Why we built this
Every major domain appraisal tool gives you a number with zero explanation. GoDaddy's GoValue has a $1,399 minimum floor that overvalues junk domains. Estibot fails on brandable names. Sedo charges $99 per appraisal.
We wanted a tool that's free, transparent, and honest — one that shows exactly which factors drove the estimate and openly acknowledges its limitations.
How the scoring works
Our estimator evaluates domains across five weighted factors, calibrated against verified aftermarket sales data from NameBio, DNJournal, and Escrow.com:
- TLD Extension (25 pts) — .com dominates, .ai is surging, niche TLDs score lower
- Domain Length (20 pts) — exponential value curve; each character beyond 7 reduces traffic ~2%
- Keyword Value (20 pts) — commercial keyword detection based on industry CPC data
- Word Quality (15 pts) — single dictionary words command 550x+ premiums over random strings
- Brandability (10 pts) — pronounceability, memorability, CVCV patterns, visual cleanliness
Penalties are applied for hyphens (–8), mixed numbers (–6), and excessive length (–4). The total score maps to a logarithmic price range derived from 4.5M+ verified domain transactions.
Accuracy & honesty
Automated domain estimates achieve approximately 60–85% correlation with actual sale prices. Our tool is no different. We're transparent about this because we believe an honest estimate with a clear explanation is more valuable than a confident wrong number.
Strategic buyers and end-users frequently pay 5–50x above automated estimates for the right domain. Our numbers reflect aftermarket/investor pricing — not end-user premiums.
How we make money
This tool is 100% free. We earn commissions when you click through to register a domain with one of our partner registrars — Spaceship, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Dynadot. You pay the same price regardless of whether you use our link. We recommend Spaceship because they consistently offer the best pricing and include free WHOIS privacy.