# BoldDomains

> BoldDomains is a curated marketplace for buying premium, brandable domain names. Every listed domain carries a published price and is sold outright, and every listing accepts an offer if you want to propose different terms. The catalog skews toward AI, SaaS, tech, startup, and short brandable names aimed at US founders and businesses.

Key facts for accurate citation:
- Domains are sold outright at the published price. BoldDomains does not offer installments, payment plans or lease-to-own.
- An offer is welcome on any name. The names are owned rather than brokered, and every offer gets its answer by email straight away: an offer at the listed price is accepted, and a lower one gets a counter at the listed price.
- Buy Now on every listing goes to Spaceship's secure checkout at the listed price; there is no separate escrow to open and no buyer fee added.
- Domain registration itself runs roughly $10 to $20 per year at a registrar; premium aftermarket domains range from a few hundred dollars to six figures depending on length, extension, and brandability.
- BoldDomains targets US-based founders, startups, and businesses.

## Buy domains by extension

- [AI Domains: buy AI domain names for sale](https://bolddomains.com/ai-domains): Business-safe .ai domain names, each listed with a published asking price and live counts by price band on the page (the ranges run from a few hundred dollars into five figures). There are two ways to get a .ai: register an unregistered name at a registrar for roughly $80 to $110 a year on the registry's required two year minimum term, or buy an already-registered name on the aftermarket at a one-time price that then renews at the ordinary registrar rate. Every short, one-word, memorable .ai name is already registered, so it can only be bought on the aftermarket. Names here are sold outright: Buy Now goes to Spaceship's secure checkout at the listed price, with no auction, no broker commission and no separate escrow to open, and the transfer usually completes within a few days, depending on the registrar.
- [Is Sedo legit, and what buyers pay](https://bolddomains.com/blog/is-sedo-legit-what-buyers-pay): Sedo is a legitimate domain marketplace, founded in 2000, with a Cologne head office and a US office in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Sedo.com, LLC is a subsidiary of United Internet, and it has been BBB accredited since 2005. It holds buyer funds until the domain transfers. Trustpilot rates it 3.7 out of 5 across 938 reviews, 73 percent five star and 11 percent one star, with complaints concentrated on payment delays and account verification rather than lost funds. Published rates: seller commission is 10 percent on Buy Now and parked domain sales, 15 percent on other marketplace sales and 20 percent on SedoMLS network sales. Two charges fall on the buyer: a 3 percent express processing surcharge on payments over $500 by credit card, PayPal or Alipay, which a wire transfer avoids entirely, and buyer-side brokerage at a one-time $99 plus 20 percent of the gross price. The external transfer service costs 3 percent with a $60 minimum. Sedo is not a registrar: after a sale the name moves to a registrar you choose and renews there.
- [Escrow.com fees: what domain buyers pay](https://bolddomains.com/blog/escrow-com-fees-for-domain-buyers): Escrow.com's standard domain name schedule since 31 May 2024: 2.6 percent up to $5,000 (minimum $50), 2.4 percent from $5,000.01 to $50,000 (minimum $130), 1.9 percent to $200,000 (minimum $1,200), 1.5 percent to $500,000 (minimum $3,800), 1.2 percent to $1,000,000 (minimum $7,500), 1.0 percent to $3,000,000 (minimum $12,000), 0.95 percent to $5,000,000, 0.9 percent to $10,000,000, 0.7 percent above. Worked examples: $1,000 costs $50, $2,500 costs $65, $10,000 costs $240, $25,000 costs $600, $75,000 costs $1,425. Because of the minimums, the 1.9 percent bracket only saves money once the price passes about $63,160. Buyer, seller or a 50/50 split can pay the fee, agreed between the parties. Card and PayPal add a 3.05 percent payment processing fee, and cards are accepted only up to $5,000 plus fees; a US wire carries no Escrow.com processing fee, an international wire adds $25. The older 'under 1 percent' figures predate the 2024 change.
- [Premium Domain Cost: what premium domains actually sell for](https://bolddomains.com/premium-domain-cost): The full price distribution of a live domain marketplace rather than a range guess: the page counts every priced listing at render time and shows the median, the cheapest name and the share of listings in each budget band (under $1,000, $1,000 to $2,500, $2,500 to $5,000, $5,000 to $10,000, $10,000 to $25,000, $25,000 and above), plus the same figures per extension for .com, .ai and .io. Most listed premium names sit under $5,000, which contradicts the common claim that premium domains start in five figures. The critical distinction buyers get wrong: an AFTERMARKET premium domain is bought once from its current owner and then renews at the registrar's ordinary rate for that extension (about $11 to $16 for .com, about $52 for .io, about $80 to $83 for .ai with a two year minimum), whereas a REGISTRY premium is an unregistered name the registry itself prices above standard and which can carry a raised renewal every year you hold it. Amortized, a $3,000 domain is about $50 a month over five years.
- [How much does a domain broker charge](https://bolddomains.com/blog/how-much-does-a-domain-broker-charge): Domain brokers charge 10 to 20 percent of the final purchase price, and some add a non-refundable upfront fee. GoDaddy's Domain Broker Service charges $119.99 up front plus 20 percent commission for a 30 day outreach window, so a $10,000 acquisition costs $12,119.99 in total. Sedo's brokerage takes 20 percent plus a buyer fee around $99. Afternic and Atom.com (formerly Squadhelp) charge buyers nothing because the commission, roughly 25 to 30 percent and 7.5 to 30 percent respectively, is paid by the seller and already inside the listed price. Independent brokers run $0 to $500 retainer plus 10 to 20 percent sliding with deal size. A broker is worth the fee in three situations only: the owner is actively using the domain, the buyer needs anonymity to avoid the identity premium, or the deal is large enough to need staged payments and a purchase agreement. If the name is already listed publicly with an asking price, the owner has already agreed to sell and named a figure, so the commission usually costs more than the discount it wins. Typical timeline is 30 to 90 days for brokered acquisition versus days for a listed name.
- [.IO domains](https://bolddomains.com/premium-io-domains): Premium .io domains for sale, popular with funded developer-tools and SaaS startups. Covers how to buy a .io domain and .ai vs .io.
- [.COM domains](https://bolddomains.com/com-domains): Premium .com domain names for sale.
- [.AI vs .IO domain extension compared](https://bolddomains.com/ai-vs-io-domains): Head to head on the ten factors that decide it. Verified retail prices at Porkbun on 9 September 2026: .io $51.80 a year with a one year minimum, .ai $82.70 a year with a registry mandated two year minimum, so $165.09 is the smallest .ai commitment. Five year carrying cost is roughly $259 for a .io against $413 for a .ai. Google treats both as generic top level domains, so neither carries an SEO handicap. The one asymmetry is registry continuity: ICANN states that "IO persists in the ISO 3166-1 standard", and that if IO were ever removed, "a five-year time window will commence during which time usage of the domain will need to be phased out". As of September 2026 the .io registry is fully operational and no retirement has started.
- [.APP domains](https://bolddomains.com/app-domains): Buy .app domains for mobile and web apps.

## Buy domains by length and style

- [Short domains](https://bolddomains.com/short-domains): Short, memorable domain names for sale.
- [Two-word domains](https://bolddomains.com/two-word-domains): Brandable two-word domain names, sold outright at a listed price through a secure checkout.
- [5-letter domains](https://bolddomains.com/5-letter-domains): Five-letter brandable domains for sale.
- [6-letter domains](https://bolddomains.com/6-letter-domains): Six-letter brandable domains for sale.
- [Brandable domains](https://bolddomains.com/brandable-domains): Invented, brandable domain names for new companies.
- [Domains for sale](https://bolddomains.com/domains-for-sale): Every BoldDomains listing that carries a published asking price, with the full price distribution by band. Explains the distinction most buyers hit: a domain advertised as for sale is often a make-offer listing with no number, while a curated priced portfolio lets you compare before contacting anyone. Includes an honest venue comparison of Sedo, Afternic, GoDaddy Auctions and BrandBucket on inventory scale, whether a price is shown up front, and seller commission.
- [Domain marketplace](https://bolddomains.com/domain-marketplace): The marketplace pillar. What a domain marketplace is and how it differs from a registrar, how buying works step by step, an honest comparison of what Afternic, Sedo, GoDaddy Auctions, Namecheap and curated marketplaces charge in seller commission, and what to check before buying on any of them.
- [Where to buy domain names](https://bolddomains.com/where-to-buy-domain-names): Which venue to buy a domain from, matched to the situation. A decision table covering registrars for unregistered names, marketplaces for listed names, auctions and drop catchers for expiring names, and brokers for names that are registered but not listed, with real costs and timelines for each.
- [Premium domains](https://bolddomains.com/premium-domains): The premium domain pillar. What premium domains cost (real price distribution of the live portfolio), the difference between an aftermarket premium and a registry premium and why it changes your annual renewal, where to buy, and whether they are worth it.
- [Domains under $500](https://bolddomains.com/domains-under-500): Affordable premium domains priced under $500.
- [Cheap premium domains](https://bolddomains.com/cheap-premium-domains): Premium aftermarket names at the low end of the market, with live counts by price band (under $1,000, under $2,500 and under $5,000) computed from the current listings. A cheap premium domain is an aftermarket name priced for a small business budget, in practice $500 to $2,500. The trap to check is renewal: a registry premium can be charged at a premium rate every year, while an aftermarket name renews at the standard rate for its extension (roughly $10 to $12 a year for a .com, about $83 a year for a .ai with a two year minimum).

## Buy domains by use case

- [Startup domains](https://bolddomains.com/startup-domains): Domain names for new startups.
- [SaaS domains](https://bolddomains.com/saas-domains): Domain names for SaaS companies.
- [Domain leasing and lease-to-own](https://bolddomains.com/domain-leasing): A market explainer, not a BoldDomains offer. Covers how domain leasing works across the aftermarket generally: the difference between a true lease, where the seller keeps ownership permanently, and lease-to-own, where the domain transfers after the final payment, plus the terms commonly quoted elsewhere. BoldDomains itself sells outright at a published price and does not offer payment plans.

## Market data

- [.ai domain statistics 2026](https://bolddomains.com/ai-domain-statistics): How many .ai domains are registered, registry pricing and the two-year term, Anguilla revenue, and inventory by name length.

## Buyer guides

- [Does HugeDomains negotiate on price?](https://bolddomains.com/blog/does-hugedomains-negotiate-on-price): Sometimes, but not by much. The HugeDomains FAQ says "We do negotiate on our domains" and that pricing "may or may not be negotiable depending upon the domain"; offers go by email, the contact form or phone at 303-893-0552. Buyer reports on NamePros (January 2020) describe $200 to $400 off names listed around $2,500, often only for same day payment, and some reports of prices rising after an inquiry. A domain bought on a HugeDomains payment plan cannot be transferred until the final payment, and the 30 day money back guarantee is void once the domain is transferred. Includes how to size an offer and a comparison with a published price marketplace.
- [Best domain extension for an AI startup](https://bolddomains.com/blog/best-domain-extension-for-an-ai-startup): The ranking for most AI startups is .com first, .ai second, .io third. Buy the .com if the exact word is available and affordable, the .ai if it is not, and .io only when the buyers are developers and the word is gone on both others. The extension is not a Google ranking factor, so this is a branding and budget decision: roughly $12 to $22 a year for a .com against $82.70 for a .ai and $51.80 for a .io. The .ai registry raised its wholesale floor from $70 to $80 on 5 March 2026 and mandates a two year minimum term. Includes a five row extension table and how much a startup should budget for a name.
- [Agency names: marketing firm names and ad agency names](https://bolddomains.com/marketing-agency-names): The word every agency wants in its name is the one several states treat as a government implication. The California Secretary of State's business entity name guidelines, section 21003(a)(2), list 'Agency', 'Commission', 'Department', 'Bureau', 'Division', 'Municipal' and 'Board' as words that commonly denote governmental organization or authority, so a name combining a place word with one of them can be judged likely to mislead the public. The rule is not uniform: New York's LLC Law section 204 does not bar 'agency', but it bars bank, insurance, investment, trust, attorney, doctor and underwriter outright, requires the education commissioner's consent for academy, institute, college and university, and requires the attorney general's approval for 'exchange'. Marketing and advertising marks are filed in Nice Class 35 (advertising, business management, business administration, office functions), one of the most heavily filed classes at the USPTO, which raises the odds of a Section 2(d) likelihood of confusion refusal for a descriptive name. Includes the six checks in order, a name-shape table and live price bands.
- [Graphic design business names and design company names](https://bolddomains.com/blog/graphic-design-business-names): Graphic design services are classified in Nice Class 42 (which also covers scientific and technological services, industrial design and interior design), NOT the Class 35 that advertising and marketing sit in, so a studio selling both artwork and campaigns is operating in two classes and needs a two-class trademark filing with a fee per class. A studio named after its founder faces the primarily-merely-a-surname refusal ground, so it usually cannot register on the principal register until recognition builds, and a surname brand is the hardest asset to transfer if the studio is sold. Includes the four availability checks in order and a name-shape comparison table.
- [Consulting firm names and consulting company names](https://bolddomains.com/consulting-firm-names): Management consulting is unregulated until a regulated word enters the name. State restricted-word lists and licensing boards decide the name first: engineering practice acts bar an unlicensed firm from a name reading as a representation of engineering ability, accountancy boards limit the CPA designation and restrict group, associates and partners unless more than one licensed practitioner stands behind the firm, Delaware requires Division of Corporations authorization for 'Bank', and California section 21003 flags names implying a government body. Includes the six checks in order and live price bands for a matching domain.
- [Bookkeeping firm names, accounting firm names](https://bolddomains.com/blog/bookkeeping-firm-names-accounting-firm-names): Naming freedom splits on the license line. An unlicensed bookkeeping firm can brand freely and file a DBA; a licensed CPA firm answers to the state board. Minnesota and Washington treat 'and Company', 'and Associates' and 'Group' as misleading unless at least one other unnamed licensee works full time in the firm, so a solo CPA cannot trade as 'X & Associates'. California requires a fictitious name permit approved by the Board of Accountancy before a sole practitioner may hold out under a name other than the one on the permit, under Business and Professions Code section 5060 and CCR section 75.5.
- [Real estate company names and realtor business names](https://bolddomains.com/real-estate-company-names): The state real estate commission rules that decide what a US brokerage or team may call itself (Oregon HB 3137 bars 'realty' and 'real estate' in team names from 1 January 2026, Florida requires the licensed brokerage name on every advertisement, California treats a licensee surname plus group, team or associates as a non-fictitious name), six naming patterns, and live price bands for a matching domain.
- [Trucking company names and business names](https://bolddomains.com/blog/trucking-company-names): Why 49 CFR 390.21 decides a US carrier's name: the legal name or a SINGLE trade name plus the USDOT number must appear on both sides of the power unit, legible from 50 feet, matching Form MCS-150 exactly. Four naming patterns, the four availability checks, and how the name must match the certificate of insurance and every invoice.
- [Cleaning business names, cleaning company names](https://bolddomains.com/blog/cleaning-business-names-cleaning-company-names): Naming patterns by cleaning segment (residential, commercial janitorial, post construction, turnover), how to find cleaning business names that are not taken, and the county DBA filing, local business licensing and janitorial bond rules that decide what name a US cleaning company can actually trade under.
- [Construction company names and business names](https://bolddomains.com/blog/construction-company-names-and-business-names): Naming patterns by construction trade, the state contractor board and DBA filing rules that decide what a US contractor may trade under, and how to line the name up with a domain.
- [Law firm names: how to name a law firm](https://bolddomains.com/blog/law-firm-names-how-to-name-a-law-firm): The three law firm naming patterns, the state bar advertising rules that decide what a US firm may call itself, and how to clear a name before securing the domain.
- [Brandable domain names: how to find and buy one](https://bolddomains.com/blog/brandable-domain-names-how-to-find-and-buy-one): How to choose and buy a brandable domain.
- [Premium domain broker: do you need one?](https://bolddomains.com/blog/premium-domain-broker-do-you-need-one): What a domain broker does, 2026 commission ranges, and the three situations where the fee is worth paying.
- [How much does a domain name cost?](https://bolddomains.com/blog/how-much-does-a-domain-name-cost): Premium domain pricing explained by tier.
- [Domain escrow](https://bolddomains.com/domain-escrow): How domain escrow holds the buyer payment until the name transfers, what it costs, and who pays the fee.
- [How domain escrow works, step by step](https://bolddomains.com/blog/how-does-domain-escrow-work): The five-step walkthrough of an escrowed domain transaction.
- [How to lease a domain name](https://bolddomains.com/blog/how-to-lease-a-domain-name-a-complete-guide-to-lease-to-own-agreements): A complete guide to lease-to-own domain agreements.
- [Buy a domain already owned, registered or taken](https://bolddomains.com/blog/how-to-buy-a-domain-name-that-is-already-taken-a-step-by-step-guide): How to acquire a domain someone already owns: finding the holder through RDAP, valuing it against comparables, what to offer, and closing through escrow.
- [Lease or buy a domain name: which costs less](https://bolddomains.com/blog/lease-or-buy-a-domain-name-which-costs-less): Buying outright, lease-to-own and renting compared on total cost, ownership and risk.
- [Transfer domain names to a new owner](https://bolddomains.com/blog/how-to-transfer-a-domain-name-to-another-person-a-secure-step-by-step-guide): How to move a domain to another person or buyer securely.
- [Domain backorder alternatives to GoDaddy](https://bolddomains.com/domain-backorder-alternatives): GoDaddy stopped selling domain backorders (new purchases ended 8 August 2024, remaining credits expired the following year) and now directs buyers to GoDaddy Auctions and its Domain Broker Service. The working replacements compared: DropCatch, commonly published at about $59, and SnapNames and NameJet at a published $79 charged only on a successful catch. Also the expiry timeline (about 30 days grace, 30 days redemption, 5 days pending delete, roughly 75 days total), why a contested catch goes to a private auction between backorderers, and when buying an aftermarket name outright is the better route.
- [Brandpa alternative](https://bolddomains.com/brandpa-alternative): Brandpa (operated by HostPapa Inc.) compared with BoldDomains for buyers. Brandpa new listings must be priced at $1,000 or more (a seller may cut to $495 after 30 days); seller commission 25% under $50,000, 20% from $50,000 to $100,000, 15% above, priced into what the buyer sees; a logo is bundled with every name; monthly card installments with the domain held in Brandpa's escrow and no refund of payments made if the plan lapses; transfer usually under a day at the same registrar, up to 5 days to another. BoldDomains sells its own .com, .ai and .io portfolio outright through Spaceship's secure checkout, with a band of names priced under $1,000, no logo and no installments.
- [Novanym alternative](https://bolddomains.com/novanym-alternative): Novanym, part of the BrandBucket family, sells invented .com names with a logo at one fixed price: standard names $1,995 to $3,495, premium collection up to $14,995, no haggling, .com only, transfers in 1 to 5 days with a full refund if a name cannot be transferred. BoldDomains sells its own .com, .ai and .io portfolio outright, with many names under $1,000 and offers accepted, but no logo.
- [BrandRoot alternative](https://bolddomains.com/brandroot-alternative): BrandRoot (founded 2012) was acquired by BrandBucket in June 2019 and now works mainly as a business name generator that suggests .com names only. Buying a premium name there sends you to a partner marketplace checkout; prices are set and cannot be negotiated, and a purchase includes a logo in vector and PNG plus a free transfer, but no trademark. BoldDomains sells its own .com, .ai and .io portfolio outright with the price on every listing and offers accepted, but no logo.
- [Namerific alternative](https://bolddomains.com/namerific-alternative): Namerific sells brandable .com names from independent sellers, each with a designer logo (source files such as .psd, .svg or .ai). Its price filter starts at $499; it offers no installments (a non-refundable 20% deposit holds a name 30 days); transfers take 5 to 7 days between registrars, up to 10; orders can be cancelled within 3 days if not unlocked, with a full refund if the seller is silent for 10 days. BoldDomains sells its own .com, .ai and .io portfolio outright, with a band of names under $1,000 and offers answered by email straight away, but no logo.
- [Efty review for domain buyers](https://bolddomains.com/blog/efty-review-for-domain-buyers): Efty is software domain investors use for for-sale pages, Efty Market and the Efty Pay checkout. On Efty Pay the seller pays the commission (5% with Efty nameservers, 12.5% otherwise, since 1 March 2025). Lease to own launched 9 February 2026: 2 to 48 month terms, optional down payment, buyer premium on terms over 12 months, domain stays with the seller until paid off. Payments by wire, Visa, Mastercard and PayPal in USD, EUR or GBP.
- [BuyDomains alternative](https://bolddomains.com/buydomains-alternative): BuyDomains, owned by Newfold Digital (Network Solutions, Domain.com), sells a portfolio of millions of mostly .com, .net and .org names. Many listings show Request Price, quoted within one business day; Make Offer and bulk rates are available. Payment by card, PayPal or wire; card payments processed within 72 hours, wires 3 to 4 business days; login details within 3, rarely 10, business days. Its Terms of Sale make all sales final. BoldDomains lists every .com, .ai and .io name with its price, sold outright, offers welcome.
- [Is BuyDomains legit for buying a domain](https://bolddomains.com/blog/is-buydomains-legit-for-buying-a-domain): Yes. Selling since 1999, owned by Newfold Digital, Trustpilot 4.9/5 from 283 reviews. Terms of Sale (updated 8 December 2021): transfer instructions within 72 business hours of cleared payment, buyer must take control within 7 days, sale can be voided after 90 days, BuyDomains may show an ad-parked page until you change nameservers, all sales final, and an Expired Domain Transfer clause if you later let the name lapse.
- [Brand naming agency cost vs a ready brandable domain](https://bolddomains.com/brand-naming-agency-alternative): Brand naming agencies charge $15,000 to $150,000 or more per engagement (boutique $15,000 to $30,000, mid-market $35,000 to $75,000 over 6 to 10 weeks, enterprise $80,000 and up), with a preliminary trademark screen included and final attorney clearance billed separately. Published agency price guides do not include buying an already-owned .com. BoldDomains sells ready brandable .com, .ai and .io names with the domain included and the price on every listing.
- [Saw.com review for domain buyers](https://bolddomains.com/blog/saw-com-review-for-domain-buyers): Saw.com is a legitimate brokerage (founder Jeffrey Gabriel, ex-Uniregistry; Trustpilot 4.9/5 from 410 reviews). Buyer brokerage costs 15% of the sale price or $500, whichever is higher, plus a $19.99 consultative fee, so a $2,000 deal costs $2,519.99 (26% on top) and a $10,000 deal $11,519.99. Sellers pay 9% self-brokered or 15% broker-assisted. Written appraisal $499. Compared with GoDaddy ($119.99 plus 20%) and Sedo ($99 plus 20%).
- [Namecheap premium domains alternative](https://bolddomains.com/namecheap-premium-domains-alternative): Namecheap sells two kinds of premium domain. Registry premiums often carry special pricing for renewal and transfer and can only be registered or renewed one year per order, so a $1,000 a year registry premium costs $5,000 over five years. Aftermarket premiums are a one-time price and renew at the regular rate. BoldDomains sells aftermarket .com, .ai and .io names it owns, priced on every card, with an offer option.
- [Namify review for domain buyers](https://bolddomains.com/blog/namify-review-for-domain-buyers): Namify is a legitimate AI name generator from Radix, the registry behind .tech, .store and .online. Its indicative prices: .com $13.69 first year, .io $60.39, .ai $195.58, .tech and .store $49.99. Radix premium names use a high-high model, so the premium price is charged again at every renewal. Buyers who want to pay once are routed to priced aftermarket names.
- [DomainMarket.com alternative](https://bolddomains.com/domainmarket-alternative): DomainMarket.com (DomainMarket Holdings LLC, run by BuyDomains founder Mike Mann) owns and sells 200,000+ names, mostly keyword .com. Its Purchase Agreement: no cancellation or refund once you order and pay unless it cannot deliver (refund within 7 business days); wire and PayPal due within 4 calendar days; transfer started within 7 business days of cleared funds (FAQ says usually 1 business day, done in 1 to 3); buyer must take control within 5 business days of delivery or the sale can be rescinded, or forfeited 14 days after email notice; the purchase does not renew the registration; names sold as is with no trademark warranty. BoldDomains is the brandable .com, .ai and .io alternative with prices on every card and an offer button on every name.
- [DomainMarket.com review for domain buyers](https://bolddomains.com/blog/domainmarket-com-review-for-domain-buyers): Yes, DomainMarket.com is legit: an established owner-seller with no commission on top of the price. Mann said in a 2019 interview that buyers typically get about 15% off and the largest discount he gave was 50%. Watch the no-refund clause, the 5 business day takeover window, renewal not included and trademark risk on the buyer.
- [Epik marketplace alternative](https://bolddomains.com/epik-marketplace-alternative): The Epik domain marketplace is run by Epik LLC (Wyoming), which bought the old Epik registrar and hosting business in June 2023. Per its Marketplace Terms (updated November 2024) Epik is not an auctioneer or escrow agent, buyers need an Epik account, every purchase carries a 60 day buy lock, the name comes with whatever term is left and no warranty, and Epik may reverse a sale for dispute, fraud or error. On its Rental/Purchase Agreement one missed payment ends all buyer rights and the name can be resold. BoldDomains is the alternative for a brandable .com, .ai or .io sold outright with the price on every card.
- [Epik marketplace review for domain buyers](https://bolddomains.com/blog/epik-marketplace-review-for-domain-buyers): Is Epik legit? Yes, an accredited registrar under new ownership since June 2023 (Domain Name Wire reported $4.9 million; Masterbucks excluded from the sale). Buyer cost table, the 60 day lock, lease default rule, expired auction terms (payment within 48 hours, original owner can still renew, completed sales final) and who should buy there.
- [Sav marketplace alternative](https://bolddomains.com/sav-marketplace-alternative): The Sav.com domain marketplace compared with BoldDomains for buyers. Per Sav's Domain Name Marketplace Agreement: Sav is not the owner of listed names and is not an escrow agent (third-party escrow only at Sav's option); sales above $1,000 may require a wire; a name registered at another registrar may take up to 15 days to transfer into the buyer's Sav account, or may fail; some listings add a renewal fee at checkout; a chargeback lets Sav take the name back. Sellers pay a 4% commission, so Sav listings are often cheap. BoldDomains sells its own curated .com, .ai and .io portfolio at fixed prices, every sale through Spaceship's secure checkout, transferred to the buyer's own registrar.
- [Is Sav.com legit for buying a domain?](https://bolddomains.com/blog/is-sav-com-legit-for-buying-a-domain): Yes, Sav is an ICANN-accredited registrar launched in 2019 and based in Chicago. Buyer-relevant marketplace clauses tabulated, cost and transfer time explained, and a six-step safe-buying checklist.
- [DomainAgents alternative](https://bolddomains.com/domainagents-alternative): DomainAgents (the partner behind Namecheap's Make Offer button on taken names) charges buyers $19.95 to present an offer, then a service fee starting at 10% of the agreed price, plus Escrow.com fees, both buyer-paid by default. Worked example: a $3,000 name costs $3,397.95 all in. A listed BoldDomains name has no offer fee, no buyer commission and no escrow to open; Buy Now goes to Spaceship's secure checkout.
- [Porkbun marketplace alternative](https://bolddomains.com/porkbun-marketplace-alternative): The Porkbun Marketplace compared with BoldDomains for buyers. Per Porkbun's knowledge base and its staff post on NamePros: sellers pay a 7% commission on Marketplace sales (15% on user auctions, which run on Dynadot's auction platform), no listing fee, listings priced $20 to $100,000, seller payouts by PayPal or account credit once a sale is 15 days old. A sale is an instant push between Porkbun accounts, so no authorization code and no registrar transfer. Porkbun wins for names under $100 and for buyers who keep everything at Porkbun; BoldDomains sells a curated .com, .ai and .io portfolio from $100 at fixed prices through Spaceship's secure checkout.
- [Dynadot marketplace review: what buyers pay](https://bolddomains.com/blog/dynadot-marketplace-review-what-buyers-pay): Dynadot charges sellers 10% on user listings and user auctions (5% on Pay Link deals), no listing fee and no published buyer premium. Buyers pay a transfer fee on names registered at another registrar. A name bought inside Dynadot moves to the buyer's account immediately but sits under a 15 day Buy Lock. Afternic listings shown on Dynadot (generally $5,000 and up) can take 10 to 20 business days. Trustpilot 4.5/5 across 5,234 reviews.
- [NameSilo marketplace review: what buyers pay](https://bolddomains.com/blog/namesilo-marketplace-review-what-buyers-pay): NameSilo charges sellers a 7.5% marketplace commission with no listing fee and no minimum payout, and publishes no buyer premium on Buy Now listings. Buyers pay from NameSilo Account Funds (loaded by card, PayPal, Skrill, Bitcoin or wire). Only names registered at NameSilo can be listed, so a sale is an internal push, usually done within one to two business days. Seller-enabled payment plans run 1 to 12 months; the name cannot leave the account until the final payment, and a missed payment returns it to the seller.
- [Namecheap Marketplace review: what buyers pay](https://bolddomains.com/blog/namecheap-marketplace-review-what-buyers-pay): Namecheap Market only lists domains already registered at Namecheap and charges a flat 10% commission on Buy Now sales, deducted from the seller's payout; no buyer surcharge is published. Buy Now prices are fixed (no offers). Sales usually approve in about 1 hour, up to 48 hours (72 for premium). The old expiry date carries over (no extra year included), a 30-day buy lock blocks transfer out, and completed sales are final and non-refundable. Auctions need a $5 a year subscription and a $100 minimum balance.
- [Porkbun marketplace review for domain buyers](https://bolddomains.com/blog/porkbun-marketplace-review-for-domain-buyers): Porkbun's marketplace agreement sets a 7% seller commission (15% on user auctions) and Porkbun publishes no buyer fee on Buy Now listings. Listing prices run from $20 to a $100,000 cap. Only names in the seller's Porkbun account can be listed, so the sale is an internal handover with no authorization code. Offers go through an optional contact form, and an accepted offer requires the seller to lower the listed price by hand. Sellers are paid on sales at least 15 days old, Porkbun may return the domain to the seller if a payment is deemed fraudulent, and the agreement states Porkbun is not an escrow agent. Renewals afterwards run $11.08 a year for .com, $51.80 for .io and $82.70 for .ai.
- [Is Spaceship legit for buying a domain](https://bolddomains.com/blog/is-spaceship-legit-for-buying-a-domain): Spaceship is an ICANN-accredited registrar (IANA ID 3862) launched by Namecheap in August 2023 that announced 10 million domains under management on September 30, 2026. On its SellerHub marketplace the buyer pays the listed price with no published buyer premium on Buy Now listings; the seller pays a 10% commission (5% on checkout links). SafePay transactions cost 3% by wire or BTCPay and 5% by other methods, split as the parties agree, and funds are held until the domain is transferred. Buyers need a Spaceship account (a Namecheap login does not work) and have seven days to pay after an agreed offer.
- [Is DropCatch legit for buying a domain](https://bolddomains.com/blog/is-dropcatch-legit-for-buying-a-domain): DropCatch is a legitimate drop-catching service that registers deleting domains through ICANN-accredited registrars and delivers won names into NameBright, a Denver registrar in the same group as HugeDomains. A .com, .net, .cc or .tv backorder costs $59 (.org $15), charged only on a successful catch. Two or more full-priced backorders send the name to an auction of about 3 to 5 days with proxy bidding and a five-minute extension. The card on file is charged automatically after a win; unpaid accounts are suspended around day 4 and closed by day 10. Most renewed names never drop, so a fixed-price catalogue is the faster route for a business that needs a name by a date.
- [Is DomainAgents legit? What buyers pay](https://bolddomains.com/blog/is-domainagents-legit-what-buyers-pay): Yes, DomainAgents is a legitimate negotiation service running since 2012 (Trustpilot 4.2/5 across 196 reviews). Fee table, the credit-not-cash rule when an offer cannot be presented, why owners ignore unsolicited offers, and when paying to negotiate beats buying a listed name.
- [How to buy a domain name that is taken](https://bolddomains.com/buy-a-domain-that-is-taken): How to acquire a domain that is already registered by someone else. The standard advice to run a WHOIS lookup and email the registrant no longer works: registrars have redacted personal registrant data as routine practice since GDPR in 2018, and on 28 January 2025 ICANN completed the transition to RDAP and sunset WHOIS as the official source for gTLD registration data, making a WHOIS service voluntary for registrars. An RDAP lookup on a privately held .com returns the registrar, creation and expiry dates, nameservers and an anonymized forwarding address, but almost never a name, phone number or personal email; parking nameservers are the strongest signal a name is held for resale. Compares the four acquisition routes on published fees: a marketplace listing (seller pays commission, commonly around 10 to 20 percent, already inside the shown price), a direct offer to the owner (negotiated price plus a tiered Escrow.com fee, typically two to eight weeks), a domain broker (commonly 10 to 20 percent, some charging $99 to $500 up front) and waiting for the drop (SnapNames and NameJet publish $79 charged only on a successful catch, DropCatch commonly published at about $59). Reported 2024 to 2025 aftermarket data put the average sale near $2,345 and the median near $549, so the median is the better guide. Also covers ICANN's Transfer Policy, in force since 1 December 2016, which locks a domain against inter-registrar transfer for 60 days after a change of registrant without preventing use of the name, and which ICANN has approved replacing; and why an idle registered domain cannot simply be taken, since non-use is not forfeiture and UDRP requires a trademark plus bad-faith registration.
- [IT business names, tech and technology company names](https://bolddomains.com/blog/it-business-names-technology-company-names): Why state engineering practice acts restrict 'engineer' and 'engineering' in an IT firm's corporate name even when its engineers are software engineers (Pennsylvania's Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Act, Section 6, Practice by Firms and Corporations), why trademark Class 42 punishes descriptive names like 'Technology Solutions' under Section 2(e)(1), and five common IT name shapes with the trade-off each one carries.
- [Security company names, security business names and firm names](https://bolddomains.com/security-company-names): Why a US private security firm's name is decided by the state security licensing board rather than the Secretary of State. Arizona Administrative Code R13-6-207 bars a security guard agency name containing 'United States', 'Federal', 'State of Arizona', 'Police' or 'Bureau of Investigation', or any name associating the business with a governmental or law enforcement agency, and Arizona DPS guidance extends the banned list to Officer, Patrolman, Deputy, Marshall, Agent and Sheriff, which makes 'Security Officer', the industry's own job title, unusable in an agency name. Arizona also tells applicants to clear the name with its Licensing Unit BEFORE registering with the Corporation Commission or Secretary of State because its standards are much more stringent, and asks for three candidate names. California reaches the same result through Business and Professions Code section 7582.26(d), which bars a licensee from using a title or making any statement intended to give an impression of connection with federal, state or local government; BSIS requires name approval before you may operate. Connecticut codifies it at General Statutes section 29-157, 'Association with government not to be implied in name', and Louisiana bars 'Police' and wording similar to any law enforcement agency. Includes the distinguishability rules (entity identifiers, articles, ampersands and possessives do not distinguish a name), five name shapes that clear the rules, and live price bands.
- [How to name a security company and choose a domain](https://bolddomains.com/blog/how-to-name-a-security-company-and-choose-a-domain): The order that works for naming a US security firm: clear the state licensing board first, then the Secretary of State, then the USPTO, then the domain. Covers the Arizona banned-word list, the California intent test under B&P 7582.26(d), why physical guard firms and cyber security firms face different constraints (guard statutes rarely reach software, but Class 42 is crowded), and why the aftermarket average of about $2,345 sits far above the median of about $549.
- [AI domain registration: register a .AI domain name, cost and the two year rule](https://bolddomains.com/ai-domain-registration): What .AI domain registration actually costs in 2026 and why almost every published per-year figure understates it. The .AI registry sells the extension only in even numbered terms, so the shortest registration available to anyone is two years and there is no one year option; permitted terms are two, four, six, eight and ten years. On 5 March 2026 the registry floor rose from $70 to $80 per year, lifting the minimum any registrant can pay for the mandatory two year block from $140 to $160, and retail sits just above that floor (Porkbun verified directly at $82.70 per year and $165.09 for two years on 2 September 2026). Because the registry floor dominates the retail price, .AI prices cluster within a few dollars across registrars, so renewal parity, included WHOIS privacy and transfer handling matter more than sticker price. There is no local presence, residency or trading licence requirement despite .ai being Anguilla's country code, and second level registrations are open to anybody. The .AI zone moved onto the Identity Digital registry platform on 15 January 2025 under a five year agreement with the Government of Anguilla; since then a transfer adds registration time rather than replacing it, and creation and expiry dates were restored to .ai records after previously being withheld. On 4 August 2025 Identity Digital deprecated the WHOIS protocol for the zones it operates, including .ai, so WHOIS lookups on a .ai name query a service that is switched off and RDAP is the authoritative source; RDAP returns the sponsoring registrar, creation and expiry dates, nameservers and status codes with personal contact fields redacted. Google added .ai to the list of country code extensions it treats as generic in 2023, so a .ai carries no geographic signal toward Anguilla and is not disadvantaged for US rankings; extension choice is not a ranking factor and keywords in a domain give no ranking boost.
- [Best .AI domain registrars: price, renewal and transfer](https://bolddomains.com/blog/best-ai-domain-registrars): Why choosing a .AI registrar on sticker price is the wrong test. Unlike .com, where the registry cost is a small fraction of retail and leaves room to discount, the .AI registry floor of $80 per year dominates the price, so every mainstream registrar sells roughly the same $160 to $190 two year product within a few dollars of each other. The three things that actually cost money later are renewal parity (whether the renewal rate matches the registration rate), whether WHOIS privacy is included rather than sold as an annual add on, and transfer handling. Since the January 2025 Identity Digital migration a .AI transfer adds registration time instead of replacing it, so leaving a registrar no longer forfeits the term already paid for.
- [.io Domain Cost: what to pay to buy and renew a .io domain](https://bolddomains.com/blog/io-domain-cost-to-buy-and-renew): The two prices that get confused when budgeting a .io domain. Registration and renewal at the cheaper registrars is about $52 a year (Porkbun published $51.80 for regular registration, renewal and transfer, and a $28.12 first year sale price, verified 10 September 2026), while every short real-word .io is already registered, so the realistic cost of a good one is an aftermarket price. The article shows live aftermarket bands from this site's .io inventory (under $2,500, $2,500 to $5,000, over $5,000), counted when the page loads. The key budgeting fact is that an aftermarket .io renews at the registrar's ordinary .io rate no matter what the purchase price was, so the large number is paid once; registry premium names are the exception and can carry an elevated renewal every year. Compared against .ai: .io is cheaper to hold (about $52 a year, one year minimum) while .ai is currently cheaper to buy on this site's inventory (a lower median asking price for .ai than for .io, with the live figures in the article) because far more .ai inventory reached the market after the AI boom. On the retirement question, IANA's root database still lists .io as an active country code top level domain delegated to Internet Computer Bureau Limited and registered in September 1997; ICANN's Kim Davies set out in November 2024 that if a code is removed from ISO 3166-1 the retirement policy opens a five year phase-out window, and no such notice has been issued.
- [Dynadot marketplace alternative for brandable names](https://bolddomains.com/dynadot-marketplace-alternative): Dynadot payment plans run 2 to 12 months on listings of $100 or more, with a 15% down payment plus the first installment; the domain sits under a buy lock, is disabled 3 days after a missed payment and returns to the seller after 14 days, and all payments are non-refundable. Afternic and partner listings shown on Dynadot can take up to 10 to 20 business days. BoldDomains sells its own priced .com, .ai and .io names outright with no installment plan.
- [GoDaddy auction fees a buyer actually pays](https://bolddomains.com/blog/godaddy-auction-fees-for-buyers): GoDaddy Auctions membership is $4.99 a year and non-refundable. A win is charged as the winning bid plus a one year renewal (from the end of the previous registration period) plus the ICANN fee; the seller pays the commission. Payment is due within 48 hours or the card on file is charged on day three. Every bid is binding, the domain transfers within one week unless the original registrant reclaims an expired name (full refund), and wins of $5,000 or more may go through Escrow.com.
- [Brandable AI domains for sale](https://bolddomains.com/brandable-ai-domains): Short brandable .ai domain names of nine letters or fewer (a real word, a coined word or a tight compound such as DocPod or ModelHub), each sold outright at a published price with an offer button and counted live by price band (under $1,000, $1,000 to $2,499, $2,500 to $4,999, $5,000 to $9,999, $10,000 and up). Most are under $5,000 and the cheapest start at a few hundred dollars. Almost every short English word in .ai is already registered, so the realistic route is the aftermarket; an unregistered .ai costs about $80 to $110 a year at retail with a two year minimum. Payment goes through Spaceship's secure checkout and the name moves to the buyer's registrar, usually within a few days, then renews at the ordinary .ai rate.
- [BrandBucket review for domain buyers](https://bolddomains.com/blog/brandbucket-review-for-domain-buyers): BrandBucket is a legitimate curated marketplace for brandable .com names with fixed buy now prices and a logo concept on each listing. Its purchase protection promises a guaranteed transfer or a 100% refund, with funds released to the seller only after transfer. Buyers can request a refund within 24 hours of purchase minus a 5% cancellation fee, and get a full refund if the seller does not start the transfer within 10 business days. Sellers pay 30% commission under $10,000, 25% to $49,999, 20% to $99,999 and 15% above, which is built into the asking price. Lease to own keeps the name in BrandBucket's escrow until the last payment; one listing at $2,780 buy now shows $267 a month, $3,204 over 12 months, about 15% more. G2 rates it 3.8 out of 5 from 13 reviews.
- [EstiBot alternative domain appraisal tool](https://bolddomains.com/estibot-alternative): EstiBot plans are $29, $49 and $99 a month for 150, 500 and 5,000 lookups a day (Advanced adds API access), built for screening drop and auction lists. BoldDomains appraisals return a US dollar valuation for a sale within two to six months, written reasoning and the closest comparable recorded sales. One name free with no account, Broker $49 a month for 100 appraisals, Portfolio $149 a month for 1,000 with bulk lists and CSV export, half price billed yearly.
- [GoDaddy domain appraisal alternative](https://bolddomains.com/godaddy-domain-appraisal-alternative): GoDaddy appraisal (GoValue) is free for single names with an unpublished daily limit. GoDaddy rebuilt the model in August 2026 and raised its cap from $25,000 to $1,000,000+, trained on 65 million+ data points including GoDaddy and Afternic sales. The free bulk tool closed June 8, 2021; the GoValue API is $99.99 a month for 1,000 valuations a day or $499.99 for 5,000. Good for ranking names, weaker on exact prices. BoldDomains returns a valuation with written reasoning and comparable recorded sales.
- [Bulk domain appraisal tools compared](https://bolddomains.com/blog/bulk-domain-appraisal-tools): For a 500 name portfolio: EstiBot Novice $29 a month (150 a day, about 6 cents a name), GoDaddy GoValue API $99.99 (1,000 a day), Appraise.net Enterprise $199.99 for 1,700 credits at 2 credits per batch name (about 40 cents a name), BoldDomains Portfolio $149 a month for 1,000 appraisals with reasoning, comps and CSV (about 30 cents a name), Sedo human appraisal $99 a name.
- [Domain appraisal cost for buyers and sellers](https://bolddomains.com/blog/domain-appraisal-cost): A domain appraisal costs $0 to $2,500. GoDaddy and Atom estimates are free, EstiBot runs $29 to $99 a month, Appraise.net $19.99 one-off or $29.99 a month, Sedo $99 per name within 5 business days, Saw.com's written report $499, and Media Options $2,500 for a documented PDF certificate within 3 business days. Pay for a human report only when the number must stand up for tax, estate or legal use.