Renewal Watch: the widest promo-to-renewal gaps in November 2026

How to read this

Every price below comes from Serlist's own verified index: 430 domain prices across 26 providers and 72 active hosting and VPS deals. The gap ratio is simple: renewal price divided by first-year price. A ratio of 50x means the second year costs fifty times the first.

Prices were verified between 3 October and 9 November 2026, and each entry carries its check date. Promo prices change often, so confirm the current price on the live list before you buy.

Domains: $0.99 today, $50 next year

The widest ratio gaps in the index are all the same shape: a first year under a dollar, then a renewal near fifty.

• .store at Hostinger: $0.99 to register, $54.99 to renew (55.5x), checked 11 October 2026.
• .host at Namecheap: $0.99 to register, $50.48 to renew (51.0x), checked 11 October 2026.
• .lol at GoDaddy: $0.99 to register, $49.99 to renew (50.5x), checked 1 November 2026.
• .shop at Namecheap: $0.98 to register, $48.98 to renew (50.0x), checked 29 October 2026.
• .press at Namecheap: $0.99 to register, $46.48 to renew (46.9x), checked 11 October 2026.

None of these is a bad deal on its own. A dollar for the first year is genuinely cheap. The trap is only in the second year: five of these renewals cost more than a .com renewal at most registrars, and they keep costing that much every year after.

The biggest dollar gaps

Ratios hide the size of the bill. Sorted by dollars instead of multiples, the worst gaps look like this:

• .ceo at Spaceship: $4.94 to register, $103.50 to renew (+$98.56), checked 23 October 2026.
• .lat at Gandi: $1.99 to register, $87.98 to renew (+$85.99), checked 15 October 2026.
• .store at Gandi: $2.33 to register, $80.39 to renew (+$78.06), checked 18 October 2026.
• .bar at Gandi: $3.50 to register, $76.88 to renew (+$73.38), checked 6 October 2026.

The .ceo case is the one to remember. It is not a one-dollar promo; $4.94 already looks like a normal price. The renewal is still twenty times higher.

Hosting: the 6x club

Hosting gaps are smaller in multiples but larger in monthly bills, because the promo price repeats every month of year one and the renewal repeats every month after.

• Hostinger Unlimited Shared: $2.79/month promo, $16.99/month renewal (6.1x), verified 8 November 2026.
• Rumahweb Small: $0.46/month promo, $2.76/month renewal (6.0x), verified 9 November 2026.
• Rumahweb Large: $1.38/month promo, $7.73/month renewal (5.6x), verified 9 November 2026.
• Hostinger Premium Shared: $1.99/month promo, $10.99/month renewal (5.5x), verified 8 November 2026.
• OVHcloud Pro Shared: $2.39/month promo, $11.79/month renewal (4.9x), verified 8 November 2026.

Run the three-year math on the Hostinger Unlimited plan and the sticker price stops looking like the price:

year 1:  $2.79  x 12 months = $33.48
year 2:  $16.99 x 12 months = $203.88
year 3:  $16.99 x 12 months = $203.88
total:   $441.24 over three years

The "$2.79/month" banner describes $33.48 of a $441.24 commitment. Compare plans on the hosting list sorted by renewal, not by promo.

The familiar three: .com, .net, .org

The classic extensions have narrower gaps, but the registrar you pick still matters more than the extension.

• .com: Spaceship $3.80 to register, $9.98 to renew. GoDaddy registers cheaper at $2.99, but renews at $22.99, more than double Spaceship's renewal.
• .net: Spaceship $4.98 to register, $11.20 to renew. DreamHost registers at $4.99 and renews at $19.99.
• .org: Spaceship $3.44 to register, $11.39 to renew.

For all three, Spaceship currently holds the lowest renewal in the index. The lesson is the same as everywhere else in this edition: the cheapest registration is rarely the cheapest renewal.

What to do before you buy

• Look up the renewal price first, on the domain list or the hosting list. If a promo page does not show it, treat that as information.
• Multiply the renewal by the years you plan to keep the domain or plan. A $0.99 first year is irrelevant if you will own the name for five years.
• Prefer plans that put the renewal price in writing. Serlist flags those as price-locked.
• If you already own a domain with a wide gap, check the transfer price before renewal day. Moving registrars is usually cheaper than paying the renewal.

Takeaway

Promo prices are real, and they are worth taking. The mistake is reading them as the price. In this month's index the widest gaps reach 55x on domains and 6x on hosting, and the most expensive renewals belong to names that looked ordinary at registration. Check the renewal column first; it is the price you will actually pay.