Registrar Transfer-Out Index 2026: how 18 registrars let a domain go

How was the index built?

We read the transfer-out help pages of 18 registrars on 19 October 2026, using free web access only. For each one we recorded the same points, one per column of the table. They cover code delivery, early approval, the opt-out, holds, DNS impact, crypto and .com prices. The menu labels are in each registrar guide.

Every cell carries its source quality:

• Official: the registrar's help page was read in full.
• Search excerpt: the page returned an error or did not render, so we read its search-engine excerpt.
• Secondary: another registrar's guide, a forum or an encyclopedia.
• Unverified: no page we read confirmed it.

The confidence column sums this up. High means the main steps come from an official page read in full (13 registrars). Medium means search excerpts carry key facts (3). Low means no official page was found (Spaceship and Njalla). The .com prices come from one aggregator snapshot, domainoffer.net, and stay secondary; Gandi's were confirmed on its own price page.

What are the key findings?

1. Most registrars show the code on screen. 11 of 18 display it in the dashboard; 8 of those were confirmed on a page read in full. Six send it by email only: Namecheap, Squarespace, Wix, NameSilo, Network Solutions and Epik. GoDaddy does both.

2. The email goes to a contact, not to your login. Namecheap, Squarespace, Wix and Network Solutions write to the registrant contact; NameSilo writes to the administrative contact. An outdated contact email is the most common reason a code never arrives.

3. Early approval is documented at 11 of 18. Four use a dashboard control (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Porkbun, NameSilo). Six use an email link (Gandi, OVHcloud, Dynadot, Hover, Squarespace for Tucows names, Spaceship per a secondary guide). Name.com expedites through support.

4. Two windows run longer than ICANN's 5 calendar days. GoDaddy states up to seven days. Squarespace says the whole move can take up to 15 days. A secondary guide gives Spaceship 5 business days.

5. Only 4 of 18 document a contact-change opt-out. GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare and Hover do. Network Solutions says a waiver is at its discretion. For the other 12 registrars we found nothing either way.

6. Three registrars stop their own services at once. Gandi Mail stops and its data is deleted after 7 days. Hover disconnects its email. Wix disconnects the site, and business email stops unless the MX records are re-added.

7. For 10 registrars we found nothing on DNS after the move. Only 7 address DNS or email at all, and Spaceship shows a disclaimer, per a secondary source. Cloudflare requires its own nameservers while it holds the domain, and does not document what happens to the zone after.

8. Renewal costs more than transfer at 9 of 15 priced registrars. The gap is widest at Gandi ($11.00 against $38.38, confirmed on gandi.net's US price page, before tax) and Wix ($7.90 against $21.35). Six charge the same for both: Cloudflare, Porkbun, Dynadot, Hover, Njalla and Epik.

What does no registrar publish?

Three things are missing from all 18 sets of help pages we read.

• Code validity. No registrar states how long its auth code stays valid. Squarespace says only the newest code works; Namecheap says codes are updated from time to time; Epik warns that unlocking may reset the code. ICANN's adopted Transfer Policy Review would make codes valid for 14 days and single use, but no effective date is published.
• Exit fees. No page states a transfer-out fee, and none states that leaving is free. The only fee claims we found concern Squarespace, from third-party sites, with conflicting amounts ($20 or $75). We treat them as unverified.
• DNS after the move. Most registrars describe how to get the code. Few say what happens to the DNS zone, email forwarding or web forwarding they host once the domain is gone.

The practical rule follows: copy every DNS record before you request a code, and request the code last.

How does TransferOffshore compare on the same points?

We are the gaining side, so the approval columns do not apply to us. On the points that do, the auth code is free, from your account, at any time, and there is no exit fee. Current nameservers are kept by default when a domain comes in. A .com transfer costs $12.49 and adds one year; renewal costs the same $12.49. Payment is in crypto only, with no ID. The full grid is on the price list.

How can I reuse this data?

The index is published under CC BY 4.0. You may copy, adapt and republish it, including commercially, if you credit "TransferOffshore Registrar Transfer-Out Index 2026" with a link to this page. Please keep the check date, 19 October 2026, next to any figure you quote, because registrars change their pages often.

A suggested citation: "Registrar Transfer-Out Index 2026, TransferOffshore, checked 19 October 2026, CC BY 4.0."