Key takeaways
- A .com.au domain usually costs between about $20 and $45 a year at Australian registrars. Advertised first-year deals can be as low as $2.
- The registry’s wholesale price is $9.50 a year (ex GST) from 1 October 2026. Everything above that is the provider’s margin, service and support.
- The real cost is the renewal price, not the first year. Compare what you’ll pay in year three, not year one.
- Privacy add-ons don’t apply to .au domains, and moving a .au domain between registrars has no auDA fee.
- A renewal letter asking $249 or more for “your” domain is almost certainly not from your registrar.
A .com.au domain costs around $20 to $45 a year at most Australian providers, and it’s usually sold in one or two-year terms. You’ll see advertised first-year prices from $2, but those deals almost always renew at the standard rate. A fair price for a business is whatever you’re happy to keep paying every renewal, with support you can actually reach.
What does a .com.au domain cost to the registrar?
Every .au domain licence carries a wholesale fee set by auDA, the body that runs the .au namespace. From 1 October 2026, that fee is $9.50 a year, excluding GST, for a licence in any .au namespace. It rose from $8.64 a year (auDA, 6 August 2026).
auDA only sets the wholesale price. Registrars and resellers set their own retail prices, which can vary depending on the services they bundle (auDA wholesale pricing). So a provider charging $25 a year keeps about $15 for its systems, support and profit.
What do Australian registrars actually charge?
We checked the advertised .com.au prices of several well-known Australian providers on 13 November 2026. Prices change often, so treat this as a snapshot and check the provider’s own page before you buy.
| Provider | Advertised .com.au price | The fine print |
|---|---|---|
| VentraIP | $24.95 a year (renews at $24.95) | First year advertised from $2 on a one-year registration. Transfers in are $0 (VentraIP). |
| Webcentral | $31.95 a year | $15.95 offer is for the first year of new one-year registrations only, not renewals (Webcentral). |
| Crucial | $39.90 for 2 years | Australian domains transfer in free and keep their existing term (Crucial). |
| WMS (us) | $80 for 2 years + GST | That’s $44 a year including GST. |
As you can see, we’re not the cheapest .com.au in Australia, and we won’t pretend to be. If price is your only test, a budget registrar will do the job. Our domains suit businesses that want the domain and Australian web hosting looked after by one team. See our .com.au domain registration page, or register your domain with WMS today.
Why do first-year prices look so cheap?
A $2 domain sells below the wholesale fee. The provider expects you to renew, and perhaps buy hosting or email. That’s a normal business model, not a scam. Just do the maths over the life of the domain.
A domain that costs $2 in year one and $24.95 after that costs about $77 over four years. A flat $25-a-year domain costs $100. The gap is smaller than the headline suggests, and it shrinks every year you keep the name.
The renewal-price trap
The trap is a renewal price you didn’t notice. Some providers renew at a much higher rate than the first year, or renew add-ons you forgot you ticked. Look for “renews at” before you buy. If it isn’t shown, ask.
Which extra fees should you watch for?
- Privacy protection. You don’t need it for a .au domain. .au WHOIS already hides your street address and phone number (auDA WHOIS Policy, June 2026), and some registrars note .au names aren’t eligible for privacy add-ons at all (Webcentral).
- “Premium DNS” or “domain protection” bundles. A small business website rarely needs them. Ask what problem they solve before you pay.
- Restore fees. If your domain expires, auDA allows a 30-day grace period, but some providers charge a fee to restore it during that time (auDA, Renewing your domain licence).
- Change of registrant fees. Moving the licence to a new business entity can attract a provider fee, because both parties’ eligibility must be checked. Our guide to how to change .com.au registrant details explains when you’ll need one.
- Transfer fees. auDA charges no fee to move a .au domain between registrars (auDA, Transfer your .au domain name). If someone quotes you one, ask what it’s for.
Is a one-year or multi-year term better value?
A .au licence can run for one to five years. Longer terms rarely save money per year, but they do mean fewer renewals to miss.
There’s one 2026 change to factor in. Since 20 May 2026, registrars report that .au renewals are checked against the ABN or ACN behind the domain, and blocked if it’s no longer active (SmartCompany, 30 July 2026). Whatever term you choose, keep your business details current.
What does a fair price look like?
For most Australian small businesses, a fair .com.au price sits somewhere between $20 and $45 a year, renewal included. Inside that range, choose on these points rather than a few dollars:
- The renewal price is shown clearly before you pay.
- You can log in, see the expiry date and turn on auto-renew.
- The domain is registered in your business’s name, not your web designer’s.
- You can get the transfer code yourself if you ever want to leave.
- Someone in Australia picks up the phone when your email stops working.
Be very wary of anything far above that range. In 2018 the Federal Court ordered two companies to pay $1.95 million in penalties. They had sent around 300,000 notices that looked like renewal invoices but were offers for new domains costing $249 to $275 (ACCC, 15 June 2018).
If you’re still deciding on the extension itself, read our comparison of .com.au vs .com. And if you’re ready to buy, our step-by-step guide shows how to register a .com.au domain without tripping on eligibility.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a .com.au domain per year?
Most Australian registrars charge between about $20 and $45 a year for a .com.au, with renewals at a similar rate. Introductory offers can be much lower for the first year. The registry’s wholesale price is $9.50 a year excluding GST, so anything above that covers the provider’s service, support and margin.
Why are some .com.au domains only $2?
It’s an introductory offer. The provider sells the first year below cost because it expects you to renew at the standard price and perhaps buy hosting or email. That’s fine, as long as you know the renewal price before you buy and you’re happy to keep paying it.
Do I need to pay for domain privacy on a .com.au?
No. Under auDA’s WHOIS Policy, public .au lookups don’t show your street address or phone number. They do show the registrant name and ABN or ACN, because .com.au eligibility is tied to your business. Privacy add-ons sold for .com domains generally don’t apply to .au names.
Does it cost money to move a .com.au to another registrar?
auDA charges no fee for moving a .au domain between registrars, and many providers accept transfers in for free. You’ll need the domain’s authorisation code, and you must still be eligible to hold the domain. A change of registrant to a new business entity is different, and providers may charge for it.
Sources
- Introduction of .au registrar quality initiative and wholesale pricing update, auDA, 6 August 2026
- Wholesale .au domain pricing, auDA, accessed 13 November 2026
- Domain name pricing, VentraIP, accessed 13 November 2026
- Domains, Webcentral, accessed 13 November 2026
- Domain name registration, Crucial, accessed 13 November 2026
- Renewing your domain licence, auDA, accessed 13 November 2026
- Transfer your .au domain name, auDA, accessed 13 November 2026
- WHOIS Policy v1.2, auDA, June 2026
- The new 90-day domain name rule that can kill your business’ online presence, SmartCompany, 30 July 2026
- Domain Name Corp and Domain Name Agency to pay $1.95 million in penalties, ACCC, 15 June 2018