BUY A DOMAIN · 2026
Where should a small business buy its domain name?
The three places you can buy a domain, which website builders sell one and include the first year, how buying one inside Zarla works step by step, and when a registrar is the better choice. Competitor terms read on each company's own page and dated.
Free to build · Pay when you publish · No credit card
The short answer
You can buy a domain name from a domain registrar such as Porkbun, Namecheap or Cloudflare, from a hosting company, or inside the website builder you build on. Buying it inside your builder is the simplest route for a business website. On Zarla, the domain connects to your site and gets its padlock with no settings to copy.
Where you buy it decides what it costs to renew, whether you connect it to your site yourself, and which company holds it. What a domain is, and which ending to pick, have their own pages: what a domain name is and .com vs .net vs .org.
Key facts, with sources
- A .com at Porkbun is $11.81 a year, and Porkbun says “The price you see is the price you pay, year after year.” (Porkbun, read 12 November 2026).
- Hostinger's domain search sells a .com for $0.01 for the first year on a 3-year term, then $19.99 a year (Hostinger, read 12 November 2026).
- Wix lists “Free domain for 1 year” on its paid plans, billed yearly, and says the voucher is “only included with the first time purchase of a Premium plan” (Wix plans, read 12 November 2026).
- Squarespace says “All Squarespace website plans purchased for an annual term include one (1) year of free domain registration”, and that those domains “will renew at our standard rate” after the first year (Squarespace pricing, read 12 November 2026).
- Cloudflare says “Cloudflare Registrar does not mark up domain prices at all.” (Cloudflare Registrar, read 12 November 2026).
US prices before tax, as each company prints them, with the day we read the page; the full source list is at the foot of the page. This page last changed on 12 November 2026. More guides on getting online: what a domain name is, website hosting for small businesses and how much a website costs, or every guide.
See the site before the domain
See your website before you buy a domain
Add what you do, your town and your business name, and Zarla builds the site from that one line in about 30 seconds. Build, edit and preview free. You pay only when you publish.
Already have a website? Bring it across →Zarla keeps your old page addresses where it can and redirects the ones that change, helping you keep the Google standing you've built.
WHERE TO BUY
Where can I buy a domain name?
Three kinds of company sell domains, and they differ most in what the domain costs to renew and how much is done for you.
| Where | For example | What you get | What to check · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A domain registrar | Porkbun, Namecheap, Cloudflare | Porkbun prints one price year after year, Cloudflare sells at cost, and the domain stays apart from your website company | You connect it to your site yourself, by adding the records your builder shows you. Porkbun's .com is $11.81 a year, every year (read 12 November 2026) |
| A hosting company | Hostinger | A cheap first year on a long term | The renewal price. Hostinger's .com is $0.01 the first year on a 3-year term, then $19.99 a year (read 12 November 2026) |
| Your website builder | Zarla, Wix, Squarespace, Hostinger Website Builder | The domain and the site in one account, and often the first year included with a yearly plan | Whether the builder connects it for you, and what it renews at after the included year |
Registrar and host prices are each company's own, read on 12 November 2026. A first-year deal renews at the regular price, so compare the renewal line.
Where can I buy a domain that connects automatically to my website?
Buy it inside the website builder that runs your site, if that builder points the domain at the site for you. On Zarla it does. You buy the domain from the dashboard, and Zarla registers it, points it at your site and sets up the padlock, with no records to copy.
Some builders treat connecting as a separate step. Wix's help article says “Your domain is registered once you complete your purchase. The next step is to connect your domain to a site.” (Wix Help Center, read 12 November 2026). Check the builder's own help for that step before you buy.
A domain bought at a registrar never connects itself. You add two records at the registrar, and your builder shows you which ones. On Zarla the connect screen walks through it, with guides for GoDaddy, Namecheap and Cloudflare, and Zarla checks the connection for you. Record changes can take up to 48 hours to reach everyone.
BUILDERS THAT SELL DOMAINS
Which website builders include domain registration?
Wix, Squarespace and Hostinger's builder sell domains, and each puts a first year in with some yearly plans, as Zarla does on 12-month and longer plans. The conditions differ, so each builder's terms are in its own words, read on its own page.
| Builder | Sells domains in the builder | First year included? | What to know · source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zarla | Yes, from Site settings in the dashboard | On 12-month and longer plans the first year's registration is included on standard-price endings; on a monthly plan you pay for it | Zarla registers it, points it at your site and sets up the padlock. While your plan is active, it renews from year two to your saved card, with an email before the charge |
| Wix | Yes | “Most yearly or multi-year Premium plans come with a 1 year free domain voucher”, first plan purchase only, redeemed within 60 days | Its help article says “Your domain is registered once you complete your purchase. The next step is to connect your domain to a site.” · Wix, read 12 November 2026 |
| Squarespace | Yes | One year free on plans bought for an annual term, “on available domains on our cheapest pricing tier”, and “there may only be one free domain per website” | “Domains registered through this promotion will renew at our standard rate, plus applicable taxes, after the first year.” · Squarespace, read 12 November 2026 |
| Hostinger Website Builder | Yes | “Custom domain - free for 1 year” with yearly plans | Hostinger's domain search shows a .com renewing at $19.99 a year · Hostinger, read 12 November 2026 |
| Carrd, Webflow, Google Sites | Not in the plan | No | Each has you connect a domain you own (each builder's own pricing page, read 26 October 2026 and 2 November 2026) |
GoDaddy also sells domains; its pages refused our reader on 12 November 2026, so its terms aren't in this table. Zarla's current plans are on its pricing page.
STEP BY STEP
How do you buy a domain inside Zarla?
Five steps. Connecting the domain isn't one of them, because Zarla does that part itself.
Open Site settings, then Domain
In the sidebar, click Site settings, then Manage domain in the Domain section. A domain is part of Zarla's paid plans.
Search for the name
Click Buy a domain and type the name you want. Zarla checks each name live with the registry, and taken names show as taken.
Pick a name and register it
Choose an available name, check your contact details and register. If the first year isn't included with your plan, the price shows before you confirm.
Click the verification email
The registrar emails a verification link, usually within a few minutes, unless you verified the same details on an earlier domain. Click it; a domain that isn't verified within 15 days gets suspended.
Publish the site
If the site isn't published yet, publish it. Nothing shows at the domain until you do.
What happens after you buy a domain on Zarla?
Zarla registers the name with its registrar, OpenSRS, and points it at your site. If the site is already published, the confirmation says the site will be live at the domain shortly. If it's still a draft, it tells you nothing will show there until you publish. Either way the padlock is set up for you once the domain connects.
The registrar's verification email is the one thing to watch. ICANN's rules require a registrar to confirm your contact details for a .com and the other generic endings, and a name whose owner doesn't respond within 15 days can be suspended (ICANN's registrar agreement, 2013). Country endings follow their own registry's rules. Check your spam folder if it doesn't arrive.
While your Zarla plan is active, the domain renews from the second year at its full price. Zarla emails you about 5 weeks before it expires, then charges your saved card about 30 days before.
Email at your new domain is a separate service, such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Zarla doesn't include email hosting; the help article shows how to add Google's records to a domain bought through Zarla.
Where can I buy a domain and build my contractor website?
In the same place, if you use a website builder that sells domains. On Zarla you describe your business, see the whole site, and buy the domain from the dashboard when you publish on a paid plan. For a general contractor, the construction website builder shows the kind of site you'd get.
For an electrician, keep the domain to the business name people already say on the phone, and add "electric" or your town if that's taken. See an electrician's website on Zarla.
For a plumber, pick a domain that's easy to spell from the side of a van: the business name, or the name plus "plumbing". See a plumber's website on Zarla.
For a handyman business, the business name works, or your own name with "handyman" and the town if both are taken. See a handyman's website on Zarla.
Buying a domain: common questions
Either is fine. Inside the builder is simpler, with one account, and on builders like Zarla the domain connects itself. A registrar is a good choice too, and can be cheaper to renew, especially if you're only holding a name for later. Porkbun's .com is $11.81 a year every year, against $19.99 a year after the first at Hostinger (both read 12 November 2026). A domain at a registrar also stays apart from the company that builds your site. If you buy one from a builder, ask how you'd move it if you ever left.
A .com runs about $11.81 to $19.99 a year at renewal: $11.81 every year at Porkbun and $19.99 at Hostinger after a $0.01 first year on a 3-year term (read 12 November 2026), and $11.28 for the first year then $18.48 at Namecheap (read 26 October 2026). Several website builders include the first year with a yearly plan.
Yes. Buying or connecting a domain is part of Zarla's paid plans. Building, editing and previewing the whole site is free; current plans are on the pricing page.
A domain bought inside Zarla is set up for you, and once the site is published the confirmation says it will be live there shortly. A domain bought elsewhere starts working once its records reach everyone, which can take up to 48 hours.
Yes, at a registrar: you can register a name and leave it unused until the site is ready. On Zarla a domain is bought for a site, from that site's settings.
Yes. Choose Connect existing instead of Buy a domain, and Zarla shows the two records to add where the domain is registered, with step-by-step guides for the common registrars. It checks the connection for you and sets up the padlock once it connects.
For a .com and the other generic endings, ICANN requires the registrar to confirm your contact details. You get an email with a link; a domain whose owner doesn't respond within 15 days can be suspended until they do. On Zarla it comes from the registrar, OpenSRS, usually within a few minutes.
Where do these facts come from?
Every competitor term and price on this page is read on the company's own page, dated below. They're US prices before tax. GoDaddy's and Namecheap's pages refused our reader on 12 November 2026, so GoDaddy's terms are left out and Namecheap's price is from 26 October. Related: what a domain name is, .com vs .net vs .org, website hosting for small businesses and Zarla's small business website builder.
- Wix: Plans and pricing (US), read 12 November 2026
- Wix Help Center: Purchasing a domain from Wix, read 12 November 2026
- Squarespace: Pricing, read 12 November 2026
- Hostinger: Website Builder, read 12 November 2026
- Cloudflare Registrar, read 12 November 2026
- Porkbun: .com domain pricing, read 12 November 2026
- Hostinger: Domain name search (US), read 12 November 2026
- Namecheap: Domain name prices (US), read 26 October 2026
- ICANN: 2013 Registrar Accreditation Agreement, Whois Accuracy Program Specification, dated September 2013, read 24 October 2026
- Carrd pricing, read 26 October 2026
- Webflow pricing, read 2 November 2026
- Google Sites pricing, read 26 October 2026
Build the website, then buy the domain in the same place
Describe your business in one line and Zarla builds the whole site: pages, words, photos and the Google setup. Build and preview it free. When you publish on a paid plan, buy your domain from the dashboard and Zarla connects it for you.
Already have a website? Bring it across →Zarla keeps your old page addresses where it can and redirects the ones that change, helping you keep the Google standing you've built.