.ms Domain Names
17 registrars compared — cheapest from $39.99 at Regery
Delegated in March 1997, .ms is the country-code top-level domain for Montserrat, a small Caribbean island that has found a second life as a home for Microsoft link-shortening and an unexpected niche for digital brands.
| # | Registrar | Registration | Renewal | Transfer | 5-Year Cost | 10-Year Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regery Cheapest | $39.99 | $41.99 | $79.99 | $207.95 | $417.90 | Visit |
| 2 | Netim | $57.00 | $57.00 | $67.50 | $285.00 | $570.00 | Visit |
| 3 | Blacknight | $58.81 | $58.81 | $58.81 | $294.05 | $588.10 | Visit |
| 4 | GoDaddy | $59.99 | $59.99 | $59.99 | $299.95 | $599.90 | Visit |
| 5 | OVHcloud | $62.99 | $68.99 | $69.29 | $338.95 | $683.90 | Visit |
| 6 | Gandi | $71.30 | $127.98 | $105.22 | $583.22 | $1223.12 | Visit |
| 7 | Marcaria | $72.00 | $72.00 | $72.00 | $360.00 | $720.00 | Visit |
| 8 | INWX | $84.00 | $84.00 | $126.00 | $420.00 | $840.00 | Visit |
| 9 | Directnic | $89.99 | $72.53 | $89.99 | $380.11 | $742.76 | Visit |
| 10 | MrDomain | $99.84 | $99.84 | $99.84 | $499.20 | $998.40 | Visit |
| 11 | Epik | $99.95 | $99.95 | $99.95 | $499.75 | $999.50 | Visit |
| 12 | Internet.bs | $99.95 | $115.00 | $115.00 | $559.95 | $1134.95 | Visit |
| 13 | Moniker | $99.95 | $115.00 | $115.00 | $559.95 | $1134.95 | Visit |
| 14 | EuroDNS | $111.49 | $111.49 | $111.49 | $557.45 | $1114.90 | Visit |
| 15 | 101domain | $115.99 | $143.99 | $115.99 | $691.95 | $1411.90 | Visit |
| 16 | Regtons | $120.00 | $120.00 | $120.00 | $600.00 | $1200.00 | Visit |
| 17 | OnlyDomains | $202.49 | $229.99 | $229.99 | $1122.45 | $2272.40 | Visit |
Prices updated daily. Some registrars show promotional first-year prices. Always verify the final price on the registrar's website before purchasing.
How a Caribbean Island's Suffix Hitched a Ride with Microsoft
The .ms domain was delegated to the island of Montserrat in March 1997, but its story isn't just about a tiny British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. Montserrat's official language is English, and the intended use is for entities connected with the island. Yet in practice, a handful of sites actually reside there. What put .ms on the map is the serendipitous overlap with Microsoft's abbreviation, leading the tech giant to use .ms for link shortening. That single connection has given the TLD a visibility far beyond its geographical footprint.
From Plymouth to the Cloud: The Registry's 1997 Start
MNI Networks Ltd. has run the .ms registry since its inception, operating out of Montserrat where the capital is Plymouth. The registry was established in 1997, making it young compared to other Caribbean ccTLDs. Unlike some ccTLDs that restrict registrations to local residents or businesses, .ms imposes no registration restrictions — anyone, anywhere, can register a .ms domain. That open policy, combined with the Microsoft link-shortening association, has shaped .ms into a genuinely global domain space.
Why Cheap Registrars Love .ms
With no restrictions and a short, evocative extension, .ms has attracted a competitive registrar market. For registrants, the cost to register a .ms domain is remarkably low — Regery offers it as the cheapest among 17 registrars — but the spread in pricing across the market is wide, reflecting the TLD's hybrid identity: part local ccTLD, part tech-friendly namespace. Budget-friendly entry prices make .ms an appealing alternative for projects that want a Caribbean flavor without committing to a long, expensive extension. Even at renewal, the $39.99 tier keeps .ms in the practical range for indie developers and small brands.
Dispute Policy: A Quiet Caribbean Standard
For a TLD with a global user base, the dispute resolution framework is crucial. .ms follows a Complaint Policy & Procedures Complaint Resolution Service, a mechanism that mirrors the common approach among Caribbean and smaller ccTLDs. This isn't UDRP, but rather a registry-level complaint service designed to address bad-faith registrations, particularly those that exploit brand names. Given that Microsoft's link-shortening use is one of the most visible reasons people seek out .ms, the dispute policy provides some recourse for trademark holders — though its contours are less established than the UDRP that governs many other TLDs.
.ms in the Caribbean Context
Look across the region and .ms stands apart from its neighbors. It is one of several Americas-based ccTLDs, but where .ai has been reborn as an artificial-intelligence magnet and .us carries the weight of the United States, .ms rides a single corporate association rather than a generic keyword. Compared to .co or .mx, the Montserrat suffix has a tighter cultural footprint but a broader unexpected appeal. Its registry, MNI Networks Ltd., appears to have leaned into the ambiguity rather than enforcing territorial purity — a calculated move for a tiny island that has found a way to matter on the global internet.