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Owning a Domain

Buying a domain gives you a place on the web that belongs to you.

This is an important step towards owning your online presence, instead of being dependent on a third-party platform.

If your site is hosted at https://example.github.com or https://example.netlify.com you are tied to those services indefinitely.

By picking a domain name, you can opt to use whichever service you want, pointing your custom domain at GitHub, Netlify, or whatever host(s) you deem fit. Moving hosts no longer comes at a cost of having to update all of your links and hope that nobody is holding onto an old copy of your resume.

Buying a domain

Owning a domain name requires paying a yearly fee to a registrar. Registrars work as an intermediary between users and the registry that controls your chosen top-level-domain (TLD).

While it is important to pick a trustworthy registrar, most registrars offer nearly identical services and very similar prices. (Within a few dollars of one another for most domains.)

A few inexpensive no-frills registrars:

  • Porkbun - good prices, easy-to-use domain UI, helpful customer service
  • Namecheap - no longer the cheapest option, but generally a fine choice
  • Gandi - another no-frills option

It is possible to transfer domains between registrars without much trouble, so don't overthink it!

How much to pay?

Each registrar has a domain search where you can look for available domains-- you'll notice that the prices vary quite a bit.

There are three factors that affect the price of a domain:

  • The TLD (.com, .org, .biz, .pizza, etc.) - the owner of the TLD sets the base price & policies for the domain. Most range from \(5-\)50, with "trendy" TLDs going for a premium.
  • Some domains, particularly short ones or ones that use common words, are considered "premium" and will have an additional cost. This can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
  • Sometimes you will see domains that are "for (re)sale"-- these are domains that someone has already bought, these prices are typically very high (but often negotiable).

Unless you feel very strongly about a particular domain, it should be possible to avoid premium/resale domains. Expect to spend $10-20.

Do TLDs matter?

A question that often comes up during the domain search: does it matter which TLD I choose?

Each TLD has an administrating authority which sets rules:

  • prices, including increases
  • what is allowed? (most TLDs are available for any use, but some have restrictions)
  • Is HTTPS required? A few newer TLDs .dev, .app -- require all sites to be HTTPS.
  • Is WHOIS information public?

The final one is something to consider.

When registering a domain you have to provide your personal information for legal reasons, historically this information wound up in a public "WHOIS" registry, which often isn't desirable for privacy and spam reasons. Most registrars (including the three above) will hide this information on your behalf, listing themselves as a proxy owner, and forwarding any legal contacts to you as required.

Some TLDs however require that the information on file be the true owner, meaning owning these domains anonymously is not possible. (Notably this is true of the .us TLD.)

Things not to pay for

Most registrars will offer additional services during registration: hosting, registration, domain privacy, SSL certificates, etc. -- don't pay for any of these, at least for now.

Typically it is best to use other services for email and hosting, and if you want to use a registrar's you can always add that later. As mentioned, domain privacy should be included for free. Anyone charging for an SSL certificate in 2026 is trying to fleece you.

Tip: Carefully consider if you want your domain to auto-renew. If you are using the domain for email or a personal site, you wouldn't want the domain to lapse & be grabbed by someone else. Registrars will send warning emails as expiration approaches, so if you prefer not to auto-renew just be sure to keep an eye out and/or set a calendar reminder.