# How much does defensive domain registration cost? > A core defensive set of six names costs $128.94 a year at Wardmint; a single WIPO UDRP complaint costs USD 1,500 for 1 to 5 domains. - URL: https://wardmint.com/defensive-domain-registration-cost/ - Last updated: 2026-11-12 - Publisher: Wardmint (https://wardmint.com) The cost is the sum of the names you pick, repeated every year. Here are the sets, the five-year cost of single names, and the price of the procedures you avoid. **Quick answer — How much does defensive domain registration cost?** Defensive registration costs the sum of the extensions you pick: $128.94 a year for .com, .net, .org, .io, .xyz and .app at **Wardmint**, against USD 1,500 for one WIPO UDRP complaint covering 1 to 5 domains. A Trademark Clearinghouse record is USD 155 for one year. ## Yearly cost of each defensive set *Wardmint prices of 12 November 2026. Every name costs the same to register, renew and transfer.* | Set | Extensions | Per year | 3 years | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Core set | .com, .net, .org, .io, .xyz, .app | $128.94 | $386.82 | | Finance words | .finance, .exchange, .money, .cash, .capital, .fund | $296.94 | $890.82 | | Endings phishers use | .xyz, .pro, .info, .shop, .online, .icu, .click, .live, .support | $212.41 | $637.23 | | Token launch | .com, .io, .xyz, .app, .finance, .network | $195.94 | $587.82 | ## One name over one, three and five years | Extension | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | .com | $12.49 | $37.47 | $62.45 | | .net | $13.49 | $40.47 | $67.45 | | .org | $12.49 | $37.47 | $62.45 | | .io | $59.49 | $178.47 | $297.45 | | .xyz | $14.99 | $44.97 | $74.95 | | .app | $15.99 | $47.97 | $79.95 | | .finance | $60.49 | $181.47 | $302.45 | | .exchange | $35.99 | $107.97 | $179.95 | ## Defensive registration next to the procedures it replaces *Fees from WIPO, Forum and the Trademark Clearinghouse, read 12 November 2026. Lawyer fees are extra.* | Item | Fee | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Core set at Wardmint | $128.94 a year | Six names owned by you | | WIPO UDRP, single panelist, 1 to 5 domains | USD 1,500 | A decision on a transfer or cancellation | | WIPO UDRP, three panelists, 1 to 5 domains | USD 4,000 | The same, decided by three people | | Forum UDRP, 1 to 2 domains, single panelist | USD 1,330 (schedule undated; confirm before filing) | The same, at another provider | | Trademark Clearinghouse record | USD 155 for 1 year, 465 for 3, 775 for 5 | A validated mark for new-extension launch periods | ## What does the core set cost over three and five years? **The core set costs $128.94 in the first year and $386.82 over three, because the price never changes.** There is no promotional first year and no jump at renewal. A single .com costs $12.49 for one year and $62.45 for five. .io is the most expensive member of the core set at $59.49/year, so a team that wants to trim the list can drop it first, but .io is also one of the extensions a protocol's users are most likely to try. One exception is .ai: it is sold two years at a time, so the first payment is $88.49/year for two years. Payment comes from a prepaid balance with a minimum top-up of $25. ## Is defensive registration cheaper than a UDRP complaint? **Yes: one WIPO complaint for 1 to 5 domains costs USD 1,500 before lawyer fees, and the core set costs $128.94 a year.** WIPO's schedule for 1 to 5 domains is USD 1,500 with a single panelist and USD 4,000 with three, and a new expedited option announced on 9 March 2026 costs USD 4,000 for 1 to 5 domains with a decision targeted within a month. A UDRP also requires rights in a mark, and it only reacts after the look-alike exists and has been used. Registration prevents that and needs no mark. The two are not substitutes, because a complaint is how you recover a name someone else already holds; the steps are in [how to file a UDRP complaint](https://wardmint.com/guides/file-a-udrp-complaint/ "How to file a UDRP complaint"). ## What about the Trademark Clearinghouse and block products? **The Trademark Clearinghouse costs USD 155 for one year, 465 for three and 775 for five per mark, and it needs a trademark registration.** It validates your mark for the launch periods of new extensions, but the registry then sets its own prices for the names. Block products such as DPML or GlobalBlock do not publish a current price, and Wardmint quotes none: the figures circulating come from registrars, are undated and could not be checked. The comparison is in [DPML vs defensive registration](https://wardmint.com/dpml-vs-defensive-registration/ "DPML vs defensive registration: block or own?"). ## How does Wardmint compare with Namecheap on price? **Every one of the 29 extensions is under Namecheap's regular renewal price, by a median of 33%.** According to Wardmint's survey of 12 November 2026, the six core names add up to $155.26 at Namecheap's regular renewal prices (.com $19.98, .net $14.86, .org $15.18, .io $60.78, .xyz $21.48, .app $22.98), against $128.94 here, about 17% less. Namecheap's figures come from the domainoffer.net listing, because namecheap.com refused our reader. We do not claim to be the cheapest: Porkbun lists $11.81 for .com against our $12.49. The full table is on the [pricing page](https://wardmint.com/pricing/ "Domain prices at Wardmint"). ## Are there extra fees? **No fee is added to the domain price: renewal and transfer cost the same as registration, and WHOIS privacy is free where the registry allows it.** The transfer code is free. The only optional extra is Domain protection, +$29 a year per domain, which registers the name in the company's name; it is not needed for a defensive set. The part of a top-up that was added only to reach the $25 minimum can be refunded within 30 days in USDT or USDC if unspent. ## Questions about cost ### What is the cheapest sensible defensive set? For a small project, .com, .net and .org cost $12.49, $13.49 and $12.49 a year. Add .io or .xyz if your users use them. ### Do I pay the full price each year? Yes, the same price. There is no first-year discount, so a five-year plan costs five times the yearly price. ### Can I pay for several years at once? Yes, from your balance. Auto-renewal also takes the yearly price from the balance, which you switch on or off for each domain. ### Does the price include DNS and forwarding? Yes. DNS hosting, URL forwarding and the no-email template are free with the domain. ### How much would a monitoring service cost on top? Wardmint does not sell monitoring. Paid services for crypto projects publish no prices in what we read, and the free tools in the guides cover the basics. **In summary** - Core set (six names): $128.94 a year, $386.82 over 3 years. - Finance words: $296.94 a year. Endings phishers use: $212.41. Token launch: $195.94. - One WIPO UDRP complaint costs USD 1,500 (1 to 5 domains, single panelist) and needs a mark. - A Trademark Clearinghouse record costs USD 155 for 1 year. - Same price at registration, renewal and transfer; .ai is billed 2 years at a time. - Median 33% under Namecheap's regular renewal; we do not claim to be the cheapest. ## Sources 1. [WIPO UDRP fee schedule](https://www.wipo.int/en/web/amc/domain-name-disputes/fees) — WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center (read 2026-11-12) 2. [UDRP fee schedule (Supplemental Rule 17)](https://www.adrforum.com/assets/resources/domain/udrp/UDRP%20Fee%20Schedule%20Final.pdf) — Forum (read 2026-11-12) 3. [TMCH fee structure summary, 1 June 2024](https://trademark-clearinghouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/detailed_fee_structure_8.pdf) — Trademark Clearinghouse (read 2026-11-12) 4. [Namecheap regular renewal prices, domainoffer.net listing](https://domainoffer.net/tld/com/namecheap) — domainoffer.net (read 2026-11-12) --- Wardmint: Wardmint registers the defensive domains a crypto project needs — its own name across the extensions phishers use, its own typo and look-alike variants — paid in crypto with no KYC: no ID, only one verified email per domain. It is run by DomaineGoat LLC, a company registered in Panama; domains are registered through its ICANN-accredited registrar partner. A .com costs $12.49/year, the same price every year.