Break Room / Name
How to buy a domain
A note from Frank
Buy the .com for one year, say no to everything else at checkout, and make sure privacy is on. We point people to Porkbun because privacy is free there and the checkout doesn't fight you. We don't make anything from saying so.
Should you buy it yet?
A domain is cheap, so it's tempting to grab it the moment you like a name. If SideFrog just told you to keep your day job, it can wait a week while you test the idea. If the name might disappear, $15 or so is a fair price for not worrying about it.
What a .com usually costs
A price tracker that compares registrars put the average .com at about $15 a year in May 2026. The number to look at is the renewal price, not the first year. Some registrars make year one cheap and year two expensive, so find the renewal line before you pay.
Where we'd buy it
Porkbun. WHOIS privacy is free there, so your name and address stay out of the public record without an extra charge, and so are SSL certificates, email forwarding and URL forwarding. The renewal price is easy to find. We don't get paid by Porkbun or any registrar. If that changes, this page will say so.
Any registrar that shows you the renewal price up front and includes privacy is fine. SideFrog's own domains are on Amazon Route 53 because the site already runs on AWS. If you're not on AWS, Porkbun is simpler.
The checkout, step by step
- Search for the exact name you want.
- Add the .com to your cart and find the renewal price.
- Make sure WHOIS privacy is on.
- Turn on auto-renew, so the domain doesn't lapse while you're busy.
- Turn on two-factor login for the account.
- Make sure the account is in your name, not your nephew's or your web designer's.
What you can skip for now
Decline the add-ons the way you'd decline an 8 a.m. “quick sync.”
- Hosting. You don't need it to own the name, and a test page can live somewhere free.
- Paid email. Free email forwarding sends hello@ your domain to the inbox you already have. Pay for a mailbox when you're emailing customers every day.
- Other extensions (.net, .co, .shop) to “protect your brand.” Buy them later if the business takes off.
- Paid SSL. Free certificates do the same job for a small site.
Now point it somewhere
A domain on its own shows nothing. Point it at your one-page test site, or forward it to a link-in-bio page or a Google Form while you test. Set up hello@ forwarding the same day, so the first email from a customer doesn't bounce.
Got an idea? SideFrog gives you a straight verdict, who'd pay, a first test to run and names with an open .com, in about ten seconds.
Check your ideaWant help building it? Mark helps people vibe code their first site with AI. Pick a time with Mark or message him on LinkedIn.
Questions people ask
Is .co or .io okay instead of .com?
They work, but people type .com by habit, so some of your visitors will end up somewhere else. If the .com is taken, a slightly different name with an open .com is usually the better trade.
Should I buy more than one year?
Not yet. One year with auto-renew on is enough while you find out whether the idea works.
Can I move the domain to another registrar later?
Yes. Domains can be transferred between registrars, usually for the price of a year's renewal, which gets added to your registration.
What's a premium domain, and why is it $2,000?
Some short or popular names are priced by the registry or held by investors. They can look open in a basic check. If the price at checkout is far above normal, pick another name.
Sources
Last checked October 3, 2026.