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Who Runs the New gTLDs? Registry Operators and Why It Matters

New gTLDs like .app, .shop, and .xyz are not managed by ICANN directly. Private registry operators run them under contract. Here is why that distinction affects your registration.

· · 6 min read

Who Runs the New gTLDs? Registry Operators and Why It Matters

When you register a .com domain, the registry is Verisign — a publicly traded, NASDAQ-listed company with a stable ICANN contract. When you register a .shop or .online domain, the registry is a private company you have probably never heard of. That distinction matters more than most people realise.

The Structure

ICANN approves new gTLDs through an application process. Approved applicants become registry operators — they run the authoritative database for that TLD, set registration pricing, and manage the technical infrastructure.

ICANN's contracts with registry operators include basic requirements: operational stability, data escrow, public RDAP/WHOIS access. But registry operators have wide latitude in how they price, promote, and manage their TLDs.

Major Registry Operators in 2027

Verisign operates .com and .net. Both have price caps and long-term contract stability under ICANN's root zone. Verisign is the most stable registry operator in the industry.

Google Registry operates .app, .dev, .page, .new, .zip, and others. Google-operated TLDs require HTTPS for all registrations — the registry enforces this at the HSTS preload list level. Technically stable, pricing is reasonable.

Donuts (merged with Afilias into Identity Digital) is the largest operator of new gTLDs by portfolio size. They operate .shop, .store, .online, .email, .blog, .careers, .lawyer, and hundreds more. Identity Digital is a significant commercial entity, financially stable.

XYZ.com LLC operates .xyz, .college, .rent, .security, .protection. They are known for aggressive pricing strategies — extremely low launch prices ($0.88 for .xyz was common) to drive volume, with renewal prices sometimes different from registration prices. Check renewal costs carefully for any XYZ LLC TLD.

Radix operates .store, .site, .online, .press, .tech, .website. Private company, reasonable operational track record.

What Registry Operators Control

Registration pricing. There is no price cap on new gTLDs (unlike .com, where ICANN sets a maximum). A registry can price a domain at $12/year or $200/year. They can also designate specific names as "premium" with permanent elevated renewal prices.

Availability policies. Some registries hold back large lists of premium names for direct sale at higher prices. Others release them through the standard registrar network.

Sunrise and Landrush periods. When a new TLD launches, trademark holders get a "sunrise" period to register their trademarks before general availability. Registry operators design these policies.

Transfers. Registry operators set transfer policies within ICANN's minimum requirements. Most follow standard EPP transfer process, but ccTLD-adjacent new gTLDs sometimes have non-standard requirements.

The Renewal Price Risk

The biggest practical risk from registry operators is renewal price changes. ICANN caps exist for legacy TLDs but not for new gTLDs.

XYZ LLC's .security TLD launched with $40/year registration prices and later adjusted to much higher renewal costs. Several Donuts TLDs have had periodic price increases.

Before registering any new gTLD domain for commercial purposes, check the registrar's renewal price (not just the registration price). Some registrars display "renews at $X" on the registration confirmation. Verify this.

For domain investors building a portfolio, premium pricing on new gTLDs can quickly turn a seemingly cheap acquisition into an expensive holding. A $9 registration price at a .tech domain that renews at $35/year is not the same asset as a .com at $15/year.

Checking TLD Stability

For any new gTLD you are considering for a business domain, look up the registry operator and research them briefly:

  • Is the operator a commercial entity with a track record?
  • Is the ICANN contract publicly listed? (icann.org lists all registry operator agreements)
  • Have there been technical outages or policy controversies?

For hand-registration prices across any TLD, BatchDomain's availability check works against any TLD with RDAP support — which includes all new gTLDs under ICANN contracts.