How to Buy a Domain Name (and What It Really Costs)

To buy a domain name, choose the name and ending, check that it is free, compare the renewal price, register it for a year, and connect it to your website. It takes a few minutes. The part worth slowing down for is the price you pay in the second year, because that is where most people get caught out.

Step 1: Choose a name people can say and spell

A good domain name is short, easy to say, and spelled the way it sounds. Read it out loud to someone: if you have to explain the spelling, keep looking.

• Keep it short: two or three words at most, so it fits on a card and is easy to type on a phone.
• Skip hyphens and numbers: both have to be explained every time you say the name aloud.
• Avoid clever misspellings: people will type the normal spelling and land somewhere else.
• Search the name first: check that no one in your field already uses it, and look in your country's trademark register if it is for a business.

Stuck for ideas? Describe your website in a sentence to the domain name generator, which only suggests names that are actually free.

Step 2: Pick an ending that suits it

The ending, such as .com or .io, does not change how Google ranks you, since Google treats most endings as generic. It changes what people assume and how much you pay.

• .com: the safest choice for almost anyone, if your name is free on it.
• .io, .dev, .tech: familiar to technical audiences. A .dev address only opens over HTTPS.
• .store, .shop: say that there is something to buy.
• .studio, .design: suit creative work, and your own name is often still free.

Step 3: Check that the name is free

Type the name into a domain search, which asks the registry directly and shows the result in seconds. There are three possible answers:

• Available: anyone can register it at the listed price.
• Premium: it is free, but the registry charges more because it is short or a common word. The higher price can apply to every renewal too.
• Taken: someone owns it. Try another ending or add a short word, like get or hq. You can also approach the owner, but that is a private deal and often an expensive one.

Step 4: Compare the renewal price, not the first year

Most of what is confusing about domain prices comes down to this: the first year is often a sale, and you pay the regular price every year after. Before you buy, find the renewal price.

For example, when we checked in November 2026, Porkbun listed a .tech at $6.99 for the first year and $50.98 to renew. That is a normal price for that ending and nothing to complain about, but it is a very different number from the one in the advert.

Three more things can change the total:

• Minimum terms: a .ai name, for one, is sold two years at a time.
• Privacy: some sellers include WHOIS privacy and others charge for it. How much of your record is public also depends on the ending.
• Registry increases: the companies behind each ending can raise what they charge sellers, and retail prices tend to follow.

Step 5: Register it and connect it to your website

To register, enter your contact details, pay for the year, and leave auto-renew on unless you have a reason to turn it off. An expired name can be lost, and a name you have printed on things is a poor thing to lose. Use an email address you will still check next year, because that is where the renewal notices and transfer codes go.

A domain does nothing on its own: it has to point at a website, which normally means copying DNS records from your hosting company into your domain account and setting up an SSL certificate.

If you buy the name through Static.app and keep your website here, we do that part for you: pick which website the name should open, and the records and the certificate are handled. A paid plan is needed to connect a name to a website here. See domain and hosting for how the two fit together.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a domain name cost?

Most common endings cost between $10 and $50 a year. Some, like .ai, cost much more. Premium names can cost hundreds or thousands. Always check the renewal price as well as the first year.

Do you own a domain name forever?

No. You are registering it for a set period, and you keep it for as long as you keep renewing. If you stop, it eventually becomes available for someone else to buy.

Can I move my domain later?

Yes. You can transfer a domain to another company once two months have passed since it was bought or last moved. A transfer usually adds a year to the name.