.com vs .us: Price, Renewal and Availability
Pick .com unless you are a US person or business that wants a US signal and the cheapest name here: .us costs $4.43 for the first year and $7.00 to renew, five years $32.43 vs $54.40. But .us has two rules .com does not: you must have a US nexus, and you cannot hide your contact details behind WHOIS privacy.
Standard (non-premium) names, USD per year, quoted October 24, 2026.
| Measure | .com | .us |
|---|---|---|
| First year (lowest) | $10.88 | $4.43 |
| Renewal (lowest) | $10.88 | $7.00 |
| Renewal vs first year | same | +58% |
| 5 years, cheapest registrar | $54.40 (Dynadot) | $32.43 (Porkbun) |
| Minimum term | 1 year | 1 year |
| Porkbun first year | $11.08 | $4.43 |
| Porkbun renewal | $11.08 | $7.00 |
| Porkbun transfer | $11.08 | $7.00 |
| Dynadot first year | $10.88 | Not sold |
| Dynadot renewal | $10.88 | Not sold |
| Taken when checked on domhaul | 75% of 4,260 | Too few checks |
| Type | Generic | Country code (United States) |
| Registry | VeriSign Global Registry Services | Registry Services, LLC |
| Rules | Open to anyone | US nexus required; no WHOIS privacy |
| DNSSEC | Signed | Signed |
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Pick .com if
- You or your customers are outside the United States.
- You want WHOIS privacy on your registration.
- You want the extension customers type by default.
Pick .us if
- You are a US citizen, resident or organization.
- Your audience is American and you want that to show.
- You accept your name and contact details being public in WHOIS.
.com vs .us questions
Who can register a .us domain?
Only registrants with a US nexus: US citizens and permanent residents, organizations incorporated or organized in the United States, and foreign entities with a bona fide presence there (an office or regular business activity). You certify this when you register.
Can I use WHOIS privacy on a .us domain?
No. .us policy prohibits privacy and proxy registration, so the registrant's name, address, phone and email are published in WHOIS. If that matters, use .com with privacy instead.
Is .us cheaper than .com?
.com costs $10.88 for the first year and $10.88 to renew; .us costs $4.43 and $7.00. Over five years (first year plus four renewals at the cheaper registrar) that is $54.40 for .com and $32.43 for .us, so .us is the cheaper one to keep by 1.7x. Standard names at Dynadot and Porkbun, quoted October 24, 2026.
Does a .us domain help rank in the United States?
A country code tells Google the site is aimed at that country, so .us is a US signal in the way .co.uk is a UK one. It is not a ranking boost: content and links decide rank, and a .com can rank in the US just as well.
More comparisons
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Full price pages: .com and .us. All domain extension comparisons, the price list for every TLD, and the long read on .com vs .io vs .app vs .dev for startups. Have a name? The domain value calculator prices it and finds available alternatives.