NamerynWhat a .ai Domain Costs Over Five Years
A .ai name is sold two years at a time and renews at a higher price than many registrars show up front. Here is what one costs over the years you plan to keep it, next to .com, .io, .app and .bot, at three registrars, and where .agent, .robot and the other AI endings ICANN is reviewing stand. Prices read on October 19, 2026.
| Ending | All years paid now | Minimum now, then renew |
|---|
The two-year rule
A .ai name cannot be bought for one year. Namecheap says you can register a .ai for 2 to 10 years, Cloudflare marks it "2-year minimum", and Namecheap's renewal prices for .ai start at two years too. So your first bill is two years, and every renewal after it is at least two more: keep a .ai for five years by renewing the minimum each time and you pay for six.
The way around it is to buy every year at once. Namecheap prices extra years bought at registration at the registration rate, which for .ai is lower than its renewal rate: five years at Namecheap cost $449.90 bought now, against $639.88 for the minimum and two renewals.
What a .ai costs at wholesale
Cloudflare says it sells .ai registrations and renewals at wholesale prices with no markup, and it lists .ai at $80.00 a year, $160.00 for the first two years. That is the floor. Porkbun charges $82.70 a year to register and renew, and Namecheap $89.98 a year to register and $114.98 a year to renew.
Prices per year, October 19, 2026
Registration / renewal per year in US dollars, before tax and any ICANN fee. Sources: Namecheap (each ending's page), Porkbun, Cloudflare.
| Ending | Namecheap | Porkbun | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|---|
| .ai | $89.98 / $114.98, 2-year minimum | $82.70 / $82.70, 2-year minimum | $80.00 / $80.00, 2-year minimum |
| .com | $14.98 / $18.48 (first year $11.28) | $11.08 / $11.08 | $10.46 / $10.46 |
| .io | $65.98 / $75.98 (first year $29.98) | $51.80 / $51.80 (first year $28.12) | $50.00 / $50.00 (first year $32.00) |
| .app | $17.98 / $22.98 (first year $10.98) | $14.93 / $14.93 (first year $8.75) | $14.20 / $14.20 (first year $8.20) |
| .bot | $64.98 / $78.98 | $52.01 / $52.01 | Not sold |
The AI endings ICANN is reviewing
On October 7, 2026 ICANN published the 1,615 applications in its new round. Several AI endings drew more than one applicant, which puts each in a contention set that has to be settled before anyone can sell it:
| Ending | Applications | Applicants include |
|---|---|---|
| .agent | 13 | OpenAI, Meta Registry Holdings, Charleston Road Registry (Google), Radix, XYZ.COM, Open Agent Registry and seven more |
| .robot | 9 | Intercap Registry, Registry Services, Zero Gravity Labs and six more |
| .agi | 7 | OpenAI, Radix, ShortDot, Zero Gravity Labs and three more |
| .mcp | 5 | OpenAI, Charleston Road Registry (Google), Radix, ShortDot and Tidal Case |
| .gpt | 3 | OpenAI, Link Freedom Group and Pirin Tablet |
| .model | 3 | OpenAI, Registry Services and Glass Emotion |
| .llm | 2 | Link Freedom Group and Hair Apparent |
Source: ICANN's Reveal Day contention sets, read October 19, 2026.
The final list comes on String Confirmation Day, November 17, 2026, and comments and objections run until March 16, 2027 (ICANN). Identity Digital, a registry, expects applications with no contention or objections to be delegated 14.5 to 19.5 months after Reveal Day, which puts the first new endings in late 2027 or early 2028 (Identity Digital). Every ending in this table is contested, so it comes after that. The .agent domain guide covers who applied and why.
The .agent you can buy today
A .agent sold today is a name on Handshake, where "agent" was won at auction in March 2020. Namecheap's own help page says Handshake domains do not resolve in regular browsers without additional setup, and that HTTPS is not available for them (Namecheap). It is not the ICANN .agent, and it cannot become it.
What to register meanwhile
- The exact .com, if it is free: over five years it costs $52.30 at cost, 13% of the $400 a .ai costs at cost.
- The .ai, if your audience expects one, with every year bought at once.
- The handles where your product or agent will be found.
- A short, distinct name that will still fit a .agent later. The AI agent name generator checks the .com and the .ai as it suggests names.
FAQ
How much does a .ai domain cost?
At cost it is $80 a year: Cloudflare sells .ai at wholesale with no markup, $160 for the two-year minimum. Namecheap charges $89.98 a year to register and $114.98 a year to renew, and Porkbun $82.70 a year for both, all read on October 19, 2026.
Why do I have to buy a .ai domain for two years?
The .ai registry sells it for at least two years at a time. Namecheap says you can register a .ai for 2 to 10 years, Cloudflare marks it with a 2-year minimum, and renewals come two years at a time too.
Is a .ai domain worth it over a .com?
Bought five years at once, a .ai costs $400 to $449.90 at these registrars, against $52.30 to $71.20 for a .com. If the exact .com is free, it is the cheaper address that works everywhere; a .ai is worth it when your audience expects one and the .com is taken.
Can I buy a .agent domain?
Not as a real domain yet. ICANN published 13 applications for .agent on October 7, 2026, including OpenAI, Meta and Google's registry, so it has to be settled before anyone can sell it. A .agent sold today is a Handshake name, which ordinary browsers do not open.
When will .agent, .robot and .agi launch?
No date is set. ICANN's String Confirmation Day is November 17, 2026, and objections run to March 16, 2027. Identity Digital, a registry, expects the first uncontested endings in late 2027 or early 2028; .agent, .robot and .agi each have several applicants, so they come later.
About the Namecheap button: it is an affiliate link, so Nameryn may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes the prices or the order on this page, which come from each registrar's own page on the date shown.