[mikea1]

> how is it so much cheaper

Porkbun doesn't make money when you buy a domain name, but they may make money when you do not renew it:

> At about 21 days into the Auto-Renew Grace Period, the expired domain will be submitted to third-party auction services.

https://kb.porkbun.com/article/37-what-happens-after-a-domai...

Other registrars, like GoDaddy, do this too.