Our verdict: Porkbun is cheaper on .com renewals; check each extension
On the prices we could read, Porkbun charges the same $11.08 for .com registration, renewal and transfer [1]. Namecheap's regular .com renewal from 1 November 2026 is $19.98 before the ICANN fee [3]. Over three years that is a $23.30 difference for one .com.
Price is not the only factor. Both include WHOIS privacy and email forwarding [2][5][7]. Namecheap allows up to 100 forwarders [7]; Porkbun includes up to 20 and free SSL certificates [2]. Many extensions at Porkbun have a low first year and a much higher renewal [1], so the three-year view matters more than the headline.
Three-year .com cost
Namecheap often shows sale prices for the first year at checkout; we used its published regular prices because those are the renewal basis. Namecheap says renewing, registering or transferring before 1 November 2026 keeps its current pricing [3].
| Cost item | Namecheap (regular price from 1 Nov 2026) | Porkbun (listed price) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 registration | $15.98 + $0.20 ICANN fee [3][4] | $11.08 [1] |
| Year 2 renewal | $19.98 + $0.20 [3][4] | $11.08 [1] |
| Year 3 renewal | $19.98 + $0.20 [3][4] | $11.08 [1] |
| Three-year total | $56.54 | $33.24 |
| Transfer in (adds a year) | $15.98 + $0.20 [3][4][6] | $11.08 [1][8] |
Porkbun prices for other common extensions
All figures come from Porkbun's public price list [1]. Namecheap's per-extension pages blocked our automated access on the date above, so we have not quoted its prices for these extensions. Check them in Namecheap's cart and compare the renewal column, not the first-year one. The .xyz row shows why: $2.04 for year one, then $14.21 a year [1].
| Extension | Registration | Renewal | Transfer | Three-year cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $11.08 | $11.08 | $11.08 | $33.24 |
| .net | $12.52 | $12.52 | $12.52 | $37.56 |
| .org | $7.98 | $11.84 | $11.84 | $31.66 |
| .co | $15.76 | $31.20 | $31.20 | $78.16 |
| .io | $28.12 | $51.80 | $51.80 | $131.72 |
| .dev | $8.75 | $12.87 | $12.87 | $34.49 |
| .app | $8.75 | $14.93 | $14.93 | $38.61 |
| .xyz | $2.04 | $14.21 | $14.21 | $30.46 |
Extras included
| Extra | Namecheap | Porkbun |
|---|---|---|
| WHOIS privacy | Free on eligible extensions, enabled by default; not available on some, such as .ca, .de, .eu, .fr, .uk and .us [5][9] | Free WHOIS privacy [2] |
| Email forwarding | Free, up to 100 forwarders on Namecheap DNS [7] | Up to 20 free forwards [2] |
| SSL certificates | Not covered in the pages we read | Free Let's Encrypt certificates for supported domains, auto-renewing [2] |
| DNS | Namecheap BasicDNS, PremiumDNS or FreeDNS required for forwarding [7] | Free DNS powered by Cloudflare [2] |
| Account security | Authenticator app (TOTP) or U2F device [10] | WebAuthn, 2FA and login notification [11] |
Moving a domain between them
Both registrars follow the same basic transfer pattern: unlock at the current registrar, get the auth code, enter it at the new one, and pay for the transfer [6][8]. Porkbun says a transfer usually adds a year, that you do not lose existing registration time, and that it takes 5 to 7 business days [8]. Namecheap says transfers take from 30 minutes to 8 days and do not change DNS automatically [6].
Porkbun also says a domain must stay at one registrar for 60 days before it can move, and that domains with more than nine years prepaid may be blocked until they drop to nine [8].
- Copy all DNS records first, including MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
- Set up DNS at the new registrar before switching if you use registrar DNS.
- Do not change registrant details right before a transfer.
- After the move, turn on two-factor authentication and check auto-renew.
Who should pick each
Pick Porkbun if renewal price matters most and you want SSL and forwarding included, especially for .com and .net, where its renewal equals its registration price [1][2].
Pick Namecheap if you need more than 20 forwarding addresses [7], already have other domains there, or find a sale price for the first year and accept the higher renewal. Keep a domain where it is if the renewal gap is small and your DNS works; the saving on one .com averages about $8 a year over three years.
Questions before you decide
Does Porkbun charge more at renewal?
For .com and .net its price list shows the same figure for registration and renewal: $11.08 and $12.52. Other extensions renew higher, for example .org at $7.98 then $11.84, and .xyz at $2.04 then $14.21.
Is the ICANN fee included?
Namecheap says the $0.20 annual ICANN fee is added to the listed price for some domains at purchase, and its 1 November 2026 .com prices are stated without it. The Porkbun price list does not show a separate fee; confirm the total in your cart.
What does a transfer to each registrar cost?
Porkbun lists a .com transfer at $11.08. Namecheap lists $15.98 for .com transfers from 1 November 2026, plus the ICANN fee. Both say a transfer usually adds one year of registration.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Porkbun pricing API (public price list) Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Porkbun .com domain page Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: .com price change - November 1, 2026 Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: What is the ICANN fee? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: Do you provide free Domain Privacy subscriptions with every newly registered domain? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: How do I transfer my existing domain to Namecheap? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: How to set up free email forwarding Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Porkbun Knowledge Base: How to Transfer a Domain to Porkbun From Any Registrar Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: Do you provide any domain privacy protection services? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Namecheap Knowledgebase: How can I enable two-factor authentication for my account? Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Porkbun domains product page Accessed 29 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.