What is the annual budget to launch an ICANN new generic top-level domain in 2026?

The annual budget to launch an ICANN new generic top-level domain (gTLD) in 2026 is not a single, fixed number but rather a combination of various fees and potential additional costs. The total cost can easily exceed half a million dollars.

Here's a breakdown of the key expenses:

• ICANN Application Fee: The base application fee for a new gTLD in 2026 is $227,000 USD. This fee covers the processing and evaluation of your application by ICANN. It's important to note that this is just the starting point and does not cover other expenses.
• Registry Service Provider (RSP) Costs: To operate a gTLD, you need a backend registry partner unless you build one yourself. ICANN requires that your chosen provider is pre-evaluated. These costs include:
  • One-time setup fees
  • Ongoing fees for services like DNS, WHOIS, uptime, and ICANN compliance. These costs can range from $10,000 to $25,000 EUR per year.
• Legal and Consulting Fees:
  • Legal review and representation, especially if your proposed gTLD string overlaps with trademarks or has potential for objections.
  • Consulting services for application preparation. These can range from $20,000 to $50,000 EUR.
• Additional ICANN Fees:
  • Certain types of applications may have additional fees. For example, a Brand Application Evaluation fee of $500 USD applies to brand TLDs.
  • Objections, challenges, and appeals will require additional fees and can significantly increase costs.
• Contention Sets and Auctions: If multiple applicants apply for the same or a similar string, they enter a contention set. While private resolutions are now prohibited, the dispute can lead to an auction where the cost to acquire the gTLD can escalate to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

In summary, while the ICANN application fee is $227,000, a realistic budget for launching a new gTLD must account for a wide range of additional expenses, including legal, consulting, and registry operation fees, bringing the total annual budget to a much higher figure.