Most lists of where to sell domain names rank venues by a single headline commission. That number rarely exists. Sedo charges three different rates depending on how a name sells; Afternic’s rate depends on your nameservers and an add-on you may not know is switched on. The rate you pay is set by the route the sale takes, so start with the route.
Every figure below comes from each venue’s own published pages, checked on 16 October 2026. Fees change, so reread the venue’s current terms before you list. For the full selling process, from pricing to transfer, see how to sell a domain name.
Where to sell domain names: four deal structures
- Self-serve marketplace. You set a price and buyers find the listing. Sedo and Namecheap Market work this way.
- Distribution network. Your Buy Now price appears inside registrar searches. Afternic, GoDaddy’s List for Sale and Sedo’s SedoMLS do this.
- Auction. Bidders set the price. Sedo runs auctions for sellers; GoDaddy Auctions is mainly a market for expired names. Mechanics are in how domain auctions work.
- Reviewed or brokered sale. Someone handles the buyer for you. Sedo’s Brokerage service and the SERPHeroes Domain Marketplace sit here.
Sedo: you choose the format, the format sets the fee
Sedo lets you list free with a customer account and pick Buy Now, Make Offer, an auction or its Brokerage service. Its price list sets the commission by route:
- 10% when a name with a Buy Now price is also parked with Sedo (ads page or sales landing page) and sells through the Sedo marketplace.
- 15% for Make Offer listings, auctions, and Buy Now listings that are not parked. Push to Auction is free; a Direct Auction carries a $59 setup fee.
- 20% when the buyer comes through the SedoMLS partner network, where every Sedo listing is promoted automatically.
For .com and most common extensions there is no minimum fee, with a minimum sale price of 20 USD/EUR/GBP. Brokerage costs 15%, charged only on a sale. Sedo’s Transfer Service is free for names bought on Sedo: the buyer pays into a neutral account, and “The seller is paid as soon as the buyer is registered as the new owner and assumes full control of the domain.” For deals agreed elsewhere it costs 3%, with a 60 USD/EUR minimum for common extensions.
One clause to note before you take a buyer offline: “If you have had active negotiations with a buyer or seller for a listed domain on the Sedo marketplace, the marketplace commission would still apply if you reach an agreement outside of Sedo.”
Afternic and GoDaddy List for Sale: reach at a higher rate
Afternic sells your Buy Now price across a network of registrars, including GoDaddy. GoDaddy’s List for Sale runs through Afternic at Afternic’s rates, and GoDaddy’s own Auctions FAQ points sellers to Afternic. Listing is free and, per GoDaddy, “Domains are reviewed within 48 hours”.
Afternic’s commission page (“as of Jan 13, 2026”) sets a default rate of 30% under Afternic Boost, or 20% if the name uses GoDaddy Aftermarket nameservers. Boost is on by default; dropping to Afternic Basic cuts each rate by 5 points, to 25% or 15%, and reduces distribution. “All sales have a minimum $15 commission.”
Afternic’s Fast Transfer moves a sold name “to the buyer instantly” and releases your payout. It covers .com, .net, .org, .io and several others with a Buy Now price below $100,000, and the name “must also be registered for 60 days or longer with a Fast Transfer supported registrar”. Without it, you complete the transfer by hand and are paid afterwards, through a third-party payout provider that charges per-method fees. For a head-to-head on reach, payouts and listing control, see Afternic vs Sedo vs Atom for sellers; if you are buying rather than selling, start with the best domain marketplaces for buyers.
Namecheap Market and reviewed listings
Namecheap Market is the simplest route if the name is already registered at Namecheap: you list it from your Domain List with an asking price between $5 and $1,000,000. Namecheap states “a flat 10% commission for each Namecheap Market transaction”. Listings become visible within 24 hours, and you cannot list a name within 7 days of expiry. On sale, the contacts change to the buyer’s, and earnings are “normally eligible for withdrawal after 5 days of a waiting period”, to Namecheap funds or PayPal (minimum $100). The full terms are in our Namecheap Marketplace guide.
The SERPHeroes Domain Marketplace is a reviewed option. You submit “a price or minimum offer”, verify ownership by adding a DNS record or uploading a file, and “our team reviews the listing before it goes live”. Buyers negotiate through the team, not with you. “Escrow.com holds your payment, the seller transfers the domain, and the seller is paid only once you confirm you have it.” Prices start at $10 in whole US dollars. Listing is free; when a name sells, “SERPHeroes keeps a flat 10% commission, taken from the sale price through Escrow.com.” Buyers pay no SERPHeroes fee, only Escrow.com’s transaction fee.
How much does it cost to sell a domain name?
The table sets each venue’s published seller terms side by side as of 16 October 2026. Where a venue does not publish a figure, the table says so rather than guessing.
| Venue | How a sale works | Published seller commission | Payout and transfer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedo | Buy Now, Make Offer, auctions, Brokerage; also on SedoMLS | 10%, 15% or 20% by route; Brokerage 15% | Buyer pays into Sedo’s neutral account; seller paid once the buyer is the registered owner |
| Afternic / GoDaddy List for Sale | Buy Now shown across registrars; reviewed within 48 hours | 30% or 20% with Boost; 25% or 15% on Basic; $15 minimum | Fast Transfer names move instantly; otherwise manual transfer, then payout |
| GoDaddy Auctions | Mainly expired domains; sellers pointed to Afternic | Not published on the pages checked | Under $5,000: seller paid “approximately 20 days after receiving funds from the Buyer” |
| Namecheap Market | Buy Now from your Namecheap Domain List | Flat 10% | Earnings normally withdrawable after a 5-day wait |
| SERPHeroes Domain Marketplace | Reviewed listing; buyers negotiate through the team | Flat 10%; listing free | Buyer pays into Escrow.com; seller paid after the buyer confirms receipt |
Price the name before you pick the venue
A percentage only means something against a price. Run the name through the Domain Worth Calculator, which maps it to a value band from its extension, length, words, characters, age and links, and read domain appraisal for what that band can and cannot tell you. Then check payment protection: who holds the money, and when the seller is paid. Our guide to domain escrow covers that in full.
The limitation: none of these pages tells you how often names actually sell on each venue, or at what prices. Reach claims are the venues’ own, and published commissions are only one input. A lower rate on a venue where your buyer never looks costs more than a higher one where they do.
Once you have picked a venue, how to list a domain for sale walks through each one’s steps and ownership check. Selling an aged or once-expired name to SEO buyers is its own case, covered in how to sell an expired or aged domain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I list a domain for sale on more than one marketplace?
Often, yes, but check each venue’s terms. Sedo, for example, still charges its commission if you negotiated on Sedo and then close the deal elsewhere.
Is a domain sale auction better than a fixed price?
It depends on demand. An auction lets bidders set the price; a fixed Buy Now price is what distribution networks like Afternic show at registrar checkouts.
Where can I buy and sell domain names in one place?
Sedo and Namecheap Market both run marketplaces where buyers browse listed names and sellers list their own. The SERPHeroes marketplace lets buyers browse reviewed listings and sellers submit names for review. Each has its own buyer and seller terms.
Do these commissions include taxes?
Not always. Sedo states its fees are exclusive of taxes such as VAT. Check each venue’s current price page.
The takeaway Choose the deal structure first, then compare each venue’s own current terms for that route, and confirm who holds the money until the name has moved.
