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Domain registrar · by IONOS

IONOS Domains

German hosting company's registrar with a $1 first-year .com for new customers and a free wildcard SSL, but a $20 renewal and paid DNSSEC.

Visit ionos.com ↗ Alternatives Paid EU region
§1

Overview

IONOS, the German hosting group formerly known as 1&1, sells domains as the entry point to its hosting, website builder, email and cloud products. Its US price table lists a .com at $10 for the first year, $1 for new customers under the welcome offer (and in hosting bundles), $20 a year to renew and $9.50 to transfer in, with the ICANN fee included.

Each domain includes a free wildcard SSL certificate, DNS management and up to 10,000 subdomains, and IONOS offers 24/7 support by phone, chat and email plus a personal consultant. DNSSEC is not part of the free package: it is bundled into Domain Guard, a paid add-on that also adds a second factor for sensitive domain changes.

The math favours short-term use. Over five years a .com bought at $1 costs $81 at IONOS, compared with roughly $55 at flat-priced registrars. Restoring an expired domain costs $90, so keep auto-renew on or note the expiry date.

§2

Pricing and plans

checked 28 Sept 2026
Plan Price What you get
.com special offer $10 first year ICANN fee included
.com welcome offer $1 first year New customers; also the bundle price with hosting
.com renewal $20/yr Regular renewal fee
.com transfer $9.50 Transfer in
Restore $90 After expiry

Prices are from IONOS's US price table, which includes the ICANN fee. DNSSEC is part of the paid Domain Guard add-on; reviews put it at $1 for the first year and about $15 a year after, but that price was not confirmed on IONOS's own pages, so it is not listed as a plan. IONOS's own pages read did not state whether WHOIS privacy is free for .com in the US, so the privacy fact is left empty.

Source: www.ionos.com/domains/domain-name-prices · prices as published, excluding tax.

§3

What it does

Free wildcard SSL
A wildcard certificate is included with each domain.
Subdomains
Up to 10,000 subdomains per domain.
Domain Guard
Paid add-on that adds DNSSEC and two-factor confirmation for domain changes.
24/7 support and consultant
Phone, chat and email support around the clock, plus a personal consultant.
Hosting bundles
Domains can be bundled with IONOS hosting, email and website builder plans.
§4

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Very cheap first year for new customers
  • Free wildcard SSL
  • ICANN fee included in listed prices
  • Round-the-clock support

Limitations

  • .com renews at $20, double the standard first-year price
  • DNSSEC is only available through the paid Domain Guard add-on
  • Restoring an expired domain costs $90
§5

Who it suits

Good for

  • Customers already hosting with IONOS
  • Short-lived projects that benefit from a $1 first year

Look elsewhere if

  • Domains you plan to keep for many years
  • Developers who want free DNSSEC
§6

Alternatives to IONOS Domains

Tool From Free option Stages
Cloudflare Registrar At-cost domain registrar
$10.46/yr Paid
DNSimple DNS hosting and domain management
$0.5/mo Paid
Dynadot Domain registrar and aftermarket
$10.88/yr Paid
easyDNS Managed anycast DNS and registrar
$20/yr Paid
GoDaddy Domains Domain registrar
$22.99/yr Paid
Infomaniak Domains Domain registrar
CHF 13.60/yr Paid

All domain registrars →

§7

Questions

How much does a .com cost at IONOS after the first year?

$20 per year in September 2026.

Who gets the $1 .com at IONOS?

New customers under the welcome offer, and buyers bundling the domain with a hosting plan.

Does IONOS support DNSSEC?

Yes, through its paid Domain Guard add-on.

What does it cost to restore an expired IONOS domain?

$90 plus renewal, per IONOS's price table.

Sources read for this page