Simple, Transparent .design Pricing
New
First-year registration price
- ✔ Free WHOIS privacy
- ✔ Free DNS management
- ✔ Instant activation
Renewal
Standard annual renewal rate
- ✔ Auto-renew available
- ✔ Renewal reminder emails
- ✔ No hidden fees
Transfer
Move an existing .design domain to us
- ✔ Adds 1 year on transfer
- ✔ Free transfer assistance
- ✔ No downtime
What Is A .design Domain, And Who Is It For?
The .design extension is a generic top-level domain launched specifically for the design community — graphic designers, product designers, UX/UI studios, architecture firms, and creative agencies who want a domain that signals their profession before a visitor even sees a portfolio piece. It has become one of the more premium-positioned new gTLDs, priced above general-purpose extensions like .site or .online, which has helped it stay a slightly more curated, industry-specific space rather than a catch-all.
.design is ideal for freelance designers building a personal portfolio, boutique creative studios, branding agencies, and design tool or resource sites aimed at a design-literate audience. Because the extension itself carries strong professional connotations, many designers use it specifically to reinforce their credibility — a portfolio at "studioname.design" reads as more intentional and on-brand than the same content sitting on a generic .com, especially within an industry where presentation and attention to detail are part of the pitch.
On trust, .design doesn't carry .com's universal default recognition, and a general, non-design audience may not immediately register what the extension means the way they would with .shop or .blog. Within creative and design circles specifically, though, it's well recognized and often seen as a small signal of intentionality rather than an afterthought purchase. Search engines rank .design the same as any other extension, so its main value is the impression it makes on the humans landing on the page, not any SEO advantage.
Choose .design when your work is genuinely design-focused and you want the extension to reinforce your professional identity to an audience that will recognize and appreciate it — portfolios, studios, and creative agencies are the strongest fits. If your audience is broader and less design-literate, or budget is the priority given .design's higher renewal price, a .com or lower-cost extension like .studio may serve you better.
- ✔ Minimum length: 2 characters
- ✔ Category: Creative
- ✔ WHOIS privacy: Included, free
- ✔ Typical renewal: $54.99/yr
.design Domain Requirements & Specs
Every .design domain registered through DomainHost includes free WHOIS privacy, full DNS management, and instant activation. It's open to anyone worldwide, with no ownership documents required at checkout.
.design Domain Questions, Answered
Yes. Every .design domain registered through DomainHost includes free WHOIS privacy protection by default, masking your personal contact details from the public WHOIS database at no extra charge.
Most .design domains go live within minutes of completing checkout. Full DNS propagation across every server worldwide can occasionally take a few hours, but your portfolio is typically usable almost immediately.
Yes. You can transfer a .design domain to or away from DomainHost at any time, subject to the standard 60-day post-registration transfer lock. Transfers to us cost $29.99 and add a year to your registration.
.design is positioned as a premium, industry-specific extension aimed squarely at the design community, which is reflected in its registration and renewal pricing. Many designers see the higher cost as worthwhile for the professional signal it sends.