Squarespace is one of the few website builders that doubles as a domain registrar. Every annual Squarespace plan comes with a free custom domain for the first year — which means most users never look at the renewal price until the bill arrives. This guide walks through exactly what a Squarespace domain renewal costs in 2026, how it compares to dedicated registrars, and what to do if you want to pay less.
How much does a Squarespace domain renewal cost?
A .com domain renews at $20.00 per year at Squarespace — the same price applies whether you registered it there, bought it elsewhere and transferred it in, or claimed the free first year with an annual plan. The renewal price was read from Squarespace's listed pricing and confirmed in an October 2026 cross-registrar price report (Etemora, September–October 2026). Fees are included — Squarespace does not add an ICANN fee at checkout.
Squarespace's flat renewal rates for other popular TLDs:
- .net, .org, .info — $20.00/year
- .co — $40.00/year
- .shop, .store — $56.00/year
- .io — $70.00/year
Specialty extensions can cost more, but for the standard .com/.net/.org crowd the number to remember is a flat twenty dollars.
What is included at that price?
The $20 renewal is not just the registry fee — Squarespace bundles a few things that cheaper registrars sometimes charge for:
- Free WHOIS privacy (privacy proxy) — your personal contact details stay out of public WHOIS/RDAP records, inherited from the Google Domains tradition.
- No checkout upsells — the price you see is the price you pay; no added ICANN line item, no privacy upsell.
- Auto-renew by default — domains auto-renew so you don't lose them by forgetting.
That said, the bundle is thin compared to the markup. The .com wholesale floor is $10.26 (Verisign) + $0.20 (ICANN) = $10.46, so at $20.00 you're paying a 91% markup — identical to IONOS, which sits at the same price point.
5-year cost comparison: Squarespace vs other registrars
Here's what a single .com actually costs over 5 years (all prices checked 29 October 2026; renewal prices listed by each registrar):
- Squarespace — free first year with an annual plan, then $20/year: $80.00 over years 1–5 (or $100.00 if you register without a plan discount)
- Porkbun — $11.08 flat every year: $55.40
- Spaceship — $10.18 total ($9.98 + $0.20 ICANN) flat every year: $50.90
- Dynadot — $10.88 flat every year: $54.40
- Namecheap — $18.48 renewal: about $85 over 5 years (varies with first-year promos)
- GoDaddy — $22.99 renewal (+ $0.20 at checkout): the most expensive in this group
Use the renewal calculator to run your own multi-year math — a domain you keep for a decade is a ten-year purchase, and nine of those years are billed at the renewal rate.
One caveat: Verisign is raising the .com wholesale price from $10.26 to $10.97 on 1 November 2026, so expect most registrars' renewal prices to drift upward in 2027. Squarespace's $20 figure has held steady through this change so far.
Best for / not for
Squarespace domains are a good fit if: your website already runs on Squarespace and you value one bill, one login, and zero configuration — the free first year plus included privacy makes it a painless bundle.
They're a poor fit if: you manage multiple domains, care about renewal cost, or don't use Squarespace's website plans — you're paying roughly double the cheapest flat-rate registrars for the same .com.
How to pay less: transfer your domain out of Squarespace
You don't have to keep renewing at $20. Transferring a domain to a cheaper registrar takes about 10 minutes of your time and saves you every year after. Before you start, run through this checklist:
- Make sure the domain is older than 60 days and not locked (a recent transfer or registration starts a 60-day transfer lock).
- Unlock the domain in Squarespace's domain settings and request the authorization (EPP) code.
- Make sure your registrant email is correct and accessible — the approval link goes there.
- Keep your Squarespace site live: you can connect the domain to Squarespace via DNS instead of transferring it. Connecting is free; transferring moves billing to the new registrar (and adds one year at their price).
Note that transfers add one year to your registration on top of the time you have left — you don't lose the year you already paid for. Our step-by-step guide to transferring a domain to Porkbun shows the full process, and the general transfer vs renew breakdown explains when moving makes sense. See also the cheapest .com renewal prices comparison for the full field.
Before your Squarespace domain auto-renews: quick checklist
- Check the renewal date in Squarespace's domain dashboard — domains auto-renew by default.
- Confirm the price is still $20.00 — Squarespace can change rates; check before you're billed.
- Decide: stay for convenience, or transfer out for a lower rate (start at least 2 weeks before expiry to be safe).
- If you're keeping several domains, run the renewal audit checklist — one place to review every renewal at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is the first year of a Squarespace domain really free?
Yes — every annual Squarespace website plan includes one free custom domain for the first year. From year two, the standard renewal price ($20/year for .com) applies.
Does Squarespace charge extra for domain privacy?
No. WHOIS privacy (privacy proxy) is included free with every Squarespace domain — no upsell at checkout, and the listed renewal price already includes all fees.
Can I use a Squarespace domain with a site hosted elsewhere?
Yes. You can point the domain anywhere with DNS records without moving it. If you want cheaper renewals, transfer the domain to another registrar (after any 60-day lock clears) and connect it back to your site via DNS.
Is Squarespace more expensive than other registrars for renewal?
Yes, noticeably. At $20.00/year for .com, Squarespace costs about the same as IONOS and roughly double budget registrars like Spaceship ($10.18), Dynadot ($10.88), or Porkbun ($11.08). Compare the full field on the registrar comparison page.