How Much Does a Domain Name Cost in 2025?

A domain name is a unique and easy-to-remember address that helps people find your website. Moreover, this name is essential for website identification, branding, and maintaining a strong presence on the web. Some examples are “Google.com” and “Facebook.com.” To register the name of your site, you have to connect with a domain registrar for a fee. This gives you the exclusive use of your specific web name for a particular period.

What is the Average Cost of a Domain Name Per Year?

On average, domains cost anywhere between $10 and $45 per year. In many cases, the costs can be higher than this figure. The traffic volume and usage frequency of a given domain tend to raise its price exponentially. Apart from those two factors, several others also dictate the costs associated with domain names. While looking to purchase them, you need to weigh certain considerations carefully to get the best value for your money.

Factors Influencing the Domain Cost

Domain length and popularity

The more popular or memorable a domain name is, the costlier it will be for you to hold on to it every year. For example, a common name like “jewelry.com” will be costlier than “bestimitationjewelry.com.”

Availability

Many site owners buy domain names in bulk to make money off their purchases later. If a particular name is not available or owned by somebody else, its price rises considerably. In addition, the cost of the names per year can also be decided via bidding. Desirable names with multiple buyers sell through auctions in which the highest bidder wins.

Top-level domain (TLD)

A domain name is typically made of two parts. First, there is the second-level domain, or the part that is associated with a given website’s name. Examples are Google and Facebook in google.com and facebook.com, respectively. The second component, also known as Top Level Domain (TLD), is the extension— .com, .org, .net, .in, and others. Certain TLDs carry more credibility and, by extension, cost than others. For example, website names ending in .com, .gov, and .edu are more expensive than TLDs such as .ing, .me, or .am.

Domain registrar

A registrar sells site owners’ domains and also tends to offer web hosting, which typically serves as the host. That said, reliable and sought-after domain registrars charge a substantial amount for their services. You can look for the most reputable options on the official site of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Read more: Best Domain Provider

Where Can You Buy a Domain Name‍?

Buying a domain name can be a pretty straightforward process if you find the right platform.

Bluehost.com

This service provider offers web hosting, domain registration, digital marketing, website migration, and web design. You can use this platform’s library of themes, templates, and plug-ins to develop your website and enhance its usability. Additionally, Bluehost.com is known for its automatic malware scans that enable businesses to keep their data safe.

The domain registration cost starts from about $2.95 per month. Some key features offered by this service provider include domain forwarding, domain lock, easy domain management, auto-renewal, geolocation domain, and domain privacy.

GoDaddy.com

Arguably the most popular domain brand on the web, GoDaddy acts as a name registrar and web hosting service provider that offers services such as email marketing, designing, and site-building. With an introductory domain name cost of $0.01 (the prices after that are in line with the average domain name costs in the market), GoDaddy offers good value to its clients with features such as domain auction, domain name generator, domain backorders, domain value appraisal, and bulk domain search.

HostGator.com

This option is known to be a global provider of shared hosting, WordPress hosting, and VPS hosting. Its domain name cost begins from $2.75 per month on the first invoice. At this price, you get options as well as features such as auto domain renewal, privacy protection, email forwarding, domain locking, and DNS management.

How to Buy a Registered Domain Name?

It is easier for you to purchase domain names that have not been taken. However, if a domain name is already registered, you can still get one through a quick and easy process.

Search on a Registrar/Service Provider’s Site for Availability

The first step involves checking registrar sites or service providers for the availability of a domain of your choice. For dot-com-based domains, you only pay premium rates once for a specific period, post which you will have to pay regular prices. Purchasing a web name at a premium rate enables you to gain ownership of the domain.

Check if the domain name has a contact form

Many domains are often just “parked pages,” or one-page websites that are loaded with ads or links. You can check if there is a contact form available to directly reach out to the site owner. This way, you can inquire about the possibility of purchasing the domain from them. Sometimes, parked pages feature a link that says “buy this domain,” allowing you to make an offer on a given name.

Attempt to contact the domain owner through WHOIS

WHOIS is a directory that tells you the owner of a given domain name. When you search for a particular name on this platform, you will find the existing owner’s address, email ID, and phone number. You can send a friendly email to inquire whether they would be willing to sell their domain name, and, if so, what price they are willing to sell it for.

Attempt to register for a different extension or top-level domain

If nothing works out, you can consider a different top-level domain for your website. For instance, if you are not able to get “foodcreator.com,” you can try to check if “foodcreator.recipes” or “foodcreator.cooking” are available or not.

Dos and Don’ts While Buying a Domain Name

Dos

• Research the name before looking for registration
• Choose a reputable registrar
• Protect your data privacy
• Keep the domain name short and memorable
• Select the extension that suits your website’s category

Don’ts

• Avoid hyphens and numbers in the domain name
• Do not overlook trademark violations/guidelines
• Do not neglect SEO considerations
• Do not ignore renewal fees
• Do not overlook domain ownership expiration notices

FAQs

Can I buy a domain name for a one-time fee?

Buying a domain name by paying once does not guarantee perpetual ownership. You will need to keep paying renewal fees to extend your ownership.

Are there any hidden costs associated with owning a domain name?

Yes. Apart from the initial registration fee, some hidden charges are levied, which include renewal fees, charges for additional services like web hosting or email, and privacy protection charges.

Are all domain extensions the same price?

The prices for extensions change depending on the popularity and other metrics of a given domain name.

Can domain name prices vary over time?

Domain name prices vary from time to time depending on various factors such as visitor volume, availability, backlinks, the SEO value of the name, and the popularity of the extension.