How much does a .co.uk domain cost?

Updated on 27 Jul 2026

A .co.uk domain can cost as little as £1 for the first year, but the full .co.uk domain cost depends on what you pay to keep it after that.

Most registrars use introductory offers for the first year. After that, the domain renews at the standard annual price. At Fasthosts, .co.uk domains currently start from £1 for the first year, then renew at £12.83 per year, excluding VAT.

So, when asking how much a domain name costs, the useful question is not only “What do I pay today?”, it’s “What will I pay each year to keep it?”.

Check the full .co.uk domain cost

A .co.uk domain registration is often cheapest in the first year. You’ll see prices from around £1 to £12, depending on the registrar and the offer running at the time. After that, the domain usually renews at around £10 to £15 per year, excluding VAT.

That doesn’t make the first-year offer misleading. It just means you need both figures before you compare providers.

A quick check before you register can save confusion later.

In most cases, that’s enough. You don’t need to overanalyse it. Just compare the price you pay now with the price you’ll pay to keep the domain.

Understand what affects the price

.co.uk domains are part of the .uk namespace, which is managed by Nominet. Nominet sets the base price for UK domains, and registrars pay Nominet to register and renew domains. Registrars can then set their own prices based on their services, systems, support and offers.

One registrar may offer a very low first-year price. Another may charge more upfront but include more tools as standard. Others may add paid extras during checkout.

The main thing is to compare the full setup, not the domain name cost in isolation. A cheaper domain is not always cheaper if you need to pay extra for basic features or if the renewal price jumps sharply after the first year.

This is especially important if you are registering several domains at once. A small difference on one domain can become a noticeable yearly cost across a larger portfolio.

Check what comes with the domain

A domain name gives you the right to use that web address for the registration period. It doesn’t automatically give you a complete website, a working mailbox or every security feature your business may need.

Think of the domain as the address. Hosting is the space where your website lives. Email gives you a mailbox at that address. Security tools help protect the website and the people using it.

A .co.uk domain from a reputable registrar will usually include the basics you need to manage the name properly.

At Fasthosts, .co.uk domains include full DNS control, unlimited email forwarding and free web forwarding. That means you can point your domain to the right place, forward visitors to another web address, or route email sent to your domain to an existing inbox.

For a proper business website, .co.uk domain registration is only the first step. You’ll usually also need Web Hosting, Hosting for WordPress or a Website Builder, depending on how you plan to build the site.

Watch for VAT, extras and checkout add-ons

The price you first see isn’t always the final amount you pay.

Most domain prices are shown excluding VAT, especially on business-focused pages. If the renewal is £12.83 excluding VAT, the VAT-inclusive price is £15.40 at the current 20% VAT rate.

You should also check the basket before paying. Some providers add extra services by default or suggest upgrades during checkout. Some of these may be useful, but they aren’t always needed on day one.

Common extras include privacy services, premium DNS, email mailboxes, SSL certificates, website builders and hosting plans. You may need some of these, especially if you’re building a live website. But you should be choosing and adding these because they fit your setup and not because they slipped into the basket unnoticed.

The safest approach is simple. Check the domain price, renewal price, VAT and any added products before you complete the order.

Choose the extension your customers expect

A .co.uk domain is usually the natural choice for a UK-focused business. It feels familiar to local customers and makes sense for trades, agencies, charities, ecommerce stores and professional services that mainly serve the UK.

A .com may be better if you are building for an international audience, or if you want a domain that doesn’t point to one country. Many businesses register both and use one as the main address, with the other forwarding to it.

That doesn’t mean running two websites. If your main website lives at yourbusiness.co.uk, yourbusiness.com and yourbusiness.uk can simply point to it. So whichever version someone types into their browser, they still land on the same website.

The same applies to .uk. It’s shorter than .co.uk, but less established. If your brand name is important, registering the matching .uk can help avoid confusion, but .co.uk is still the clearer starting point for most UK businesses.

Plan for hosting, email and security

The domain is only one part of getting online.

If you want people to visit a website at your .co.uk address, you need somewhere to host it. If you want to send and receive email from that domain, you need a mailbox or email service. If you want customers to submit forms, buy products or log in, you’ll need the right security and website setup too.

A basic setup might include:

1. A .co.uk domain
2. Web hosting, hosting for WordPress or a website builder
3. A business email mailbox
4. An SSL certificate if it is not already included with your hosting

A £1 domain offer does not mean “a complete website for £1”. It means you can register the address from £1 in the first year. The rest depends on what you want to do with it.

It’s simply how domains work. Buying the address and building what sits behind it are separate steps.

Keep your .co.uk domain cost predictable

Domain costs are usually easy to manage if you set things up properly at the start.

Turn on auto-renew if the domain is important. A missed renewal can take your website and email offline, which is a bigger problem than the renewal fee itself.

Use one account for your domain, hosting and email if that makes life easier. Some people prefer to split providers for technical reasons, but many small businesses benefit from having fewer renewal dates, fewer logins and one support team to contact.

Multi-year registration can also help if you know you want to keep the domain. It means fewer renewals to think about and can protect you from small price changes during that registration period.

The main habit is to check the renewal cost before buying. Then, set the renewal to run automatically and keep your payment details up to date.

Know what happens if your .co.uk expires

A .co.uk domain doesn’t vanish the second it expires, but it can stop working.

Nominet’s process gives .uk domains an expiry grace period of 30 days. During this time, the domain can still be renewed. After that, it enters a redemption period that runs until 90 days after the original expiry time. The domain won’t resolve during this stage, so your website and email may stop working.

After the renewal and redemption windows close, the domain can be released. At that point, someone else may be able to register it.

Transfer your .co.uk if the renewal no longer works for you

You aren’t stuck with the registrar you first used.

If your renewal price has increased, your support experience is poor, or your domain is sitting in an account you no longer use, you can move it to another registrar. For .uk domains, transfers are handled through Nominet’s registrar process rather than the same authorisation-code process used for many generic domains.

Before transferring, check whether your current domain is close to expiry. Also, make sure the admin contact details are up to date and that you have access to the account managing the domain.

If you move your .co.uk domain to Fasthosts, the transfer is free. You can then manage the domain through the Fasthosts Control Panel, alongside other products like hosting, email and servers.

Ready to find your UK domain? Search for your .co.uk domain name, check the full .co.uk domain cost, and choose the setup that fits what you’re building.

Start with domain names, or pair your domain with Web Hosting, Hosting for WordPress or Website Builder if you’re ready to build the site too.

FAQs

Do .co.uk domain prices include VAT?

Not always. Some providers show business prices excluding VAT, while others show the VAT-inclusive price. Always check the basket before paying. At 20% VAT, a £12.83 renewal becomes £15.40.

Can I buy a .co.uk domain without buying hosting?

Yes. You can register a .co.uk domain on its own and add hosting later. This is the best approach if you have found the right name but aren’t ready to build the website yet. If you wait until you’re ready to build the website before registering a domain, your preferred name might not be available.

Can I use a .co.uk domain for email only?

Yes. You can use a .co.uk domain for email without building a website. You’ll still need an email service or mailbox, but the domain can be used for addresses such as hello@yourbusiness.co.uk.

Should I register my business name with hyphens too?

Only if there is a real risk of confusion. Most businesses should prioritise the cleanest version of the name first. Hyphenated versions, common misspellings and matching .uk domains may be worth registering if the brand is important.

What happens if someone else owns the .co.uk I want?

You can choose a different domain, contact the current owner, or look at close alternatives such as .uk or .com. Avoid registering a name that could confuse customers or infringe another business’s rights.

Can my .co.uk renewal price change?

Yes. Registry fees and registrar pricing can change over time. Your provider should show the current renewal price before you renew. Multi-year registration can help you plan ahead if you want to keep the domain for longer.

Do I need privacy protection for a .co.uk domain?

It depends on how the domain is registered. Individual registrants may have certain details withheld from public WHOIS results, while business registrations can be treated differently. Check what your registrar includes before paying for extra privacy services.

Can I move my website if I transfer my domain?

Yes, but domain transfer and website migration are separate jobs. Moving the domain changes who manages the name. Moving the website means transferring files, databases, email settings or hosting. Plan both carefully to avoid downtime.