Domain Name Values: 2019

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Check out our updated guide for 2020 here!

Domain valuation can vary wildly from owner to owner, and every owner will value their domain differently depending on a number of factors from sentimental value to current use. After seeing tens of thousands of offers, we’ve put together some helpful guidelines on the current trends in domain name value.  There are always exceptions, but the following guidelines will give you a good idea of what your domain might sell for if the right buyer comes along.

We hope you find it helpful when you are trying to figure out what a fair offer for a particular name might be.

Ryan McKegney
CEO, DomainAgents

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What is a domain name worth? 

Often the best way to value a domain name is to review comparable domain sales in the past and see where values are trending. NameBio.com is a valuable tool and resource to start your research and make sure that what you’re asking for is in line with current market realities, so that there’s a higher chance of getting more interest from potential buyers. 

How long will it take to sell?

The following guidelines highlight the current market price for a domain in 2019 and are generally focused on what an end-user (someone who actually plans to use the domain rather than an investor) should expect to pay. The ideal buyer could take years to surface. If you are looking to sell your domains quickly, you would likely have to price them dramatically lower than what is suggested below.

But what about…?

There are always outliers sales both surprisingly high and surprisingly low. Often there are circumstances behind an outlier sale that are not immediately apparent.  For example, an auction might not have been promoted well and a name sold for much less than it would have otherwise. On the other hand, a buyer might have been under a time crunch and been forced to overpay for a name that they needed immediately. It’s more helpful to look at a number of different comparable sales to see larger trends, than a single sale that may or may not be an outlier.

Our Domain Pricing Guide: 

Short, one-word .com domains

  • Example: Phrase.com (sold for $75,000 USD), Hybrid.com (sold for $190,000 USD)
  • Price range: $30,000 – $250,000 or more
  • Watch out for: Common, brandable, and trendy words as these can increase the value of a domain.
  • There is no upper limit, but sales like Voice.com for $30M are outliers.

Longer or Uncommon One-word .com domains

  • Example: Definitely.com (sold for $19,500 USD)
  • Price range: $10,000-$50,000
  • Watch out for: Brandable and trendy words which can increase the value of a domain.

Three-letter .com domains

  • Example: Ore.com (sold for $100,000 USD), Hul.com (sold for $34,500 USD) / EXL.com (sold for $50,000 USD), NWM.com (sold for $325,000 USD)
  • Price range: $30,000k -$50,000k+, potentially over 7 figures
  • Watch out for: Trendy abbreviations that can increase value. 

Two-letter .com domains

  • Example: RX.com (sold for $1,000,000 USD), OL.com (sold for $900,000 USD)
  • Price range: $500,000 to several million
  • These are extremely rare and don’t sell often.

3-character.com and 2-character.com domains (a mix of numbers and letters)

  • Example: h1m.com (sold for $520 USD), c5.com (sold for $135,000 USD)
  • Price range: 3-character domains are likely to be in the $500-$3,000 range, while 2-character domains are expected to be $100k+.

Two-word .com domains

  • Example: FreshApparel.com (sold for $5,250 USD), DigitalBrain.com (sold for $28,309 USD)
  • Price range: $1,500 – $50,000+
  • Watch out for: Brandable or trendy keywords that will increase a domain’s value.
  • The pairing has to make sense.  Two random words together that don’t make sense in the context of each other are worthless.

Non .com suffixes 

  • Country domain suffix
    • Example: .ca .de .uk
    • Price range: 10-25% of .com equivalent
  • Alternate suffix
    • Example: .net .co .io .org
    • Price range: 5-20% of the .com equivalent
    • Watch out for: .io and .ai extensions. There’s been more demand for these as more tech companies are popping up and seeking a domain that reflects their company’s place in the tech industry.

  • New domain suffix
    • Example: .xyz .tech .club
    • Price range: 1-10% of the .com equivalent

Number .com domains

  • Example: 20.com (sold for $1,750,000 USD), 864.com (sold for $147,000 USD), 7350.com (sold for $28,277 USD)
  • Price range: A NN will likely be in the millions, a NNN is likely to be $100k+, and a NNNN is generally $20k+ 
  • Note that these domains are generally in higher demand in China.

Factors that increase value:

  • Domains that are singular (vs. plural), or are related to financial services, the auto industry, cryptocurrency, cannabis, or blockchain tend to be higher in value.

Factors that decrease value: 

  • Just like there are modifiers that increase value, we’ve found that these modifiers tend to decrease value: porn terms, past tense words, and words or terms with negative connotations. 

There are widely varying approaches to domain name valuation, our guidelines are not completely definitive. Domain valuation can be very subjective and not everyone will share the same views. The opinions above are, however, based on our many years of experience.