Cloudflare vs Porkbun 2025: At-Cost vs Low-Cost Domain Pricing
Compare Cloudflare's at-cost pricing vs Porkbun's budget-friendly rates. See which registrar offers the best value for domain registration, renewal, and transfers.
Cloudflare and Porkbun represent two innovative approaches to domain registration pricing. Cloudflare pioneered "at-cost" domain registration, charging exactly what they pay wholesale to registries with zero markup—a revolutionary approach in an industry known for high margins. Porkbun, while not at-cost, offers consistently low prices with transparent pricing and generous included features.
Both registrars are popular among developers and tech-savvy users who appreciate straightforward pricing without upsells. However, there are important differences: Cloudflare requires using their nameservers and has limited TLD selection, while Porkbun offers more flexibility and a wider range of TLDs. Let's compare these two registrars across pricing, features, and use cases.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Cloudflare | Porkbun |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Winner | Depends on needs | |
| Best Pricing | ✓ Best prices | |
| Best Renewals | ✓ Lower renewals | |
| Best Features | ✓ More features | |
| Best Support | ✓ Better support |
Full Price Comparison (21 TLDs)
Select which price to compare
| TLD | Cloudflare | Porkbun | Winner | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .ai | - | $72.40 | - | - |
| .app | $14.20 | $14.93 | Cloudflare | $0.73/yr |
| .biz | $15.20 | $16.99 | Cloudflare | $1.79/yr |
| .blog | $20.20 | $21.11 | Cloudflare | $0.91/yr |
| .co | $26.00 | $27.09 | Cloudflare | $1.09/yr |
| .com | $10.46 | $11.08 | Cloudflare | $0.62/yr |
| .de | - | $4.07 | - | - |
| .dev | $12.20 | $12.87 | Cloudflare | $0.67/yr |
| .info | $19.20 | $20.08 | Cloudflare | $0.88/yr |
| .io | $45.00 | $46.65 | Cloudflare | $1.65/yr |
| .me | $16.31 | $17.27 | Cloudflare | $0.96/yr |
| .net | $11.86 | $12.52 | Cloudflare | $0.66/yr |
| .online | $25.20 | $26.26 | Cloudflare | $1.06/yr |
| .org | $10.13 | $10.74 | Cloudflare | $0.61/yr |
| .shop | - | $31.41 | - | - |
| .site | $25.20 | $26.26 | Cloudflare | $1.06/yr |
| .store | $40.20 | $41.71 | Cloudflare | $1.51/yr |
| .tech | $45.20 | $46.86 | Cloudflare | $1.66/yr |
| .uk | $5.22 | - | - | - |
| .us | $6.50 | $7.00 | Cloudflare | $0.50/yr |
| .xyz | $11.20 | $12.98 | Cloudflare | $1.78/yr |
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Cloudflare
Pros
- ✓ True at-cost pricing with zero markup
- ✓ Free WHOIS privacy on all TLDs
- ✓ Includes free CDN and DDoS protection
- ✓ Best-in-class DNS performance (fastest globally)
- ✓ No renewal price increases (always at-cost)
- ✓ Email forwarding included
- ✓ Excellent for CloudFlare users (integrated ecosystem)
Cons
- ✗ Must use Cloudflare nameservers (cannot use external DNS)
- ✗ Limited TLD selection (~200 TLDs vs 400+ at Porkbun)
- ✗ No traditional web hosting offered
- ✗ Less beginner-friendly interface
- ✗ No bulk domain transfer tools
- ✗ Limited domain management features
Porkbun
Pros
- ✓ Extremely competitive pricing on popular TLDs
- ✓ Free WHOIS privacy included
- ✓ Can use any nameservers (not locked to Porkbun DNS)
- ✓ Wider TLD selection (400+ TLDs)
- ✓ Free SSL certificates
- ✓ Generous API for automation
- ✓ User-friendly interface with playful branding
- ✓ Web hosting available
Cons
- ✗ Not true at-cost (small markup on wholesale prices)
- ✗ Smaller company with fewer resources than Cloudflare
- ✗ DNS not as advanced as Cloudflare's network
- ✗ Limited enterprise features
- ✗ Newer registrar (less track record than established competitors)
Compare All Cloudflare vs Porkbun Prices
Use our interactive comparison tool to see live pricing across all 2100+ TLDs, filter by price type, and find the best deals.
Compare All TLDsFrequently Asked Questions
1 Is Cloudflare really at-cost with no markup?
Yes, Cloudflare charges exactly what they pay to the registry (the wholesale cost) plus ICANN fees where applicable. They make no profit on domain registrations—it's a customer acquisition strategy for their other services. This makes Cloudflare consistently the cheapest option for TLDs they support, often $1-3 cheaper than Porkbun annually.
2 Why would I choose Porkbun over Cloudflare if Cloudflare is cheaper?
Porkbun offers more flexibility: you can use any nameservers (Cloudflare requires using theirs), they support 2x more TLDs, include web hosting options, and have a more traditional registrar feature set. If you're already using another DNS provider or need TLDs Cloudflare doesn't offer, Porkbun is the better choice. The price difference is usually only $1-2/year.
3 Can I use Cloudflare domains with my existing DNS provider?
No, this is Cloudflare's main limitation. When you register a domain with Cloudflare, you must use Cloudflare nameservers. You cannot point your domain to external DNS providers like Route53, Google Domains DNS, or your own DNS servers. If you need external DNS flexibility, choose Porkbun instead.
4 Which has better DNS performance?
Cloudflare has objectively better DNS performance—they operate the world's fastest DNS network with the lowest global latency. Porkbun's DNS is reliable but can't match Cloudflare's massive global infrastructure. If DNS speed is critical for your use case, Cloudflare is the clear winner.
5 Can I transfer my domain from Porkbun to Cloudflare?
Yes, but only if Cloudflare supports that TLD. Before transferring, verify your TLD is in Cloudflare's supported list. The transfer process is straightforward: unlock your domain at Porkbun, get the authorization code, and initiate the transfer at Cloudflare. Cloudflare's transfer costs match their registration costs (at-cost pricing).
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