Lot 06 · Pricing
Domain Broker Fees That Drop as You Grow
Domain broker fees elsewhere run 15 to 25% of every sale. Here it's a flat plan plus a commission that falls as your book grows: 12% on Investor, 8% on Pro Broker, negotiated for brokerages. Annual billing shown; monthly is 25% more.
The short answer
Domain broker fees generally run 10 to 20 percent commission on a completed sale, and the big marketplaces sit at the top of that band: Afternic and GoDaddy take 15 percent on GoDaddy-brand aftermarket nameservers and 25 percent otherwise, while Sedo runs 10 to 20 percent depending on the route. Buy-side brokerage often adds an upfront retainer. Domainsdealer replaces the percentage-heavy model with a flat plan of $49 or $249 a month plus 12 percent, 8 percent, or as low as 5 percent negotiated, so the commission falls as your book grows instead of rising with your success.
Last updated July 2026 · Competitor commission rates verified against published fee schedules
Investor
$49 billed monthly · 12% commission on sales
- §List up to 100 domains
- §Unlimited appraisals + bulk CSV (500 per run)
- §Seller dashboard, portfolio import, offer negotiation
- §Buy side: browse, watchlist, offers, bidding
- §Escrow checklist on every deal
- §1 seat
For flippers and part-time investors
Pro Broker · Most popular
$249 billed monthly · 8% commission on sales
- §List up to 2,500 domains
- §Bulk appraisals (10,000 per run) + priority comps
- §Sales landers for every listing + auction scheduling
- §Sold-comps analytics on your whole book
- §Buyer-lead routing + verified-buyer badge
- §Concierge transfer coordination
- §3 seats with roles
For full-time investors and independent brokers
Brokerage / Enterprise
Commission negotiated, as low as 5%
- §Unlimited listings + white-label landers
- §Custom valuation models
- §Dedicated broker + buy-side sourcing desk
- §SSO/SAML, roles & permissions, audit log
- §Invoicing/PO billing, security review, DPA
- §SLA-backed transfer desk
For brokerages, registrars, funds and agencies
Buying is free: browse the marketplace, run appraisals (5 per day without a plan), watch lots and make offers without a subscription. Plans are for people who sell.
Domain broker fees, compared honestly
| Marketplace | Commission | On a $20,000 sale |
|---|---|---|
| Domainsdealer Pro Broker | 8% | $1,600 |
| Typical GoDaddy/Afternic tier | 15-25% | $3,000-$5,000 |
| Sedo marketplace | 15-20% | $3,000-$4,000 |
| Sedo brokerage | from $69 + 15% | $3,069+ |
Published incumbent rates as of mid-2026; check each marketplace for current terms.
One $20,000 exit on Pro Broker saves $1,400 to $3,400 versus the incumbents, more than the year's plan on annual billing. Sellers moving multiple names per quarter bank the difference every deal. Want the arithmetic on your own numbers? The calculator is on the right.
What a lower commission keeps in your pocket
Incumbents charge 15 to 25% of your sale. Slide to your expected sale price and see the difference a flat plan plus 8% makes.
| Typical marketplace at 20% commission | -$4,000 |
| Domainsdealer Pro Broker at 8% | -$1,600 |
| You keep | $2,400 more |
Illustration only. Commission applies on completed sales; plan fees per the pricing table. Domains can sell for less than expected, or not at all.
For the head of the book
Run your whole book through one desk
Pricing against real comps captures more of the spread. A 10% better exit on one $20,000 name pays for two years of Pro Broker.
One search across inventory and comps replaces five marketplace tabs. At broker hourly rates that's the plan fee back every week.
Every transfer through reputable third-party escrow, with an SLA-backed desk on Enterprise. One prevented bad transfer pays for years of the plan.
Fee questions, answered plainly
Is there a free plan?+
Browsing, watching and hand-typed appraisals are free. Selling runs on a paid plan; that keeps the board curated and the buyer pool serious.
When is commission charged?+
Only on a completed sale, after escrow releases funds. No sale, no commission.
Do escrow fees come on top?+
Yes, the third-party escrow service charges its own 0.9 to 3%, usually split between buyer and seller. Details in the escrow guide.
Can I change plans mid-year?+
Upgrades apply immediately with prorated billing; downgrades apply at the next renewal. Your listings and analytics carry over either way.
Domain broker fees: the questions sellers actually ask
How much does a domain broker cost?
Most domain brokers charge 10 to 20 percent commission on a completed sale, and some add a retainer of roughly $99 to $500 that is either credited against the commission or forfeited if no deal closes. Large marketplaces sit at the top of that band. On this desk it is a flat plan plus 12 percent, 8 percent, or as low as 5 percent negotiated. The full fee-model breakdown is in how much does a domain broker cost.
Are domain brokers worth it?
For a name worth roughly $10,000 or more, usually yes. A broker keeps the buyer anonymous, which stops an owner repricing the moment they learn a funded company wants the name, and reaches owners who never list publicly. Below about $5,000 the commission rarely pays for itself and a marketplace listing does the same job for less. The broker desk explains where the line sits.
Do you pay a domain broker if the domain does not sell?
On a pure commission model, no: the fee is only charged when a sale completes and escrow releases funds. Retainer models are different, and a non-refundable retainer is money spent whether or not the deal closes. Read which model you are signing before you send anything, and ask directly whether the retainer is credited against commission. Our commission is charged only on a completed sale.
What is the GoDaddy domain broker fee?
GoDaddy Domain Broker Service charges an upfront non-refundable service fee, historically around $119.99, plus 20 percent commission on the negotiated purchase price. On the selling side, Afternic and GoDaddy Auctions take 15 percent when the name uses GoDaddy-brand aftermarket nameservers and 25 percent when it does not, with a $15 minimum. Rates change, so verify before you list. See the Afternic alternative comparison for the side-by-side.
How much commission do domain marketplaces take?
It ranges from 8 to 25 percent depending on venue and how the name is configured. Sedo takes 10 percent on direct fixed-price sales, 15 percent on marketplace offers and auctions, and 20 percent through SedoMLS. Afternic and GoDaddy take 15 or 25 percent. On a $20,000 sale that spread is the difference between keeping $18,400 and keeping $15,000, which is worth more than most sellers' entire annual tooling budget. Compare venues in where to sell domain names.
Keep more of every sale.
Pick the plan that fits your book and stop donating a fifth of every exit.