Overview
Porkbun is an ICANN-accredited registrar based in Oregon that has built its reputation on low, predictable pricing. A .com costs $11.08 to register, renew or transfer, with no first-year teaser and no jump in year two. Porkbun's own knowledge base explains that it sells close to wholesale and passes registry increases through; it expects the .com price to reach about $11.81 after Verisign's 1 November 2026 increase.
The free extras are generous: WHOIS privacy, Let's Encrypt SSL certificates that renew automatically, DNS management running on Cloudflare's network, permanent, temporary or masked URL forwarding, and up to 20 email forwards per domain. DNSSEC can be switched on with a toggle when you use Porkbun nameservers, or you can add DS records for external DNS.
Porkbun also offers a documented JSON API for DNS records and DNSSEC, which makes it practical for scripts and ACME DNS challenges. Many non-.com extensions carry a first-year sale price with a higher renewal, so check the renewal column on the pricing table before buying anything other than .com.
Pricing and plans
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| .com | $11.08/yr | Registration, renewal and transfer |
| .net | $12.52/yr | Listed 'from' price |
| .org | $7.98/yr | Listed 'from' price |
| .app | $8.75 first year, $14.93 renewal | First-year sale price |
| .xyz | $2.04 first year, $14.21 renewal | First-year sale price |
What it does
- Flat .com pricing
- Registration, renewal and transfer of .com were all $11.08 in September 2026.
- Free WHOIS privacy
- Privacy is included on every eligible domain at no charge.
- Cloudflare-powered DNS
- Free DNS hosting runs on Cloudflare, with a one-click Porkbun DNSSEC toggle.
- Free SSL
- Let's Encrypt certificates are issued and renewed automatically for supported domains.
- Forwarding
- URL forwarding (permanent, temporary or masked) and up to 20 email forwards per domain.
- API
- A JSON API covers DNS records and registry DNSSEC records, authenticated with API key pairs.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- .com renewal is the same as the first-year price
- Free privacy, SSL, DNS, DNSSEC and forwarding with every domain
- You can point nameservers anywhere, unlike at-cost Cloudflare Registrar
- Phone support every day, 9am to 5pm Pacific, plus 24/7 email
Limitations
- Many non-.com TLDs have first-year sale prices that renew higher
- Phone support hours are limited to 9am to 5pm Pacific
- Prices follow registry increases; .com is expected to rise to about $11.81 in November 2026
Who it suits
Good for
- Side projects and indie products that want a cheap, flat renewal
- Developers automating DNS through an API
- Moving domains away from registrars with high renewals
Look elsewhere if
- Teams that need enterprise contracts or registry lock services
- Buyers who want the absolute lowest .com price and are fine with Cloudflare DNS
Pricing history
-
.com price to rise to about $11.81
Porkbun's knowledge base says its .com price will rise on 2026-11-01 at 04:00 UTC to approximately $11.81, from $11.08, after Verisign's wholesale increase (effective date). Source ↗
Alternatives to Porkbun
Questions
How much does a .com cost at Porkbun?
$11.08 a year for registration, renewal and transfer in September 2026. Porkbun expects about $11.81 after 1 November 2026.
Does Porkbun charge for WHOIS privacy?
No. WHOIS privacy is free on every eligible domain.
Does Porkbun support DNSSEC?
Yes. With Porkbun nameservers you can switch on DNSSEC with a toggle, and with external DNS you can add DS records yourself.
Does Porkbun have an API?
Yes, a JSON API covers DNS records and DNSSEC records, using an API key and secret key.
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