Shopify questionAnswer4 min read
How Much Does a Domain Name Cost for an Online Store?
A .com for your store costs about $10 to $12 a year at low-markup registrars, and Shopify sells domains from $9. The number to check before you buy is the renewal price, not the first-year deal.
Key takeaways
- A standard .com costs about $10 to $12 a year at low-markup registrars. Porkbun listed $11.81 for both registration and renewal, as checked on 7 November 2026.
- Shopify says its domains typically start at $9 a year. They are registered for one year at a time, renew yearly and are billed separately from your plan.
- Cheap first-year prices on newer extensions can renew at many times the price. Porkbun listed .store at $2.57 for year one and $43.77 to renew.
- Shopify doesn't provide email hosting, so a business inbox on your domain is a separate cost.
- Who it is for
- New store owners choosing a domain
- Time needed
- 5 minutes to read
- What you need
- A shortlist of store names
A domain name for an online store usually costs $10 to $15 a year for a .com, and that is the figure I tell new store owners to budget. Newer extensions such as .store, .shop or .io can look cheaper or cost far more, and the real trap is renewal: a $2 first year can become $30 to $50 a year from year two. Every price below comes from the registrars' own pages, as checked on 7 November 2026.
What a domain costs by extension
These are Porkbun's listed prices for a one-year, non-premium registration. I use Porkbun as the benchmark because it publishes registration and renewal prices side by side, which most registrars don't make easy.
| Extension | First year | Renewal | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $11.81 | $11.81 | Nothing, the safe default |
| .net | $12.52 | $12.52 | Customers type .com first |
| .co | $15.76 | $31.20 | Renewal doubles |
| .store | $2.57 | $43.77 | Renewal is 17 times year one |
| .shop | $2.06 | $31.41 | Big jump in year two |
| .io | $28.12 | $51.80 | Expensive to keep |
| .ai | $82.70 | $82.70 | Costly from day one |
Other registrars price .com close to this, but promotional first-year prices on other extensions vary a lot. Always compare the renewal column, because you will pay it every year the store exists.
Buying a domain through Shopify
Shopify's domains page says domains typically start at $9 a year, billed annually, with the exact price for your name shown in the admin before you pay. Domains bought through Shopify are registered for one year and renew automatically each year, charged separately from your plan. Shopify also notes that renewal pricing may differ from the first purchase.
- Included: a free SSL certificate, and WHOIS privacy on extensions whose registry allows it.
- Set up for you: the DNS records point at your store automatically, which removes the most common launch-day mistake.
- Not included: email hosting. You can set up forwarding addresses, but a real inbox needs a third-party email provider.
- No refunds: Shopify's help center states that domain purchases are non-refundable, so check the spelling twice.
Buying elsewhere and connecting the domain to Shopify is free and takes a few DNS changes. My guide to connecting a domain and business email to Shopify walks through both routes.
Shopify or a separate registrar
Cloudflare Registrar says it charges registry and ICANN fees with no markup on registration or renewal, and includes free WHOIS redaction. Porkbun also includes WHOIS privacy free. If you own several domains or want the lowest renewal cost, a registrar like these usually beats buying through your store platform.
Costs that come with a domain
- Email hosting. A separate monthly cost per mailbox from your email provider.
- Extra extensions. Many brands also register the .co.uk, .nl or .com.au for markets they sell in, plus common misspellings.
- Premium names. Short or dictionary names already registered are resold at prices the owner sets, often far above the standard price.
Country domains: UK, Netherlands and Australia
Country extensions are often cheaper than .com. Porkbun listed .co.uk at $5.66 to register and renew, .nl at $7.80 (with a $7.62 sale price showing) and .com.au at $8.29 for the first year, renewing at $13.70. In the US, .com is the default that customers expect.
Australia's .com.au has its own eligibility rules set by auDA, the .au domain administrator, so check that your business qualifies before you build a brand around it. If you sell in several countries, one .com with Shopify Markets is usually simpler than a domain per country.
What to do next
- Shortlist names. Use my free domain name generator, and read how to name a Shopify store before you commit.
- Check the .com first. If it's taken, change the name before you settle for a costly extension.
- Compare renewal, not year one. Multiply the renewal price by five years to see the real cost.
- Buy and turn on auto-renew. Then connect it to your store and set up email.
If you would rather have it handled, my store design and development work starts from $300 and includes connecting your domain. Every project gets a fixed quote.
Free tools
Check your own store
Free, no sign-up. Each one runs a part of this guide for you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a domain name cost per year?
A .com costs about $10 to $12 a year at low-markup registrars. Porkbun listed $11.81 for registration and renewal on 7 November 2026. Newer extensions can cost much more to renew.
How much does a Shopify domain name cost?
Shopify says its domains typically start at $9 a year, billed annually. The exact price for your name and extension appears in your Shopify admin before you buy, and renewal pricing may differ from the first year.
Is a domain name a one-time purchase?
No. You rent a domain by the year. Shopify registers domains for one year and renews them automatically unless you turn auto-renew off.
Can I use a domain I already own with Shopify?
Yes. You can connect a domain from any registrar to your Shopify store for free by updating its DNS records.
Does a domain come with email?
Not on Shopify. Shopify doesn't provide email hosting, though you can set up forwarding. For a real inbox on your domain, you need a separate email provider.
Is .store or .shop as good as .com?
Technically they work the same. In practice, customers type .com by habit, and those extensions can renew at $30 to $45 a year after a cheap first year, so I recommend a .com where you can get one.
Sources
- Domain name pricing, Porkbun
- Domains, Shopify
- Buying a domain through Shopify, Shopify Help Center
- Cloudflare Registrar, Cloudflare
- The different .au domain names, auDA
Related services and work
I'm a Shopify developer and CRO specialist. I have built and improved Shopify stores since 2018, completed more than 1,000 projects, and hold a 4.96 average rating across 719 client reviews.
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