Guide
Squarespace Domains review: what a .com really costs to keep
The short answer
Squarespace Domains is an easy, all-in registrar with free privacy, free DNS and up to 100 forwarding addresses, but a .com renews at $20 a year. Over three years a .com costs $50 with its $10 offer, or $60 at the standard price. It suits Squarespace site owners and former Google Domains customers more than anyone shopping for the lowest renewal.
The short version
- .com first year: Squarespace advertises a domain “for only $10” and says the price you see includes taxes and fees. The page does not say which extension or term that covers, so confirm it at checkout.
- Renewal: $20 a year for a .com or .org, according to Squarespace’s help center.
- 3-year total for a .com: $50 with the $10 offer, $60 at the standard price, or $40 if you get the free first year with an annual Squarespace website plan.
- Right for: people who run their site on Squarespace, or who came over from Google Domains and want to keep things simple.
Squarespace Domains is the domain registrar side of Squarespace. You rent your domain name here, with or without a Squarespace website. For the website builder itself, see our Squarespace review.
What a .com really costs over three years
| Case | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| With the $10 offer | $10 | $20 | $20 | $50 |
| Standard price | $20 | $20 | $20 | $60 |
| Free year with an annual website plan | $0 | $20 | $20 | $40 |
The arithmetic: $10 + $20 + $20 = $50. $20 × 3 = $60. $0 + $20 + $20 = $40, plus whatever you pay for the website plan.
Squarespace says the price you see includes taxes and fees, and its pages list no separate ICANN fee. Its transfer page does add that some domains may be subject to state and local sales tax.
The free first year only works on annual plans (not monthly), only for extensions priced like a .com, and you lose it if you cancel during that year.
The November 1, 2026 change: Verisign, which runs .com, raises its wholesale fee from $10.26 to $10.97 a year on November 1, 2026. Squarespace has not published a new .com price on the pages we checked. Its $20 renewal is already well above the new wholesale fee. More in our news story on the increase.
Other popular endings
| Ending | First year | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| .org | Not published | $20 a year |
| .net | Not published | Not published |
| .co | Not published | Not published |
| .io | Not published | Not published |
Squarespace lists most prices only in its domain search tool, not on its help pages. Its help center says some newer endings, such as .photography and .media, cost $30 or $50 a year. Its transfer page says one year at Squarespace costs $20 to $70, depending on the ending.
One warning on .io: Squarespace says there is no grace period to cancel and no refunds, and .io does not qualify for the free domain offer. For help picking an ending, see domain extensions.
What is included free
- WHOIS privacy: free on all eligible domains. It hides your name and address from public lookups.
- DNS: “Premium DNS,” which Squarespace says runs on services like Google Cloud DNS. It supports DNSSEC, custom nameservers and all common record types. DNS is what points your domain at your site and email.
- Email forwarding: up to 100 forwarding addresses. Forwarding passes mail to an inbox you already have. It is not a mailbox.
- SSL: a free SSL certificate when the domain points to a Squarespace site.
- Two-factor login: available on the account.
- Registrar lock: a “Domain Lock” switch on each domain, plus an activity log of changes.
- Also listed: URL forwarding and parking pages.
Upsells to watch for
- Google Workspace email. This is the mailbox Squarespace sells. Per user: Starter $84 billed yearly or $8.40 a month billed monthly, Standard $168 or $16.80, Plus $264 or $26.40. A free first year may be offered on Starter. After you sign up, you cannot switch billing cycles or downgrade. See email hosting for other options.
- A website plan. The domain pages push you toward building a Squarespace site. You do not need one to keep a domain here.
- Premium domains. Popular names can cost more than the standard price.
- Pay Links. Payment links tied to your domain. No price is published on the domain pages.
There is no paid privacy or “protection plan” to skip. Privacy and DNS are included.
Moving your domain away
- Open the domain in your domains dashboard and switch Domain Lock off.
- Click Request transfer code. Squarespace emails the code to the registrant contact within 24 hours.
- A 60-day lock can block transfers after you register or transfer in a domain. Changing the registrant contact details can also trigger a lock.
- Squarespace says it charges no fee to transfer away. The move can take up to 15 days, and a free domain’s free status does not carry over.
- Before you start, write down your DNS records and remove DNSSEC. If you use Google Workspace, update its mail records at the new provider.
Squarespace charges your payment method 15 days before the renewal date, so start a transfer before then. Our guide to transferring a domain covers the rest.
Who it is right for, and who should look elsewhere
Right for:
- Squarespace site owners who want the site, domain and email on one bill.
- Former Google Domains customers who are happy with their setup and do not want to move.
- Anyone who values one all-in price, free privacy and up to 100 forwarding addresses over the lowest renewal.
Look elsewhere if:
- You keep several domains for years. At $20 a year per .com, renewals add up. Several registrars in our registrar comparison charge less to renew.
- You need Dynamic DNS or ACME DNS for a home server or self-managed certificates.
- You want to see every price before you search. Squarespace shows most of them only in its search tool.
We manage our own domains at Namecheap and Spaceship, not Squarespace, and have no affiliate deal with any registrar.
Sources
Squarespace: Squarespace Domains, domains FAQ, free domain offer, renewals, transfer in, transfer pricing, transfer away, .io domains, for Google Domains customers, Google Domains migration, Google Workspace pricing. Verisign: Q1 2026 results (.com price change).
Questions people ask
How much does a .com cost at Squarespace Domains?
Squarespace advertises a domain for $10 with taxes and fees included, and its help center lists .com renewals at $20 a year. That makes three years $50 with the offer, or $60 at the standard price. It has not published a new .com price for Verisign's November 1, 2026 increase on the pages we checked.
What happened to my Google Domains domain?
Squarespace took over all Google Domains registrations and accounts on September 7, 2023. It says it honored Google Domains renewal prices for at least 12 months after the deal closed. Check the renewal price in your Squarespace domains dashboard. Dynamic DNS and ACME certificates are no longer supported.
Do I need a Squarespace website to use Squarespace Domains?
No. You can register and keep a domain without a site. An annual Squarespace website plan does give you one free domain for the first year, and it then renews at the normal price.
Does Squarespace charge to transfer a domain away?
Squarespace says it charges no fee to transfer away. Turn off Domain Lock, request the transfer code, and give it to your new registrar. A 60-day lock applies after a new registration or transfer, and the move can take up to 15 days.
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