question Different TLD new & renewal pricing

[LongTimeAgo]

Hi,

I've been looking around for a new domain and see that some pricing is enormously variable. For example, I see the name I want on:

.site/ .tech/ .online for $13k with a 50% discount for year 1
.club for $7k then $16 per year
.website for $6,600 with a 50% discount for year 1

For gTLDs (not just those above, they were just an example), is there any regulation or control of prices or can each registry or registrar swing their prices as they desire?
My concern is if I stretch the bank account on a more expensive premium name today, I could face undesirable pricing in the future. At which time I'd be locked in (heaving invested in a website) with no escape clause (other than abandoning that domain & TLD).
Which registries are more consistent or notorious in their pricing?
I just want to understand the risk/ future financial exposure. Any tips please?

Thank you

 

[LongTimeAgo]

I've been looking around for a new domain and see that some pricing is enormously variable.

Sorry my message was perhaps unclear. What I'm interested in and concerned with is the long term/ongoing pricing for any gTLD (not the pricing differences between different TLDs).

Over the last 25 years I've seen .com/.net/.org registration come down from about $30/year to the current day, where those TLDs cost peanuts (~$10), reductions in prices are of course fabulous. Registrars often offer discounted prices to lure people in on new registrations. Later they raise the prices (godaddy just sent me what I think is around a 400% price rise!). With a registrar it's easy, you just switch registrar. But if the registry is dictating pricing, I'm concerned I could get screwed (as all registrars would raise prices).

I haven't used many of the new gTLDs, I see some of their pricing looks like it can change very significantly
.site/ .tech/ .online --------- $6.5k year 1, then $13k per year onwards
.club --------------------------- $7k year 1, then just $16 per year onwards
.website -----------------------$3,300 year 1, then $6,600 per year onwards

I'm asking can and do registries raise and drop prices however they like?
I might buy one of the above, and get caught in a few years with horrible price changes, that's if they have complete freedom. I don't know many of these gTLDs registries, which is why I ask: Which registries are more consistent or notorious in their pricing?
I know Google owns it's own registry, so I would imagine there domains would be a fairly safe/stable bet. At one point I looked at .WIN domains - and there I suspect is an example of a less safe/stable bet!
I just want to understand the risk/ future financial exposure so I don't buy a TLD I later want to be free from. Any tips please?

I will be investing heavily in the development and use of the domain over the long term. It's not to buy and sell.

Thank you

 

[MarkedMarket]

There are couple of different elements in your question:
1. The new GTLD's either have a standard pricing/renewal fee or a premium pricing/renewal fee. Some premiums have a standard renewal and others have a premium renewal fee.
2. Depending on the extension and the premium tier, the pricing/renewal fee will differ.

I think (almost) all nGTLD registries can change their pricing in any way they want (unless differently specified in their ToS). We have seen Uniregistry trying to hike their prices by 3000%, but they received so much negative press on that, that they more or less reversed that decision (see: https://domainnamewire.com/2017/04/03/uniregistry-backtracks-price-hike-existing-registrations/).

The domains by Famous Four (they went bust) were taken over by GRS and they completely changed their pricing model (see: http://domainincite.com/24315-grs-has-lost-three-million-domains-since-famous-four-died).

Afilias, Radix and Donuts have also increased prices of many extensions, e.g. https://www.namecheap.com/blog/price-increase-news-for-donuts-domains/

I'm afraid no extension is "safe", not even .org or .com, let alone all those others!

 

[MarkedMarket]

For an end-user it doesn't really matter if the renewal fee for the domain is $5, $10 or $50. But for domainers it does.

Some of the registries are no doubt looking at each other and the fact that quite a lot of the nGTLD's are charging over $25 USD for renewal fees, but also popular extensions such as .co, .io and ai, might provide any registry with a justification to increase their prices also.

 

[LongTimeAgo]

I think (almost) all nGTLD registries can change their pricing in any way they want (unless differently specified in their ToS). We have seen Uniregistry trying to hike their prices by 3000%, but they received so much negative press on that, that they more or less reversed that decision (see: https://domainnamewire.com/2017/04/03/uniregistry-backtracks-price-hike-existing-registrations/).

The domains by Famous Four (they went bust) were taken over by GRS and they completely changed their pricing model (see: http://domainincite.com/24315-grs-has-lost-three-million-domains-since-famous-four-died).

Afilias, Radix and Donuts have also increased prices of many extensions, e.g. https://www.namecheap.com/blog/price-increase-news-for-donuts-domains/

I'm afraid no extension is "safe", not even .org or .com, let alone all those others!

Thank you @MarkedMarket for the comprehensive reply and links. That's very helpful to know. I'll have to think some more about how to proceed.

Please does anyone know if there's a decent list somewhere that show the TLDs of each registry? I've been to various registries and seen their individual list of TLDs but I would imagine this info for all registries would be listed somewhere?

I'd like this so I can either eliminate or focus my attention on TLDs from certain registries, I think it would be useful for now and future reference.

Cheers

 

[MarkedMarket]

Thank you @MarkedMarket for the comprehensive reply and links. That's very helpful to know. I'll have to think some more about how to proceed.

Please does anyone know if there's a decent list somewhere that show the TLDs of each registry? I've been to various registries and seen their individual list of TLDs but I would imagine this info for all registries would be listed somewhere?

I'd like this so I can either eliminate or focus my attention on TLDs from certain registries, I think it would be useful for now and future reference.

Cheers

You're welcome. I would use either of the following links to check at what particular registry it's best to registar a particular domain extension:

tld-list.com
domcomp.com

 

[MarkedMarket]

I misread your question. This is the overview that you are looking for:

https://ntldstats.com/tld

 

[LongTimeAgo]

I misread your question. This is the overview that you are looking for:

https://ntldstats.com/tld

that is brilliant, thank you

1186 in that list - wow!

this'll be real handy