The extension you choose (.com, .io, .shop...) affects how people remember your name, how much it costs every year, and sometimes who is allowed to register it. There is no single right answer, but a few questions narrow it down quickly.
Start with four questions
1. Who will type it?
If your audience is the general public, .com is still what most people assume. If they will hear the name and type it from memory, an unusual extension is easy to get wrong. If your audience is technical, .dev, .io and .app are familiar and widely trusted.
2. Where are your customers?
A business that serves one country often does well with that country's extension: .de in Germany, .ca in Canada, .co.uk in the UK. Local extensions can signal that you are local, but many require a local address. Check the extension's page in the TLD directory.
3. What will it cost over time?
Look at the renewal price, not just the first year. A promotional extension at $1 for the first year can renew at $30 or more. See Understanding Domain Pricing.
4. Can you register it?
Some extensions are restricted to residents, businesses, or specific professions. Read TLD Rules and Restrictions before you plan a brand around one.
Common choices
| Extension | Typical use | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
.com |
Any business, the default | Most recognized; good names are scarce |
.net, .org |
Networks and services; non-profits and communities | .org is open to anyone despite its reputation |
.io |
Tech startups, developer tools | Country code (British Indian Ocean Territory); higher price |
.ai |
AI products | Country code (Anguilla); among the more expensive |
.dev |
Developer projects and tools | HTTPS required (see below) |
.app |
Apps and software products | HTTPS required (see below) |
.co |
Startups, "company" | Country code (Colombia); open worldwide |
.xyz, .online, .site |
Side projects, experiments | Often promotional; check renewal |
.shop, .store |
Online stores | Clearly says "you can buy here" |
.me |
Personal sites | Country code (Montenegro); open worldwide |
HTTPS-only extensions
.dev, .app and a few others are on browsers' HSTS preload list: browsers will only load sites on them over HTTPS. That is good for security, but it means your site needs an SSL certificate from day one. Most modern hosts set this up automatically.
Should I register more than one?
It can make sense to register:
- Your main name on
.comas well as your chosen extension, so visitors who type.comby habit find you (you can redirect one to the other). - Common misspellings of a short brand name.
- Your country extension if you operate locally.
Each one adds a yearly renewal, so be selective.
Compare before you decide
The same name can vary a lot in price across similar extensions:
A quick routine:
- Search your name on the home page to see popular extensions side by side.
- Open the TLD directory, filter to Open, and sort by renewal price to find affordable alternatives.
- Open the page of each extension on your shortlist to check its rules.
Myths
"Only .com ranks well in search engines." Search engines treat generic extensions such as .io, .dev or .shop like .com. Country extensions can help with local results in that country.
"New extensions look like spam." Some cheap extensions have attracted spam, which can affect email deliverability for brand-new domains. Established extensions and a good sending reputation matter more than the extension itself.
"I need the exact-match keyword in my domain." A short, memorable brand name usually works better than a long keyword phrase.