Porkbun vs Spaceship
Two flat-priced, developer-friendly registrars with free privacy. Spaceship (a newer sibling of Namecheap) undercuts on price and ships a slicker interface; Porkbun brings a longer track record and a fuller free bundle.
Pick Spaceship for the lowest flat price (~$9.98 .com), DNSSEC on by default and the most modern UI. Pick Porkbun for a longer proven history, free email & URL forwarding, and a broad TLD range. Both are flat-priced, so neither punishes you at renewal.
Side by side
Porkbun vs Spaceship, compared
Both are honest and flat-priced — this comes down to a few dollars versus maturity and extras.
| Porkbun | Spaceship | |
|---|---|---|
| .com price | $11.08 flat | ~$9.98 flat |
| .io first year | ~$28.12 | ~$14.98 |
| .io renewal | ~$51.80 | ~$51.75 |
| Free WHOIS privacy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free SSL | ✓ Let's Encrypt | Via DNS / add-on |
| DNSSEC | ✓ | ✓ on by default |
| Email / URL forwarding | ✓ up to 20 fwds | Spacemail (paid) focus |
| Track record | Established, many years | Newer (Namecheap sibling) |
| Interface | Clean, functional | Modern, polished |
| Best for | Maturity + free extras | Lowest flat price + UX |
Spaceship .io first-year figures reflect its standard promotional entry price. Compiled July 2026 from each vendor's pricing pages.
The verdict
Which one should you pick?
Choose Porkbun if…
- You value a long, proven track record over saving a dollar.
- You want free email and URL forwarding plus free Let's Encrypt SSL.
- You register across a wide range of TLDs from one account.
- You want DNS powered by Cloudflare with the freedom to point NS anywhere.
Choose Spaceship if…
- You want the lowest flat price and below-wholesale .com rates.
- You want the most modern, polished registrar interface.
- You like DNSSEC enabled by default with no fiddling.
- You're comfortable with a newer platform from Namecheap's parent company.
A third option: manage the domain where you deploy
If the pain point behind this comparison is juggling a registrar, a DNS host, a CI tool and hosting separately, Buddy manages domains + DNS as code (YAML, API, CLI, Terraform) inside the same platform that builds and deploys your app. It's aimed at developer workflows rather than the cheapest sticker — for a bare cheap domain, Spaceship or Porkbun still win on price.
Try Buddy freeCommon questions
Porkbun vs Spaceship — common questions
Is Spaceship cheaper than Porkbun?
Yes, slightly. Spaceship prices a .com at around $9.98 flat (register and renew), below the wholesale rate, versus Porkbun's $11.08 flat. On .io, Spaceship's first year is cheaper (~$14.98) though both renew around $51–52. The savings are real but modest for a single domain.
Is Spaceship owned by Namecheap?
Yes. Spaceship is a newer sibling brand from the same company behind Namecheap, built with a more modern interface and flat, below-wholesale pricing. It's a separate platform, so your Namecheap account doesn't carry over automatically.
Is Porkbun or Spaceship more reliable?
Porkbun has the longer track record — it has been a well-regarded registrar for many years, with free email and URL forwarding and a broad TLD range. Spaceship is newer but backed by an established parent company. Both are solid; if a long, proven history matters most to you, Porkbun has the edge, while Spaceship wins on price and interface polish.