Four registrars. Four very different ideas of what a .com should cost. And the cheapest one to register is not the cheapest one to keep.
Namecheap and GoDaddy are the names everyone knows. Spaceship and Porkbun are the ones people switch to once they've done the math. So let's do the math, with real 2026 prices and see who actually wins for a single .com you plan to hold for years.
What actually matters when you compare registrars
Everyone fixates on the first-year price. It's the wrong number. You pay it once, then you pay the renewal every year after that, often for a decade.
So the comparison below leads with three numbers: what you pay to register, what you pay to renew and the total over five years. That last one is where the surprises live.
The numbers side by side
Here's a single .com at all four registrars. First year, renewal, transfer and the 5-year total. Prices verified May 2026.
* New-registration price needs a promo code (Spaceship: COMPROS, Namecheap: NEWCOM679, GoDaddy: GDWELCOME). Porkbun's $10.08 new and transfer prices use a promo code (regular $11.08, no code needed). 5-year total assumes the first-year price plus four renewals. Prices verified May 2026 and they change, so check the live page before you buy.
Registrar
New (yr 1)
Renewal/yr
Transfer
5-Year Total
Spaceship
$2.90*
$10.18
$8.17
~$43.62
Porkbun
$10.08
$11.08
$10.08
~$54.40
Namecheap
$6.79*
$14.78
$10.91
~$65.91
GoDaddy
$4.99*
$22.99
$12.99
~$96.95
These four are a slice of the market. To see all 148+ registrars ranked by price, use the DomainOffer price comparison tool.
The order is clear. Spaceship is cheapest over five years at $43.62. Porkbun is second at $55.40. Namecheap is $65.91. GoDaddy is last at $96.95, more than double Spaceship for the same domain.
Spaceship: cheapest overall
Spaceship registers a .com for $2.90 the first year with code COMPROS, then renews at $10.18. Transfer in costs just $8.17. Over five years that's $43.62, the lowest of the four by a wide margin.
It's owned by Namecheap but built as a faster, cleaner platform. WHOIS privacy is free. The checkout doesn't push SSL or email add-ons at you. For most people registering one .com to keep, this is the pick.
The one caveat: that $2.90 needs the promo code. The headline deal is a first-year offer. The renewal at $10.18 is still the cheapest of the four, so you don't get punished later. That's the part GoDaddy gets wrong.
Porkbun: the same price forever
Porkbun does something the others don't. It charges the same $11.08 to register, renew and transfer. No first-year bait, no renewal jump, no surprises. Five years comes to $55.40.
That flat pricing is the whole appeal. You always know what next year costs. WHOIS privacy is free, SSL is free and Porkbun throws in extras like URL forwarding. Stacked coupons can knock the first year down to around $10.08, but even at full price it stays predictable.
It's not the absolute cheapest. Spaceship's tiny first year beats it. But if you hate promo-code games and just want a fair price that never moves, Porkbun is the most honest registrar of the four.
Namecheap: fine, but no longer the budget king
Namecheap built its reputation on cheap domains. The first year is still low at $6.79 with code NEWCOM679. But the renewal climbed to $14.78, so the 5-year total lands at $65.91, well above its own spin-off Spaceship.
The platform is mature and reliable, free WHOIS privacy included and a reasonable transfer price of $10.91. If you already have domains there and like the dashboard, there's no urgent reason to flee. Just know you're paying a premium for the brand, not getting the cheapest price anymore.
GoDaddy: cheap to start, expensive to keep
GoDaddy hooks you with a $4.99 first year using code GDWELCOME. Then the renewal jumps to $22.99 a year, a 4.6x increase and the highest of the four. Five years runs $96.95, more than double Spaceship and nearly double Porkbun.
There's a second flag. In February 2026 GoDaddy reclassified all customers as “Business Customers” in its Terms of Service, which strips some consumer protections. Several registrar trackers pulled their recommendation over it. Between the renewal price and the terms change, it's hard to justify GoDaddy for a domain you want to hold long term.
at renewal
Which one should you pick?
It comes down to how you think about price.
- Want the lowest 5-year cost? Spaceship. $43.62, cheapest to register and cheapest to renew.
- Hate promo codes and want a flat price? Porkbun. $11.08 forever, the same to register, renew and transfer.
- Already on Namecheap and happy? Stay, but you're paying for the brand. Spaceship (same owner) is cheaper.
- Considering GoDaddy? Only if you genuinely need a specific GoDaddy product. On price alone, it's the worst of the four.
Not sure your name is free yet? Check it on Search Domain, then compare live prices on the price comparison tool. For the full 5-year cost angle across every registrar, see our guide to the cheapest .com domain registrars in 2026.
The short version
Spaceship wins on total cost at $43.62 over five years. Porkbun wins on simplicity at a flat $11.08. Namecheap is a fine but pricier middle option at $65.91. GoDaddy is the most expensive at $96.95. The recent terms change gives you another reason to look elsewhere.
Register where the renewal is low, not where the first year is flashy. The first year is the one price you pay once. The renewal is the one you pay forever.
