Updated on February 22, 2026
Many developers switched to using .io, .app and .dev domains since there are more available names to choose from compared to .com.
Although these TLDs have higher registration and renewal rates than .com, that’s nothing compared to what you’d have to pay if you wanted to buy a registered .com domain from its owner.
I’ve used a mix of different domain registrars. The ones I use the most in 2026 are Spaceship, Namecheap and NameSilo. Here’s my opinion about each.
Spaceship is the newest domain registrar in my arsenal (been with them for over a year now), and so far it’s been a great experience. The interface may look a bit peculiar at first, but it’s modern and it’s likable once you get the hang of it.
Low pricing is Spaceship’s main selling point. They pretty much sell at wholesale prices, similar to Cloudflare, but Spaceship has better support and some extra services I use (web hosting and email - also pretty cheap).
Spaceship is the cheapest .io domain registrar at $15 for the first year (promo code: IO85) - renewal is $52. For .app and .dev, it’s $10 for the first year and renewal is only a few dollars more.
Pros:
Biggest first-year discounts on many TLDs
Low renewal prices (close to wholesale prices)
Free WHOIS privacy protection
Low-cost web hosting and email plans
Modern, developer-friendly dashboard
Quick support service
Cons:
Some parts of the website get glitchy sometimes
Namecheap is another good place to buy .io, .app, .dev, and any other domains. I started using Namecheap many years ago as an alternative to GoDaddy, and while they’re not as cheap as they used to be back then, I still find their prices reasonable.
Haven’t had any issues with my domains or account (just make sure you use valid contact information). Their shared hosting is pretty solid too (for low-traffic sites at least).
Pros:
Discounted registration prices
Large selection of new gTLDs and ccTLDs
Free privacy protection
Good web hosting services
Cons:
Renewal prices have increased in recent years
The dashboard interface hasn’t been updated in a while
NameSilo is one of the largest domain registrars in the world and I’ve been using it for a long time without any problems.
They have low prices for most TLDs, and they also offer discounted prices if you join the Discount Program (requires a minimum deposit of $50).
For example, the regular price of .com is $17.29, but with the Discount Program it’s $11.05. They don’t offer discounts on .app or .dev domains currently.
Pros:
Competitive prices
Free WHOIS privacy
Discounts if you have a large portfolio
Multiple payment methods
Not a lot of marketing B.S.
Cons:
Dashboard is a little outdated
Web hosting is not very good