Domain names are crucial for any brand or business. Acquiring a domain doesn’t have to break the bank, but for premium domains, it’s a different story. The premium domain sector has evolved into a multi-million-pound business. If you’re seeking a premium domain, be prepared to shell out significant money—think anything from £5,000 and beyond. Some domains even command prices in the millions.
Domain name prices vary, primarily due to the markups added by registrars for profit. GoDaddy, notorious for high prices, remains a popular choice despite more cost-effective options. The convenience of having everything in one place may justify the expense for some. However, for those seeking budget-friendly alternatives, comparing prices is essential.
GoDaddy, the largest web hosting and domain registrar in the world, charges £12.99 for a .co.uk domain or £18.99 for a .com domain per year. You can buy the same domains elsewhere for half the cost.
Where To Buy Cheap Domain Names
Let’s take a look a the cheapest places to buy domain names by comparing prices to GoDaddy.
Cloudflare, the world’s largest CDN, cloud cybersecurity, and DDoS mitigation service, offers very cheap domain name registrations. .com domains are priced at $9.77 (approximately £7.75) per year, and .co.uk domains are $4.49 (approximately £3.92) per year. Each domain comes with access to a free premium DNS service and free email forwarding. The only drawback is the inability to change nameservers, requiring the use of their DNS service. Despite this limitation, millions of websites worldwide use Cloudflare for their DNS, making it a widely accepted choice.
- You save £11.24 for .com domains
- You save £9.07 for .co.uk domains
NameCheap lives up to its name as an excellent marketplace for affordable domain names. Alongside domains, they provide SSL certificates, web hosting, and professional email. .com domains cost £6.34 for the first year and £11 per year thereafter. .co.uk domain names are priced at £5.55 per year.
- You save £7.99 for .com domains
- You save £7.44 for .co.uk domains
Porkbun, an American domain name registrar, provides competitive domain pricing. .com domain names are $10.37 (approximately £8.23), and .co.uk domains are $5.66 (approximately £4.49) per year.
- You save £10.06 for .com domains
- You save £8.50 for .co.uk domains
Hostinger, gaining recognition through TV ad campaigns, also offers domain name registrations. Domains at Hostinger are £12.99 for .com and £8.99 for .co.uk per year.
- You save £6.00 for .com domains
- You save £4.00 for .co.uk domains
20i.com, founded by the creators of Reg123, primarily caters to web design agencies and developers, providing managed hosting solutions. However, anyone can register a domain name and they are reasonably priced. .com domains are £10.99 per year, and .co.uk domains are £5.99 per year.
- You save £8.00 for .com domains
- You save £7.00 for .co.uk domains
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Domain Registrars To Avoid
If you want to save yourself a bit of money every year, steer clear of the following domain registration companies.
- GoDaddy
- Reg123 (Owned by GoDaddy)
- Names.co.uk
- Ionos
- Fasthosts
- One.com
Additionally, be cautious of £1 introductory offers; these domains may renew at costs 20 to 25 times higher than the initial £1.
To avoid high renewal fees, transfer your domain out to another registrar a month before it’s due for renewal.
Website Helper Domains
At Website Helper, we provide a managed maintenance service, inclusive of managed DNS services and support. Our domain names are priced at £10.00 for .co.uk and £15 for .com domains per year.
Premium Domains
Premium domains are domain names with qualities like brevity, memorability, and relevance, making them more desirable than standard domains. They are often short, brandable, and may contain keywords, contributing to their SEO value. These domains, usually associated with popular top-level domains like .com, tend to be scarce, aged, and have potential for monetisation. Due to their attributes and limited availability, premium domains command higher prices and are often sought after for branding or investment purposes.
Cheap premium domains are virtually non-existent, and finding what you want for less than £1000 is rare. Dan.com offers some of the finest premium domain names. Explore Dan.com, even if just for a jaw-dropping moment.
Although Dan.com is owned by GoDaddy, the prices for domains are not set by GoDaddy; they are determined by the individual owners.
Sedo.com is another marketplace for premium domain names, offering high-value domain options.