Quick Answer
Comparable domain sales (comps) are historical sales of similar domains used to estimate the value of a domain you're buying or selling. Using databases like NameBio (1.9M+ sales) and DNJournal (weekly premium sales), you can find domains with similar characteristics (keywords, length, TLD, niche) and use their sale prices to ballpark your domain's value. Average domain sales in 2025: $16,233, with 55% falling in the $1,000-$3,000 range.
Table of Contents
What Are Comparable Sales?
Comparable sales (comps) are past sales of domains similar to yours, used to estimate market value.
Just like real estate:
- You wouldn't price a 3-bedroom house without checking what similar 3-bedroom houses sold for
- Domain pricing works the same way
Example:
Your domain: TechGadgets.com Comparable sales:
- TechTools.com sold for $12,000
- GadgetHub.com sold for $15,000
- TechDeals.com sold for $10,000
Estimated range: $10,000-$15,000
Why Comps Matter
1. Realistic Pricing
Prevents:
- ❌ Overpricing (no one buys)
- ❌ Underpricing (lost money)
Provides:
- ✅ Market-based valuation
- ✅ Negotiation leverage
- ✅ Realistic expectations
2. Buyer/Seller Confidence
For sellers:
- Justify asking price with data
- Show evidence in negotiations
For buyers:
- Verify fair market value
- Avoid overpaying
- Make informed offers
3. Investment Decisions
Helps determine:
- Which domains to buy
- Maximum bid at auctions
- Portfolio allocation
- ROI potential
Primary Comp Data Sources
NameBio
Website: NameBio.com
Data:
- 1.9M+ domain sales
- $1B+ in total sales
- Updated daily (November 21, 2025: +522 sales, $488,493)
Search filters:
- Keyword
- Extension (.com, .net, etc.)
- Sale price range
- Sale date
- Category
Free tier: Basic searches Paid tier: Advanced filters, exports
DNJournal
Website: DNJournal.com
Data:
- Weekly premium sales reports
- Curated high-value sales
- Marketplace data (Sedo, Afternic, etc.)
- Industry analysis
Focus: Premium domains ($2,000+)
2025 data: Average sale price $16,233 (H1 2025), up 21% from 2024
Sedo Sales Data
Website: Sedo.com/us/services/buy-and-sell-domains/
Data:
- Sedo marketplace sales
- Brokered deals
- Auction results
Advantage: Current market activity
Domain Name Journal Archives
Historical data:
- Annual top sales lists
- Long-term trends
- Landmark sales
How to Find Comparable Sales
Step 1: Identify Key Characteristics
Your domain: PetSupplies.com
Key attributes:
- Length: 11 characters
- Words: 2 words
- Type: Generic keyword domain
- TLD: .com
- Niche: Pet industry
- Pattern: [Category][Product]
Step 2: Search by Keyword
NameBio search:
"pet supplies" → Find exact matches
"pet" → Find similar niches
"supplies" → Find similar patterns
Results example:
- PetFood.com - $85,000
- PetStore.com - $125,000
- DogSupplies.com - $15,000
- PetProducts.com - $45,000
Step 3: Filter by TLD
Priority:
- .com sales most relevant
- .net sales as secondary reference
- Other TLDs less comparable
Why: .com typically worth 2-10x more than alternatives
Step 4: Recent Sales Only
Time frame:
- Last 1-2 years most relevant
- 3-5 years acceptable
- 10+ years outdated (market changed)
Market changes:
- 2025: Brandability valued over keywords
- 2012: EMD update changed valuation
- Historic sales may not reflect current market
Step 5: Similar Price Range
Group by tiers:
- Under $1,000 (hand registration range)
- $1,000-$10,000 (mid-market)
- $10,000-$100,000 (premium)
- $100,000+ (ultra-premium)
Compare within tier: Don't compare $500 domains to $50,000 domains
Analyzing Comparable Sales
Adjustment Factors
Not all comps are equal—adjust for:
1. Length
- Shorter = more valuable
- PetSupply.com (10 chars) > PetSuppliesOnline.com (18 chars)
2. Search Volume
- Higher searches = higher value
- "pet food" (100K/mo) > "pet toys" (10K/mo)
3. Commercial Intent
- Transactional > Informational
- "buy pet supplies" > "pet care tips"
4. Brandability
- Memorable > Generic
- Chewy.com > PetFoodStore.com
5. TLD
- .com premium
- .net ~30-50% of .com value
- .org ~20-40% of .com value
- New TLDs ~10-30% of .com value
6. Market Timing
- Bull market vs bear market
- Trending niches (crypto 2021 spike)
Example Analysis
Comp 1: DogSupplies.com - $15,000 Comp 2: PetFood.com - $85,000 Comp 3: PetProducts.com - $45,000
Your domain: PetSupplies.com
Analysis:
- More specific than PetFood (narrower audience) → -30%
- More generic than DogSupplies (broader market) → +50%
- Similar to PetProducts (same pattern) → baseline
Estimated range: $25,000-$50,000 Best estimate: $35,000
2025 Market Data
Current Market Statistics
Average sale price (H1 2025): $16,233 Change from 2024: +21% increase Recent additions: 522 sales totaling $488,493 (Nov 21, 2025)
Price Distribution
Survey data (Brandpa 2022):
- 55% of sales: $1,000-$3,000
- 25% of sales: $3,000-$10,000
- 15% of sales: $10,000-$100,000
- 5% of sales: $100,000+
Reality: Most domains sell in low-to-mid four figures
Market Trends
2025 observations:
Rising value:
- Brandable .com domains
- Short 3-4 letter .com
- AI-related keywords
- Crypto/Web3 recovery
Declining value:
- Long EMD domains (5+ words)
- Hyphenated domains
- .info, .biz TLDs
- Keyword-stuffed domains
Limitations of Comparables
1. Market Opacity
Problem: Most sales private/undisclosed
Reality:
- NameBio captures ~10-30% of sales
- Premium sales more likely reported
- Hand registrations rarely reported
Impact: Sample bias toward higher-value domains
2. Context Missing
Unknown factors:
- Buyer urgency (overpaid?)
- Seller desperation (underpriced?)
- Bulk deal pricing
- Special circumstances
Example: Company buying own brand name pays premium
3. Market Volatility
Changing factors:
- SEO algorithm updates
- Economic conditions
- Industry trends
- TLD popularity shifts
2012 example: EMD update crashed exact-match domain values overnight
4. Unique Domains
Problem: Truly unique domains have no comps
Examples:
- Google.com (made-up word)
- Zoom.com (common word, uncommon use)
- Voice.com ($30M, outlier)
Solution: Use loosest comparables, apply expert judgment
5. Negotiated Deals
Sales include:
- Asking price negotiations
- Buyer-seller dynamics
- Payment terms
- Strategic value (not market value)
Reality: Sale price ≠ market value always
Using Comps Effectively
Best Practices
✅ Do:
- Check multiple sources (NameBio, DNJournal, Sedo)
- Look at 5-10 comparables minimum
- Focus on recent sales (1-2 years)
- Consider multiple factors, not just keywords
- Use comps as guide, not gospel
❌ Don't:
- Rely on single comparable
- Ignore market trends
- Use outdated sales (5+ years)
- Assume exact pricing
- Forget context matters
Combine with Other Methods
Comps + Automated appraisal
- NameBio comps: $25K-$35K
- Estibot appraisal: $28K
- Combined estimate: ~$30K
Comps + Expert appraisal
- Research comps first
- Consult domain broker
- Get professional opinion
- Triangulate all data
Key Takeaways
✓ Comparable sales are past sales of similar domains—best method for realistic valuation
✓ NameBio has 1.9M+ sales, DNJournal tracks premium sales—primary research tools
✓ 2025 average: $16,233 per domain, up 21% from 2024—market showing growth
✓ 55% of sales fall in $1,000-$3,000 range—most domains sell mid-market
✓ Look for similar: keywords, length, TLD, niche, timing—multiple factors matter
✓ Recent sales most relevant (1-2 years)—market changes quickly
✓ Comps are guide, not absolute—use judgment, consider context
✓ Combine comps with automated appraisals and expert opinion—triangulate for best estimate
✓ Most sales go unreported—sample bias toward premium domains