Can I renew my Godaddy domain with a different registrar or do I need to pay to transfer it first?

I have a domain registered with Godaddy which I am not currently using but I would like to have it registered with a different registrar. Would I be better off transferring it now or should I let it expire and then wait to buy it from the registrar I want to use, which is 1and1.com

i think from the info bellow which is taken from 1and1 website, they are going to charge you for the domain registration, so since you have already paid for it at goDadday, you might as well let it expire and then re-register it with 1&1.

"Can I transfer my domain names to 1&1?

Yes. You can transfer a domain that you already have to 1&1.

Transfer of registrar takes about 7-10 days (after we receive the consent to transfer)

and there may be downtime of 1-2 days while the DNS information is propagated.

There is no additional fee for transferring your existing domain to 1&1. We only charge the regular yearly fee for registering your domain."

You can transfer your domain name for FREE with DomainPurpose, it's easy and secure.

sorry