.io Domain Names
40 registrars compared — cheapest from $26.99 at Sav
A domain meant for a remote British territory that became the default badge of tech startups — .io's path from Indian Ocean outpost to startup cliché is one of the internet's great accidental rebrandings.
| # | Registrar | Registration | Renewal | Transfer | 5-Year Cost | 10-Year Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sav Cheapest | $26.99 | $51.99 | $51.99 | $234.95 | $494.90 | Visit |
| 2 | Porkbun | $28.12 | $51.80 | $51.80 | $235.32 | $494.32 | Visit |
| 3 | Dynadot | $28.89 | $53.50 | $53.50 | $242.89 | $510.39 | Visit |
| 4 | Regery | $28.99 | $52.99 | $52.99 | $240.95 | $505.90 | Visit |
| 5 | DreamHost | $29.99 | $59.99 | $59.99 | $269.95 | $569.90 | Visit |
| 6 | Spaceship | $31.98 | $51.75 | $51.75 | $238.98 | $497.73 | Visit |
| 7 | Gandi | $31.99 | $74.99 | $54.00 | $331.95 | $706.90 | Visit |
| 8 | Cloudflare | $32.00 | $50.00 | $50.00 | $232.00 | $482.00 | Visit |
| 9 | INWX | $32.27 | $83.40 | $83.40 | $365.87 | $782.87 | Visit |
| 10 | Cosmotown | $34.90 | $48.86 | $48.86 | $230.34 | $474.64 | Visit |
| 11 | Namecheap | $34.98 | $75.98 | $65.98 | $338.90 | $718.80 | Visit |
| 12 | Above.com | $35.64 | $55.00 | $55.00 | $255.64 | $530.64 | Visit |
| 13 | OVHcloud | $35.82 | $62.69 | $50.69 | $286.58 | $600.03 | Visit |
| 14 | Gname | $37.99 | $60.99 | $60.99 | $281.95 | $586.90 | Visit |
| 15 | NameSilo | $37.99 | $69.99 | $52.49 | $317.95 | $667.90 | Visit |
| 16 | Crazy Domains | $39.99 | $77.79 | $75.50 | $351.15 | $740.10 | Visit |
| 17 | IONOS | $40.99 | $90.00 | $63.75 | $400.99 | $850.99 | Visit |
| 18 | Netim | $41.00 | $71.50 | $52.50 | $327.00 | $684.50 | Visit |
| 19 | Blacknight | $41.05 | $72.13 | $72.13 | $329.57 | $690.22 | Visit |
| 20 | Truehost | $42.23 | $90.21 | $69.54 | $403.07 | $854.12 | Visit |
| 21 | MrDomain | $49.50 | $60.99 | $60.99 | $293.46 | $598.41 | Visit |
| 22 | EuroDNS | $49.98 | $116.34 | $116.34 | $515.34 | $1097.04 | Visit |
| 23 | NameBright | $50.00 | $50.00 | $50.00 | $250.00 | $500.00 | Visit |
| 24 | Bluehost | $50.99 | $72.99 | $50.99 | $342.95 | $707.90 | Visit |
| 25 | Name.com | $53.99 | $79.99 | $79.99 | $373.95 | $773.90 | Visit |
| 26 | eDomains | $54.00 | $54.00 | $54.00 | $270.00 | $540.00 | Visit |
| 27 | Infomaniak | $55.38 | $57.83 | $57.83 | $286.70 | $575.85 | Visit |
| 28 | Epik | $55.95 | $55.95 | $55.95 | $279.75 | $559.50 | Visit |
| 29 | GoDaddy | $59.99 | $89.99 | $89.99 | $419.95 | $869.90 | Visit |
| 30 | Squarespace | $60.00 | $70.00 | $70.00 | $340.00 | $690.00 | Visit |
| 31 | Marcaria | $63.00 | $63.00 | $63.00 | $315.00 | $630.00 | Visit |
| 32 | 101domain | $63.99 | $73.49 | $69.99 | $357.95 | $725.40 | Visit |
| 33 | Directnic | $63.99 | $80.99 | $80.99 | $387.95 | $792.90 | Visit |
| 34 | Internet.bs | $66.95 | $69.95 | $69.95 | $346.75 | $696.50 | Visit |
| 35 | Moniker | $66.95 | $69.95 | $69.95 | $346.75 | $696.50 | Visit |
| 36 | OnlyDomains | $66.99 | $76.99 | $76.99 | $374.95 | $759.90 | Visit |
| 37 | Regtons | $68.00 | $68.00 | $68.00 | $340.00 | $680.00 | Visit |
| 38 | Hostinger | $74.99 | $74.99 | $74.99 | $374.95 | $749.90 | Visit |
| 39 | Hover | $74.99 | $74.99 | $74.99 | $374.95 | $749.90 | Visit |
| 40 | 123 Reg | $98.98 | $98.98 | $98.98 | $494.90 | $989.80 | Visit |
Prices updated daily. Some registrars show promotional first-year prices. Always verify the final price on the registrar's website before purchasing.
An Accidental Empire of Startups
The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) has a capital (Diego Garcia), a language (English), and roughly zero tech scene. Yet the .io domain — delegated in 1997 to Internet Computer Bureau Limited — has become the go-to namespace for startups, browser games, and developers. The letters "IO" happen to read as "input/output," a term every programmer already knows. That semantic gift, combined with a two-letter length and a vaguely techy ring, turned a ccTLD for a territory without residents into a digital land rush. The territory's own Wikipedia entry is mostly military history; the domain's story is pure commerce.
No Restrictions, No Residency, No Problem
Most ccTLDs require some tie to the country. .io doesn't. Its restrictions are minimal: second-level registrations carry no restrictions at all, while third-level registrations require a BIOT resident — a rule that's nearly impossible to enforce and rarely encountered. This openness is the root of .io's popularity. Anyone anywhere can register a short, pronounceable name without proving a connection to the Indian Ocean. It's the same deregulated approach that made other country codes popular, but .io had the added luck of a meaning that transcended its geography.
The Price of Caché: A Premium Price Tag
Popularity has a cost. .io sits in the premium tier of domain pricing, with a wide spread among the 40 registrars that carry it. The cheapest option starts around $26.99 at [Sav](/registrars/sav), but renewals are less forgiving — the renewal price is notably higher, and the most expensive registrars charge several times that. This is the domain economy in miniature: demand lets the registry (and resellers) keep prices up. For a startup on a budget, that premium may sting, but it also signals seriousness — a .io name says you're in tech for the long haul, not just grabbing a cheap URL.
Secure Enough for the Startup Set
Tech companies don't tolerate weak security in their namespaces, and .io delivers. It supports DNSSEC, the protocol that protects against DNS spoofing, bringing it in line with modern gTLDs like .dev and .app. It also maintains a Dispute Resolution Policy to handle trademark conflicts — a pragmatic nod given how many .io registrations are business-critical. While it lacks the blanket HTTPS enforcement that some TLDs impose, its otherwise solid technical profile makes it a respectable choice for production services and browser games alike.
The Tech-TLD Feud: .io vs .ai vs .app vs .dev
.io faces a crowd of competitors that each claim a slice of the tech identity. .ai rode the AI boom and now carries an even heavier start-up gloss, while .app and .dev offer forced-HTTPS security and a modern feel. .tech is cheaper but generic; .cloud is catch-all for hosting. .io's edge is history: it was the first of the tech-ccTLDs to gain traction, and its two-letter succinctness still feels tighter than most words. The tradeoff is price — .io is typically more expensive than .dev or .app. For a developer who values brevity and a proven reputation, .io remains the status symbol; for those watching costs, the newer gTLDs may be smarter.