Recently I was looking for a cheap domain.

I didn’t care too much about the TLD.  The scenario is that I’ve used lowend.party for many tutorials, but I also use it to host some “production” things.  Since I was getting ready to update my NSD (Name Server Daemon) tutorial and would be taking DNS for the domain up and down, I thought it would be better to use a different domain.

Why Not a Free TLD?

There are some TLDs that offer free domains.  .tk, .ml, .ga, .cf, and .gq.  Why not go that route?  I certainly can for a tutorials domain, but there are a couple reasons I am not a fan.  The first is that there are persistent rumors of the .tk admin sometimes taking over domains that have become popular or have a glimmer of value.  The second is that some of these TLDs have become vast sewers of crime, with millions of scam sites.  Sure, there are scam sites on .com, .org, etc. but the reputation for some of these TLDs is appalling.

So Off I Went

Here’s some pricing from my favorite registrar, Porkbun:

That last one is for domains with numbers only.  So 8675309.xyz is okay, nut 867-5309.xyz is not.   You can do a little better on those at Spaceship.

Have you seen any cheap deals?  I’m looking at both the initial and renewal price, so no super-cheapo intro deals.  Worth keeping an eye on Domcomp and TLD List.

You might also check out the LowEndTalk thread where people are sharing tips!

raindog308

Raindog308 is a longtime LowEndTalk community administrator, technical writer, and self-described techno polymath. With deep roots in the *nix world, he has a passion for systems both modern and vintage, ranging from Unix, Perl, Python, and Golang to shell scripting and mainframe-era operating systems like MVS. He’s equally comfortable with relational database systems, having spent years working with Oracle, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.

As an avid user of LowEndBox providers, Raindog runs an empire of LEBs, from tiny boxes for VPNs, to mid-sized instances for application hosting, and heavyweight servers for data storage and complex databases. He brings both technical rigor and real-world experience to every piece he writes.

Beyond the command line, Raindog is a lover of German Shepherds, high-quality knives, target shooting, theology, tabletop RPGs, and hiking in deep, quiet forests.

His goal with every article is to help users, from beginners to seasoned sysadmins, get more value, performance, and enjoyment out of their infrastructure.

You can find him daily in the forums at LowEndTalk under the handle @raindog308.