Your $1 IONOS Domain Renews at $20: How to Avoid Intro-Price Shock

IONOS sells .com domains for $1 for the first year. Sounds unbeatable — until the renewal invoice arrives at $20.00/year. That's the classic intro-price trap, and IONOS is one of the clearest examples of it.

The 5-year reality

• IONOS: $1 + 4 × $20.00 = $81.00 over 5 years
• Porkbun: 5 × $11.08 = $55.40
• Spaceship: 5 × $10.18 = $50.90
• Dynadot: 5 × $10.88 = $54.40

That $1 first year costs you roughly $25–30 extra over five years compared to a flat-priced registrar. The intro discount is real — it just gets collected back at renewal, with interest.

Full analysis with sources: IONOS Domain Renewal Review 2026: Is the $20.00 .com Renewal Worth It?

How to escape (or avoid) the trap

If you're already with IONOS: don't auto-renew at $20. About 60 days before expiry, unlock the domain, get your auth code, and transfer it to a cheaper registrar. A transfer usually adds a free year, so you often come out ahead immediately. Here's the full decision guide: Transfer vs Renew: Which One Actually Saves You Money?

If you're shopping: ignore the first-year price completely. The only number that matters is the renewal price × the number of years you'll keep the domain. Compare renewals, not registrations: Cheapest .com Renewal Prices in 2026

The rule of thumb

Any registrar whose renewal price is more than double its first-year price is selling you a subscription, not a deal. Renewal prices are the real prices — everything else is marketing.