fr, understanding this tailored process is as important as checking DNSSEC support — which .fr does enable — because your rights and risks are shaped by this French-specific framework.
How .fr Compares to Its Colonial Counterparts
A practical look at .fr's siblings under AFNIC reveals distinct flavors. .re and .yt serve island territories with smaller populations but similar eligibility rules. .tf and .wf are far more obscure, often chosen for their rarity. .pm rides on the fame of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. For registrants, the choice isn't just about geography — it's about signal. .fr carries the weight of continental France, with the largest market and the most developed online ecosystem. The others offer niche appeal or a chance to anchor a brand to a specific French territory. None, however, match .fr's sheer popularity and recognition, making it the default when you want a French web presence that's both local and legitimate.