What does a domain name cost, and does it come with hosting?
The short answer
A .com domain costs around $10 to $15 a year on its own. Many hosting plans include a free domain for the first year. After that you pay the normal rate. Domain and hosting do not have to live at the same company, but keeping them together is easier.
In detail
The domain name is your address on the internet, and the hosting is the house behind it. They are separate products. You can register your domain at one company and host your site at another. For most people one provider is more practical. You get one invoice, one control panel and no DNS puzzles.
Domain promos follow the same pattern as hosting. The first year is free or nearly free. After that you pay the regular rate. That is fine as long as you know it. Also check that the domain is registered in your name. Then you can take it with you if you ever move. Reputable providers do this as standard, but it is worth checking.
Register your domain the moment you decide on it. You can do that before the site exists. For a few dollars a year nobody else can grab it. Parking it at your provider costs nothing. Namecheap built its reputation on fair domain pricing.