.net vs .org: Price, Renewal and Availability
Pick .org for a nonprofit, community or open-source project and .net for networking, infrastructure or as a stand-in when the .com is taken. .org is cheaper to start ($7.98 vs $12.52) and to renew ($11.64 vs $12.52), so five years cost $54.55 vs $62.60; .net's advantage is a price that never changes after year one. 46% of .net names checked on domhaul were already registered, against 67% of .org.
Standard (non-premium) names, USD per year, quoted October 24, 2026.
| Measure | .net | .org |
|---|---|---|
| First year (lowest) | $12.52 | $7.98 |
| Renewal (lowest) | $12.52 | $11.64 |
| Renewal vs first year | same | +46% |
| 5 years, cheapest registrar | $62.60 (Dynadot) | $54.55 (Dynadot) |
| Minimum term | 1 year | 1 year |
| Porkbun first year | $12.52 | $7.98 |
| Porkbun renewal | $12.52 | $11.84 |
| Porkbun transfer | $12.52 | $11.84 |
| Dynadot first year | $12.52 | $7.99 |
| Dynadot renewal | $12.52 | $11.64 |
| Taken when checked on domhaul | 46% of 72 | 67% of 39 |
| Type | Generic | Generic |
| Registry | VeriSign Global Registry Services | Public Interest Registry (PIR) |
| Rules | Open to anyone | Open to anyone; no nonprofit check |
| DNSSEC | Signed | Signed |
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Pick .net if
- You run a commercial product and the .com is taken.
- You sell hosting, connectivity or other network services.
- You want a price that never changes after year one.
Pick .org if
- The project has a mission rather than customers.
- You want visitors to read it as non-commercial.
- You want the cheaper of the two over five years.
.net vs .org questions
Is .net or .org better?
Neither is better in general; they say different things. .net reads as a network or tech service and is the usual stand-in for a taken .com. .org reads as a nonprofit or community. Pick the one that matches what the site is.
Is .org cheaper than .net?
.net costs $12.52 for the first year and $12.52 to renew; .org costs $7.98 and $11.64. Over five years (first year plus four renewals at the cheaper registrar) that is $62.60 for .net and $54.55 for .org, so .org is the cheaper one to keep. Standard names at Dynadot and Porkbun, quoted October 24, 2026.
Do you need to be a nonprofit for .org, or a network for .net?
No. Neither has eligibility rules; the meanings are conventions from the 1980s. Anyone can register either one.
Who runs .net and .org?
Verisign runs .net (as well as .com). .org is run by Public Interest Registry, a nonprofit set up by the Internet Society, with Identity Digital Limited running the back end.
More comparisons
- .com vs .org 5 yrs $54.40 vs $54.55
- .com vs .net 5 yrs $54.40 vs $62.60
- .co vs .net 5 yrs $140.30 vs $62.60
Full price pages: .net and .org. 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.