HACKER Q&A
📣 SMAAART

What's the Cheapest TLD?


I am a domain/microsites junkie. I have an idea, I get a domain, and often I build a mmicrosite for it.

What are the cheapest TLD in the long run (registration + renewals), not interested in the first year deal?

If that matters NameCheap is my registrar, but willing to register somewhere else if I need to.

Thanks in advance.


  👤 jayceedenton Accepted Answer ✓
Some great deals on .ru these days! Interestingly, .eu, .de and .uk also very cheap, however if you prefer to avoid implying your microsites relate to a specific geography, I guess .top, .cc, .one, .xyz may be better.

👤 milkoolong
I use porkbun and namesilo. The low cost solution plus trustworthy TLDs are likely (to name some) .cc , .us , .work , .link , .top. FYI, I graduated from namecheap after dozens of domains, and then realizing the base cost + multi-year renewals were slightly higher than alternatives.

👤 tomklein
Freenom has free TLDs (.tk, .cf, ….)

The cheapest over time will be .de with as less as 4€ a year depending on the registrar. The cheapest first year domain used to be .xyz with 0.99$ at Namecheap



👤 schroeding
Also .cyou

Be advised: You will be in a pool of spam domains. Feel free to download the Zone File from ICANN CZDS, it's insanity. Almost all domains are random strings, there is basically no signal, only noise.


👤 speps

👤 rschachte
Cloudflare sells TLDs at cost and offer quite a few.

👤 throwaway2a02
.ml, .tk, .ga. All free. (With a catch, I remember some reporting their TLD getting taken over once they crossed a certain traffic treshold).

👤 ouxiez
initial cheapest monthly price would be .xyz with namecheap

👤 kijeda
Some TLDs like .tk (Tokelau) are offered for free.

👤 sexy_panda
.tk and .ovh