Are you stepping into the world of online business and still don’t quite understand terms like domain? Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out together.
Every online store needs a domain. It’s a key part of laying the foundation for your strategy and getting known by your future audience. But what exactly is a Shopify store domain? What types of domains are there? How much does it cost to get one? Which one is right for you?
One question at a time, let’s get to work:
What Is A Shopify Custom Domain?
A domain is your store’s address on the internet: the text people type into their browser to find you, like yourbrand.com. A Shopify custom domain is one you choose yourself and connect to your Shopify store, rather than using the default address Shopify provides.
Every Shopify store automatically receives a free address that ends in .myshopify.com, for example, yourstore.myshopify.com. It works, but it carries Shopify’s name instead of yours. A custom domain replaces it with something like yourstore.com, which is easier to remember and looks more professional to new customers.
One thing beginners often miss: you don’t buy a domain outright; you lease it. Domains are leased from a registrar, usually renewed every year, and can be registered up to 10 years in advance. That’s why the renewal price matters as much as the first-year price, which we’ll get to in the cost section
Your 3 Shopify Domain Options
When it comes to Shopify domains, you have three paths:
- Use the free address that comes with your store.
- Buy a custom domain directly through Shopify.
- Buy one from a third-party registrar.
This table compares them on the five things that matter most to a beginner.
| Options | First-year cost | Renewal cost | WHOIS privacy | SSL | Setup effort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Free myshopify.com subdomain | $0 | $0 | Not needed (no domain to register) | Free | None: it comes with every store |
| 2. Buy through Shopify | $16 (.com) | $16 (.com) | Included | Free | Low: buy and manage it inside your Shopify admin |
| 3. Third-party registrar (Namecheap, Cloudflare) | ~$10–11 (.com) | $18.48 at Namecheap, ~$10.46 at Cloudflare | Free at both | Free once connected to Shopify | Higher: edit DNS records and wait for verification |
SSL doesn’t change your decision, because Shopify provides free TLS certificates for all domains added to it. The only difference is timing: with a third-party domain, it can take up to 48 hours for the certificate to be issued after you connect it
Option 1: The Free myshopify.com Subdomain
Every Shopify store automatically gets a free subdomain, like yourstore.myshopify.com. It costs nothing, never needs renewing, and takes no setup, since it’s ready the moment you create your store.
The trade-off is that the address carries Shopify’s name, not yours. That’s fine while you’re building and testing, but it doesn’t look like an established brand.
✨ Best for: testing your idea and building your store before launch.
- Watch out for: the Shopify name in your URL, which makes it harder for customers to remember and trust.
Option 2: Buy A Domain Through Shopify
You can buy your custom domain directly from Shopify and manage it in the same admin that runs your store. That’s the simplest route: there are no DNS records to edit, because Shopify connects it for you.
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Domains. Click Buy new domain, and search for the name you want.
On price, a .com costs $16 per year, and the renewal is also $16. That flat price is the main advantage, since there’s no discounted first year that jumps later. Free SSL and WHOIS privacy protection are included. Other extensions vary: .store costs $9 per year, .co $14, and .net $19. Turn on auto-renewal so you never accidentally lose the domain.
✨ Best for: beginners who want everything in one place and a predictable price.
- Watch out for: paying a little more than at-cost registrars (about $5.50 a year over Cloudflare’s .com price).
Option 3: Buy From A Third-Party Registrar And Connect It
You can also buy your domain from a registrar like Namecheap or Cloudflare and point it to your Shopify store. Prices vary a lot by registrar.
Namecheap charges $10.98 the first year and $18.48 on renewal. Cloudflare sells at cost, with no markup and no renewal hike, which comes to about $10.46 per year for a .com. One catch is that domains registered with Cloudflare must use Cloudflare’s nameservers.
How to Buy a Domain on Namecheap
- Go to namecheap.com and type your desired domain name into the search bar on the homepage.
2. Namecheap will show you whether it’s available, along with similar options across other extensions (.com, .store, .shop, etc.) if your first choice is taken.
3. Click Add to Cart next to the domain you want. Namecheap typically includes free WHOIS privacy protection (called “WhoisGuard”) by default; no need to pay extra for it, unlike some other registrars.
Click Checkout. If you don’t have a Namecheap account yet, you’ll be asked to create one here.
4. You’ll get a confirmation email, and the domain will now appear in your Namecheap Domain List.
How to Connect a Namecheap Domain to Shopify
1. Log in to your Namecheap account and go to Domain List.
2. Click Manage next to the domain you want to connect.
3. Open the Advanced DNS tab.
4 . Under Host Records, delete any existing A Record for @ (if one exists) — Shopify only allows one.
5. Click Add New Record, and add:
- Type: A Record
- Host: @
- Value: 23.227.38.65
- TTL: Automatic (or 1 hour)
6. Click Add New Record again, and add:
- Type: CNAME Record
- Host: www
- Value: shops.myshopify.com
- TTL: Automatic (or 1 hour)
7. Save both records (the green checkmark next to each row in Namecheap).
8. Go to your Shopify admin > Settings > Domains > Connect existing domain, enter your domain, and click Next, then Connect domain.
9. Wait for DNS propagation — Namecheap usually updates within 30 minutes, but it can take up to 48 hours in some cases.
✨ Best for: sellers who are comfortable with basic DNS settings and want the lowest long-term cost.
- Watch out for renewal prices that jump after the first year and extra setup time.
The Free Domain That Comes With BYS
Here’s a fourth path that might work for you. If you don’t want to buy a domain, BuildYourStore includes one with the store you build from scratch, which is a fully functional store that’s ready to start selling. BuildYourStore gives you a free .store domain and manages the domain and DNS settings for you, so there are no records to edit and no registrar to compare.
That makes it a simple way to get a custom address from day one, instead of launching on the free myshopify.com subdomain. Moreover, you can use the .store domain that BuildYourStore gives you, or set up your own later. If you’d rather have a .com, you can still buy one through Shopify or a registrar, as we covered above.
Best for: beginners who want a custom domain without paying upfront or touching DNS.
Watch out for: Keep in mind that the store is free to build, but you’ll still need a Shopify plan.
How to Claim Your Free .store Domain
1. Create your account: Go to BuildYourStore.ai and click Build my FREE store. You can sign up with your email or a Google account, and no credit card is needed.
2. Pick your niche: You choose a niche, and the AI uses it to build your store.
3. Connect Shopify: You’ll be prompted to create a Shopify account or connect the one you already have.
4. Check your domain: The .store domain comes with the store, so there’s nothing to buy or set up.
➡️ Many dropshippers took their first steps more easily and efficiently by building a store from scratch and getting a domain with BuildYourStore. Join them for free!
Shopify Domain Cost: What You’ll Really Pay
The Shopify domain cost depends less on the sticker price than on what happens after year one. Most domains cost between $10 and $20 a year, but some registrars advertise a tiny first-year price and raise it at renewal.
That’s why it’s worth adding up what each option costs over five years, not just the first. This table does it for a .com domain:
| Where you buy | Year 1 | Each renewal | 5-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Namecheap | $10.98 | $18.48 | $84.90 |
| Shopify | $16 | $16 | $80.00 |
| Cloudflare | $10.46 | $10.46 | $52.30 |
| GoDaddy | $4.99 | $22.99 | $96.95 |
The cheapest first year isn’t the cheapest domain. GoDaddy’s $4.99 ends up the most expensive over five years, and Namecheap lands slightly above Shopify once its renewal kicks in. Cloudflare comes out about $28 lower than Shopify because it charges the registry price plus a small ICANN fee, with no introductory discount and no renewal increase.
The extension also changes the price. On Shopify, a .store costs $9 a year, a .co $14, and a .net $19. A few other things can add to the bill:
- Privacy protection: Some registrars charge for it. Bluehost, for instance, includes WHOIS protection only for the first year.
- Premium domains: Names already owned by someone else are resold at a higher price, sometimes far higher.
- Add-ons at checkout: Email hosting and similar extras are easy to click by accident, so check what’s in your cart before paying.
Which Shopify Domain Option Should You Choose?
My recommendation: If you’re a beginner, you should buy your domain through Shopify.
Here’s why. A .com costs $16 a year on Shopify, and the renewal costs the same, so there’s no introductory price that jumps later. It’s also connected to your store, which means no DNS records to edit and no waiting to see if the connection worked. You pay a little more than at an at-cost registrar, but you skip the setup entirely.
Here’s how the other options fit:
- Choose a third-party registrar if you’re comfortable with basic DNS settings and want the lowest long-term price. Cloudflare comes out about $28 cheaper than Shopify over five years, or roughly $5.50 a year. But the savings only show up with an at-cost registrar: Namecheap and GoDaddy end up costing as much as Shopify or more once their renewal prices kick in.
- Choose the free domain from BuildYourStore if you’re building your store from scratch and don’t want to pay anything upfront.
- Stay on the free myshopify.com subdomain only while you’re testing. Switch to a custom domain before you start sending customers to your store.
If you’re still unsure, go with Shopify. A few dollars a year rarely outweighs the time you’d spend configuring DNS, and you can always connect a different domain later.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Shopify domain cost?
Most domains run between $10 and $20 a year. On Shopify, a .com costs $16 per year and renews at the same price, while a .store costs $9 per year. At other registrars, the first year is often cheaper, but the renewal can jump: Namecheap goes from $10.98 to $18.48, for example. Cloudflare charges about $10.46 per year for a .com domain, with no change at renewal.
Should I buy my domain through Shopify or a third-party registrar?
For most beginners, Shopify is the easier choice. It’s connected to your store, and the price stays flat. A third-party registrar can save you money, especially an at-cost one like Cloudflare, but you’ll need to edit DNS records yourself and wait for the connection to be verified.
Do I need a custom domain for my Shopify store?
No. Every store automatically gets a free .myshopify.com address, which works for testing. But a custom domain makes your store easier to remember and look more established, so it’s worth switching before you start sending customers to it.
How long does it take to connect a third-party domain to Shopify?
Once you point your A record and your www CNAME record to Shopify, verification can take up to 48 hours. The security certificate follows the same timeline: Shopify issues it for free, but it can take up to 48 hours to appear after you connect the domain. If you buy through Shopify, none of this applies, since the connection is automatic.
Do I have to renew my domain every year?
Yes. You don’t own a domain outright; you lease it. You can register it for up to 10 years at a time, but most people renew yearly. Turn on auto-renewal so you don’t lose it by accident. If you miss the date, there’s usually a grace period, followed by a redemption period of about 30 days where restoring the domain costs extra.
Can I get a free domain for my Shopify store?
Yes, in two ways. The free myshopify.com address comes with every store. And BuildYourStore includes a free .store domain with the stores it builds. Before you launch on a free .store domain, check how long the offer lasts and what the renewal costs, so the bill doesn’t surprise you later.
Conclusion
Choosing among Shopify domains comes down to how much setup you want to take on. If you’re just starting out, buy your domain through Shopify: the price stays flat, the connection is automatic, and there’s nothing to configure. If you’re comfortable with DNS and want the lowest long-term cost, an at-cost registrar like Cloudflare is worth the extra steps. And while you’re still testing, the free myshopify.com address does the job.
If you’d rather not think about domains at all, BuildYourStore builds your Shopify store for you and includes a free .store domain.
Whichever route you pick, a domain is a small decision you’ll live with for a long time, so choose a domain name you won’t want to change later.
If you want to keep learning about Shopify and ecommerce, here are some articles I suggest reading next:
