Domain Name Renewal Cost: How Much It Is and How Often You Pay

A standard domain name costs about $10 to $20 a year to renew, and you pay that fee once every year for as long as you want to keep the name. The price depends on the extension: a .com renews for roughly $10 to $20, while newer or specialty endings like .ai or .io renew for more. One point trips up a lot of buyers: when you buy a premium domain on the aftermarket, the high one-time purchase price is separate from renewal. After you own it, the name renews at the normal registry rate for its extension, usually the same $10 to $20 as any other .com. Here is what renewal costs, how often you pay, and how to avoid the fees that pile up if you let a name lapse.

How much does it cost to renew a domain name?

Renewing a typical .com domain costs about $10 to $20 per year at most registrars. The exact figure depends on the extension and the registrar's markup over the wholesale price. A .com carries a registry wholesale rate of about $10.26 plus a small ICANN fee, and registrars add their margin on top, which is why retail lands in the low-to-mid teens. Verisign, the .com registry, is scheduled to raise the wholesale rate to about $10.97 on November 1, 2026, so expect retail .com renewals to drift up modestly in step with that change.

Prices vary by registrar and change over time, so confirm the current rate before you buy.

How often do you pay to renew a domain?

You pay to renew a domain once per registration term, and terms run in whole years from one to ten. Most owners renew annually, but you can prepay for multiple years at once, which locks in today's rate and removes the risk of forgetting. A domain is never a one-time purchase you own forever without paying again; ICANN rules cap registrations at ten years, after which you renew to keep the name. If you want to hold a name long term with zero lapse risk, register or renew it for the maximum ten years and turn on auto-renew.

Do premium domains cost more to renew?

Usually no. When you buy a premium domain on the aftermarket, the large price is a one-time purchase of the name from its current owner, and after the transfer it renews at the standard registry rate for its extension, often the same $10 to $20 as any other .com. The exception is a "registry premium" domain, where the registry itself has flagged the name as premium and charges an elevated annual renewal that can run into the hundreds. Always ask whether a name carries a registry-premium renewal before buying, because that recurring cost is different from an aftermarket seller's one-time price.

What happens if you do not renew your domain?

If you do not renew, the domain enters a lapse cycle and eventually returns to the open market, but you usually have a window to recover it first. After the expiry date most registrars offer a grace period of up to about 45 days to renew at the normal price, followed by a redemption period of roughly 30 days where you can restore the name for a hefty fee, commonly $50 to $250 on top of renewal. Miss both and the name goes to pending delete and then releases for anyone to register. Turning on auto-renew is the simplest way to avoid ever paying a redemption fee.

Does auto-renew save money?

Auto-renew does not lower the base price, but it saves you from the far larger costs of a lapse. Its real value is preventing the redemption fees, lost traffic, and the scramble to buy back a name someone else may grab the moment it drops. Keep a valid card on file and confirm the renewal date in your registrar account, because an expired card is the most common reason auto-renew fails. For any name your business depends on, auto-renew plus a multi-year term is cheap insurance against a costly recovery.

Can you deduct domain renewal as a business expense?

In most cases yes, a domain used for your business is an ordinary operating expense you can deduct, though you should confirm the specifics with your accountant. Because the amount is small and recurring, the practical step is simply to keep the receipt each year for your records. Many owners turn the renewal receipt into a clean expense entry so it lands in the books without manual typing. Treat it like any other software or hosting subscription: a routine cost of running the site.

The bottom line on domain renewal costs

Renewing a domain is cheap, roughly $10 to $20 a year for a .com, paid once annually for as long as you keep the name. Buying a premium name is a one-time price and does not raise that renewal unless the registry has flagged it as premium, so ask before you buy. Turn on auto-renew, consider a multi-year term for names you rely on, and you will never pay a redemption fee. Ready to own a name? Browse our brandable names for sale, and see the full timeline in our guide to what happens when a domain expires.