TLD pricing varies significantly by extension and registrar. This atlas covers the most common domains with honest renewal rates not promotional first-year prices.
Price comparison by TLD (honest registrars, renewal rates)
Prices shown are renewal rates at honest registrars (Cloudflare, Namecheap, Porkbun). Promotional year-1 prices from GoDaddy and others are excluded see the renewal trap article for why.
| TLD | Cloudflare | Namecheap | Porkbun | Registry | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $10.44/yr | $13.98/yr | $10.99/yr | Verisign | Universal standard |
| .net | $11.04/yr | $13.98/yr | $11.49/yr | Verisign | Less preferred than .com |
| .org | $9.93/yr | $13.98/yr | $9.99/yr | PIR | Nonprofits and communities |
| .co.uk | N/A | £6.98/yr | N/A | Nominet | UK business standard |
| .uk | N/A | £5.98/yr | N/A | Nominet | Shorter UK alternative |
| .io | $32.04/yr | $34.98/yr | $27.98/yr | IANA/ccTLD | Developer/startup standard |
| .co | $26.88/yr | $26.98/yr | $24.99/yr | .CO Internet | Brand alternative to .com |
| .ai | N/A | $79.98/yr | $69.99/yr | Anguilla | AI company branding |
| .dev | $12.00/yr | $13.98/yr | $12.99/yr | Google Registry | Developer projects |
Prices are approximate and change. Always verify on the registrar’s website before buying. These rates exclude VAT where applicable.
Cloudflare does not offer .co.uk registration they focus on gTLDs. For .co.uk, use Namecheap, Porkbun, 123-reg, or Ionos.
.com vs .co.uk: the UK decision
For UK businesses:
- .com is universally recognised globally and domestically. If .com is available at a reasonable price, it is usually the right choice.
- .co.uk signals UK-specific operation. Good for: local service businesses, UK-only brands, businesses that want to emphasise their UK presence. Cheaper to register and renew.
- Both: Many UK businesses register both and redirect .co.uk to .com.
.co.uk restriction: .co.uk is for commercial use. You must be a UK entity or resident. Nominet (the .uk registry) verifies registrant eligibility.
.io: the developer premium
.io is the country-code TLD for British Indian Ocean Territory a small territory with no internet industry relevance. The TLD was adopted by the tech community because “io” reads as “input/output” in programming. It has become a recognisable signal of a tech startup or developer product.
The premium: .io costs $28–35/year vs $10–11 for .com. Over 5 years: £95–130 more expensive than .com for the same branding signal.
Whether to use .io: If your product is developer-facing and you want the .io signal, the premium is justified as a brand investment. If you’re building a consumer product, .com is typically better consumers don’t decode .io as “tech” the way developers do.
.ai: the AI branding TLD
.ai is the ccTLD for Anguilla. It costs $70–80/year at most registrars. Over 5 years: £280–325 more expensive than .com.
The AI industry has adopted .ai as a brand signal for artificial intelligence companies. Whether the signal is worth the premium depends on your target market and the competitive landscape for your desired .com.
Country-code TLD comparison
| ccTLD | Country | Annual cost | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| .co.uk | UK commercial | £5–7/yr | UK-focused businesses |
| .uk | UK (shorter) | £5–6/yr | UK brand preference |
| .de | Germany | £8–12/yr | German market focus |
| .fr | France | £8–12/yr | French market focus |
| .ca | Canada | £10–15/yr | Canadian businesses |
| .au | Australia | £10–15/yr | Australian businesses |
All ccTLDs have eligibility requirements based on jurisdiction. You cannot register .de without a German address or legal presence (via a proxy registrant service).
See also: How to choose the right domain extension · Namecheap vs GoDaddy · Domain renewal trap