Buying your domain name in 2026: complete guide (.sn .com .fr)

Domain name: 8,000 to 35,000 FCFA/year, but plenty of scams around

Buying a domain name in 2026 looks trivial — yet I still regularly see Senegalese companies paying 80,000 to 150,000 FCFA/year for a .com from an opaque local vendor, when the market rate is 8,000 to 15,000 FCFA. Worse: domain registered under the agency name instead of the client, impossible to transfer when the relationship sours, WHOIS exposing personal address and phone number.

This guide sums up how to buy cleanly, from whom, at what price, and how to avoid the traps.

Which extension to pick in 2026

.com — global standard

• Price: 8,000 to 12,000 FCFA/year at Namecheap, Gandi, Porkbun. 15,000-20,000 FCFA at OVH or GoDaddy.
• When to take it: always if available, especially for SMEs with international clients or a SaaS ambition.
• Availability: less than 30% of short names still available.

.sn — Senegal national extension (NIC.sn)

• Price: 25,000-35,000 FCFA/year via NIC.sn or a partner registrar (Arc Informatique, PRO TIC).
• Pros: strong local credibility, Senegal SEO signal, CDP jurisdiction.
• Cons: higher price, NIC.sn panel less user-friendly than Namecheap, transfer sometimes heavy.
• When to take it: Senegalese institutional clients, local brand, e-commerce targeting Senegal only. Often as a complement to the .com.

.africa — pan-African extension

• Price: 12,000-25,000 FCFA/year.
• When to take it: pan-African multi-country brand, assumed "Africa" branding. Not mandatory but consistent for regional conglomerates.

.ci, .ml, .bf, .ne, .mr — other UEMOA countries

• Price: depends on national NIC, 15,000 to 50,000 FCFA/year. When you have real regional expansion.

.fr — France

• Price: 7,000-10,000 FCFA/year at OVH, Gandi.
• When to take it: Senegalese business with French clients or subsidiary.

.org, .net, .io, .app, .africa

• Price: .net 10,000-15,000 FCFA, .org 12,000-15,000 FCFA, .io 35,000-50,000 FCFA, .app 15,000-20,000 FCFA.

Extensions comparison table 2026

Which registrar to choose

Namecheap (international, default recommendation)

• .com price 8-10,000 FCFA/year, free lifetime WHOIS privacy
• Clean panel, fast DNS, 24/7 chat support
• Card or PayPal payment

Gandi (French, premium quality)

• .com price 12-15,000 FCFA/year but includes basic email
• Ethical reputation, pro panel, responsive email support
• Good for European clients or agencies

OVH (French, integrated ecosystem)

• .com price 8-12,000 FCFA/year, .fr 7,000 FCFA
• Good if you already host with OVH
• Less ergonomic panel than Namecheap

Porkbun (international, cheapest in 2026)

• .com price 8-10,000 FCFA/year, WHOIS privacy included
• Many exotic extensions at a discount
• Decent chat support

NIC.sn (.sn official registry)

• Mandatory for .sn, either direct or via accredited reseller
• Basic panel, often wire-transfer payment
• Documentation sometimes vague, ask for a partner reseller if unsure

TO AVOID: GoDaddy

• Aggressive marketing, permanent upsells, renewal price 3x Namecheap
• Decent support but panel invaded by parasitic offers

Registrars comparison table 2026

DNS, transfer, WHOIS — best practices

• DNS: point to free Cloudflare to manage records (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT) with a clean interface and fast propagation.
• Transfer: possible after 60 days of registration, unlock auth code at the old registrar, pay ~1 year at the new one (renews by that much). Plan 5-7 days.
• WHOIS privacy: enable by default, except .sn where it is rarely available. Avoids your address and phone being publicly exposed.
• Auto-renew: enable + 30-day expiry alert. An expired domain = SEO disaster and potential takeover by a third party.

Red flags from a vendor

• Domain billed under the agency name, not the client's: refuse, demand transfer to the client's account.
• .com priced >30,000 FCFA/year: hidden 3x markup, negotiate or move.
• No access to the registrar panel: demand credentials or a transfer.
• Multi-year renewal billed upfront with markup: only pay yearly.
• Public WHOIS with your pro email: expect spam, enable privacy.

At Kolonell, the domain is always purchased under the client's name (Namecheap, Gandi or NIC.sn account created for them), with shared access — no possible hostage-taking.

FAQ

What is the average price of a .com domain in 2026?

Between 8,000 and 12,000 FCFA per year at Namecheap, Porkbun or Gandi. Watch out for vendors charging 40,000 to 80,000 FCFA for a plain .com.

Should a Senegalese SME take a .sn or a .com?

Ideally both. The .com for the main brand and international SEO, the .sn redirecting for local credibility. Total annual budget: 35,000-45,000 FCFA.

How do I transfer a domain from one registrar to another?

Request the auth code (EPP code) from the old registrar, unlock the domain, pay 1 year at the new registrar with the auth code. The domain renews by one year in the process. Plan 5-7 days.

Is WHOIS privacy really useful?

Yes for 95% of projects. Without privacy, your name, address and phone are public in WHOIS — spam and cold calls guaranteed. Free privacy at Namecheap, Gandi, OVH, Porkbun.

What if my domain expires?

30-45 day grace period to renew at normal rate. Then redemption USD 100-300 to recover 30 more days. After that, the domain returns to the public pool and a third party can grab it — often a domain squatter who will resell at a premium.

Let's talk domain

Want to audit your current domain or register a new one cleanly? WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.