Anyone who wants to publish their own website on the Internet needs a domain. But how much does a domain actually cost? We will show you what domain costs you have to reckon with.
Whether private individuals, freelancers or companies - nowadays it is important to have a website for your own project or company. One of the crucial aspects is choosing a suitable domain.
💡 Tip
Learn more about domains and their structure in our detailed guide.
If you have found a suitable domain for your website, you should first check whether it is still available. Many hosting providers, such as IONOS, offer you the domain check for this.
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But you don't pay the same price for every domain. In this article, we will therefore explain how the price differences come about and what costs you should expect.
Why do domains differ in price?
On the one hand, your own domain must reflect the brand and, on the other hand, be as memorable as possible for visitors. However, since there are more and more websites, concise terms are often already taken.
In addition, older top-level domains, i.e. the domain extensions, are often already taken. For example, well-known top-level domains like ".com" tend to be more desirable than newer top-level domains like ".online".
You can purchase a domain from various domain providers. The prices do not differ very much among the providers, but some offer partial discounts in order to purchase the desired domain even cheaper.
Domain costs: How much does a domain cost?
In order to determine the costs, the first step is whether the domain is still freely available or already taken. The domains assigned can have different prices, depending on how great the demand is. And not every domain is sold. Here you will find what you are looking for on various websites.
For most, however, the domains that are still freely available are of interest. The costs for this depend exclusively on the desired top-level domain. Older top-level domains such as ".com" or ".de" are often cheaper, but many combinations are already taken. Newer top-level domains such as ".io" or ".online", on the other hand, offer a larger selection.
In the following list we show you what domain costs you have to expect for the top 10 most popular domains:
top-level domain
annual costs
.com
15 to 25 euros
.de
10 to 15 euros
.org
15 to 25 euros
.net
15 to 30 euros
ok
50 to 90 euros
.Shop
30 to 60 euros
.blog
25 to 50 euros
.eu
10 to 30 euros
.info
15 to 30 euros
.at
40 to 60 euros
Status: June 2021
What aspects do I have to consider when buying a domain?
In the first step you choose the provider you want to buy your domain from. The domain providers (also called registrars) contact the owners of the top-level domains (also called registries) to register the domain in your name.
When choosing a domain provider, you should consider the following aspects:
Setup fee: Domain providers may charge a one-time setup fee to register your domain. This fee is usually not high, but should still be considered when making your selection.
Costs in the following year: Many providers give discounts in the first year, which then no longer apply in the second year. Therefore, plan your costs for the long term and not just for the first year.
Auto-Renewals: Some domain providers automatically renew your contract at the end of the year if you don't cancel in time.
Multi-domain discounts: If you register several domains at the same time, some providers have special, cheaper tariffs.
All-in-one packages: Many domain providers are also hosting providers. If you also need web space and an e-mail address in addition to your domain, you can opt for an all-in-one package from many providers.
How Much Money Should I Spend on a Domain?
It is difficult to determine in general which price is appropriate for a domain. Using two examples, we will therefore show you which costs make sense.
1. Freelancers
As a freelancer, you are not permanently employed, but accept jobs from different employers. In order to present you and your strengths, your website should be a kind of business card. It is sufficient to choose a classic ".de" top-level domain.
In addition, your name should be the main part of the domain or only the domain, for example "www.johndoe.de". Your monthly costs for your domain should be between one and two euros.
2. Startup
As a start-up, it is important to have a strong presence with your own website. That's why it makes sense to secure multiple domains. The domain name is linked to various top-level domains, such as ".com", ".de", ".io" and ".info".
On the one hand, this increases visibility, but at the same time prevents an outsider from securing the domain. The monthly domain costs for start-ups are between ten and 15 euros.
Conclusion: Domain costs do not have to be high
The cost of your domain is directly related to your choice of top-level domain. Decide on a classic or a new top-level domain in order to be able to create your suitable website.
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This article is part of our content hub for web hosting, cloud services and domains and is sponsored by IONOS.
