Domains · head to head
Hover vs Porkbun
What each costs, whether there's a free plan, and what each is best for, from prices checked on their own sites.
| Fact |  Hover |  Porkbun |
|---|---|---|
| .com first year | $18.99 | $11.08 |
| .com renewal | $18.99/yr | $11.08/yr |
| Transfer | $18.99 | $11.08 |
| ICANN fee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Privacy | Free on supported domains | Free |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
| Website | Visit | Visit |
The difference in short
- Porkbun is cheaper for the first year: $11.08 against $18.99.
- Porkbun renews for less: $11.08 a year against $18.99. Renewal is what you pay every year after the first.
- Free with a domain at Hover: free WHOIS privacy on supported domains. At Porkbun: free WHOIS privacy, SSL certificates, email forwarding and URL forwarding.
- Hover is best for domains and email with human support; Porkbun for simple, flat yearly pricing.
What's good, and what to watch for
Hover
- Same $18.99 to register, renew and transfer .com
- Free WHOIS privacy and two-factor authentication
- Human support by phone, email or live chat ('No bots')
- One of the highest .com prices here at $18.99/year
- No hosting or website builder: connect the domain to another service
Porkbun
- Same $11.08 to register, renew and transfer: 'No surprise renewals'
- Free WHOIS privacy, free Let's Encrypt SSL and free URL forwarding
- Free DNS management powered by Cloudflare
- No first-year discount on .com: $11.08 from the start
- Costs more per year than Spaceship ($9.98) and Cloudflare ($10.46)
Other domains options
Cheapest first where the prices compare.
Spaceship
Cloudflare Registrar
Dynadot
NameSiloFAQ
Which is cheaper, Hover or Porkbun?
Porkbun is cheaper for the first year: $11.08 against $18.99. Prices checked Oct 18, 2026 on each company's own site.
Which renews for less, Hover or Porkbun?
Porkbun renews for less: $11.08 a year against $18.99. Renewal is what you pay every year after the first.
What comes free with a domain at Hover and Porkbun?
Free with a domain at Hover: free WHOIS privacy on supported domains. At Porkbun: free WHOIS privacy, SSL certificates, email forwarding and URL forwarding.
What else should I compare with Hover and Porkbun?
Other domains options we've checked: Spaceship ($9.98/yr (.com renewal)), Cloudflare Registrar ($10.46/yr (.com renewal)), Dynadot ($10.88/yr (.com renewal)), NameSilo ($17.29/yr (.com renewal)).
Keep comparing
- Hover: pricing, free plan and alternatives
- Porkbun: pricing, free plan and alternatives
- GoDaddy alternatives
- All domains compared
- Porkbun vs Spaceship
- Hover vs Spaceship
- Cloudflare Registrar vs Porkbun
- Cloudflare Registrar vs Hover
- Dynadot vs Porkbun
- Dynadot vs Hover
- NameSilo vs Porkbun
- Namecheap vs Porkbun
- Porkbun vs Squarespace Domains
- GoDaddy vs Porkbun
Built from the prices and facts we checked on each company's own site. We haven't tested either hands-on.How we work