Domain extensions to hold long term
Holding long term is about the 5-year cost, not the first-year price. The table converts each extension's third-lowest 5-year total into a yearly average and shows first-year price, renewal price and the renewal step-up. 68 reviewed extensions, 26 of them within the price thresholds for both first year and renewal. Snapshot 2026-10-16.
"Within thresholds" = first year ≤ US$12, renewal ≤ US$15, and renewal no more than 2× the first-year price. Renewal at 3× or more is marked "renewal well above first year". List prices (coupons not counted), taxes excluded, renewals estimated at current prices and not guaranteed; the thresholds are our editorial choice.
Note: this table only assesses the current representative quotes. Being listed means the extension’s write-up was reviewed by the site editor; whether prices are within the thresholds is shown on each row. It is not an endorsement of any extension or registrar, and does not guarantee future renewal prices, registry policy or operating stability. No recorded event does not mean nothing has happened. The first-year price, renewal price and 5-year average come from the same registrar quote (the third-lowest); the "lowest" line is for comparison only.
68 extensions, showing 1–20. Those within the thresholds come first, then by yearly average, lowest first.
| Extension | First year | Renewal | 5-yr average | Price | Google geotargeting | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .de 52 quotes | US$3.95 | US$3.95 | US$3.95 lowest (reference) US$3.84 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Country code; rules vary by country, not verified |
| .vip 74 quotes | US$4.49 | US$5.03 | US$4.92 lowest (reference) US$4.68 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1.1× | Generic, not tied to a country | Not verified |
| .cn 39 quotes | US$4.33 | US$5.68 | US$5.41 lowest (reference) US$5.23 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1.3× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Country code; rules vary by country, not verified |
| .uk 49 quotes | US$5.42 | US$5.42 | US$5.42 lowest (reference) US$3.76 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Verified: no eligibility restriction |
| .eu1 event 49 quotes | US$5.88 | US$5.88 | US$5.88 lowest (reference) US$4.51 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1× | Regional, treated as generic | Eligibility requirements Registrants must be an organisation established in, or an individual residing in or a citizen of, an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. |
| .in 52 quotes | US$6.25 | US$6.25 | US$6.25 lowest (reference) US$5.97 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Country code; rules vary by country, not verified |
| .us1 event 54 quotes | US$4.30 | US$6.96 | US$6.43 lowest (reference) US$6.01 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1.6× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Eligibility requirements Registrants must meet the US nexus requirement: a US citizen, permanent resident or US-domiciled person (including US possessions or territories); a US entity or organization; or a foreign entity with a bona fide presence in the US or its possessions or territories. |
| .fr 38 quotes | US$6.99 | US$7.69 | US$7.55 lowest (reference) US$6.55 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1.1× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Eligibility requirements Natural persons residing, or legal persons with their registered office or main establishment, in an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. |
| .nl 45 quotes | US$7.64 | US$7.64 | US$7.64 lowest (reference) US$6.39 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Verified: no eligibility restriction |
| .be 39 quotes | US$8.00 | US$8.00 | US$8.00 lowest (reference) US$7.40 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Verified: no eligibility restriction |
| .ca 48 quotes | US$8.52 | US$9.20 | US$9.06 lowest (reference) US$6.76 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1.1× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Eligibility requirements Registrants must meet CIRA’s Canadian presence requirements (for example a Canadian citizen or ordinarily resident permanent resident, both of the age of majority; a Canadian corporation; or — only for names consisting of or including the exact word component of the mark — the owner of a Canadian-registered trade-mark). |
| .com1 event 84 quotes | US$9.08 | US$10.18 | US$9.96 lowest (reference) US$6.05 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1.1× | Generic, not tied to a country | Not verified |
| .org2 events 74 quotes | US$10.36 | US$10.36 | US$10.36 lowest (reference) US$7.57 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1× | Generic, not tied to a country | Verified: no eligibility restriction |
| .company 74 quotes | US$7.17 | US$11.96 | US$11.00 lowest (reference) US$9.95 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1.7× | Generic, not tied to a country | Not verified |
| .net1 event 84 quotes | US$11.40 | US$11.40 | US$11.40 lowest (reference) US$6.44 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1× | Generic, not tied to a country | Not verified |
| .dev 58 quotes | US$8.00 | US$12.50 | US$11.60 lowest (reference) US$11.14 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1.6× | Generic, not tied to a country | Not verified |
| .at 43 quotes | US$11.99 | US$11.99 | US$11.99 lowest (reference) US$10.97 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Verified: no eligibility restriction |
| .au 23 quotes | US$11.99 | US$12.99 | US$12.79 lowest (reference) US$8.33 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 1.1× | Country code, used for geotargeting | Eligibility requirements Applicants must have an Australian presence and meet the eligibility and allocation criteria that apply to the namespace they apply for (such as com.au or .au direct). This applies to the .au namespaces administered by auDA. |
| .city 74 quotes | US$7.32 | US$14.65 | US$13.18 lowest (reference) US$10.20 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 2× | Generic, not tied to a country | Not verified |
| .group 74 quotes | US$7.32 | US$14.65 | US$13.18 lowest (reference) US$10.98 | Within price thresholds Renewal ÷ first year 2× | Generic, not tied to a country | Not verified |
How to read this table
- "Google geotargeting" follows Google Search Central: country-code extensions (ccTLDs) are used to geotarget that country; generic extensions, .eu, .asia and a list of country codes such as .io, .co, .me and .tv are treated as generic. It describes how location is targeted, not a ranking judgement.
- "Eligibility" is only marked where the site editor reviewed it against registry text; "not verified" does not mean there are no restrictions. Country-code rules differ by country.
- An "event" tag means we have recorded sourced events for that extension (price terms, operator changes and the like); worth reading before you commit.
- Prices change; the registrar's own page is authoritative. For a registrar-by-registrar comparison see the suffix index; coupons are on the coupons page.
FAQ
How is "good for holding long term" calculated?
We use list prices (coupons not counted) from registrars whose quotes are current, take each registrar's first-year price plus 4 renewals — the 5-year total — and then pick the third-lowest of those (at least 3 registrars quote that or less), so a single obscure registrar's odd price does not skew the result. Taxes are excluded and renewals are estimated at current prices, not guaranteed.
Why are only some extensions listed?
Only extensions whose write-up (intro, category or eligibility) the site editor has reviewed are included; the list grows as more are reviewed. Prices for all other extensions are in the suffix index.
Does the extension affect SEO?
We do not say which extension "ranks better". According to Google, country-code extensions (ccTLDs) are a geotargeting signal for that country; generic extensions such as .com and .org are not tied to a country, and .eu, .asia and a list of country codes (such as .io, .co, .me, .tv) are treated as generic. The "Google geotargeting" column only restates that.