.com vs the new endings: which should you choose?
Compare .com with country endings and new endings like .co, .io, .ai, .app and .shop: trust, price, renewal traps, email, and when a non-.com makes sense.
There are now more than a thousand domain endings, from .app to .zone. So should you still hold out for a .com? Usually yes, but not always. Here's how to decide.
Why .com still wins
- It's the default guess. When people hear a business name, they type it with .com. If you're on another ending, some of your visitors go to whoever owns the .com.
- Email goes astray. People autocomplete @yourname.com. If you're @yourname.co, some messages meant for you reach the .com owner.
- Trust. Many people still see .com as more established, especially older customers.
- Resale value. .com names hold their value best if you ever sell.
Country endings
If you only serve one country, its ending is a strong choice. Shoppers in the UK, Canada, Germany or Australia often prefer local endings like .co.uk, .ca, .de and .com.au, and they can help show search engines where you trade. Some country endings have rules about who can register them, such as a local address.
.io, .ai and .co
These are country endings (British Indian Ocean Territory, Anguilla and Colombia) that became popular worldwide. .io and .ai are fashionable with tech and AI startups, and .co reads like "company".
- Cost: they usually cost several times more than .com every year.
- Confusion: .co is one letter away from .com, so typos send people to the .com owner.
- Fashion: a name that signals "tech startup" today might feel dated later, or wrong if your business changes.
New endings like .app and .shop
Newer endings work best when the ending finishes the name: bloom.shop, fix.repair, jane.studio. They let you get a short, clear name when the .com is gone.
- .app and .dev only work over secure HTTPS. That's built in, so your site must have a certificate, which most hosts provide free.
- Some cheap endings are heavily used by spammers. Email from them can land in spam more often, so check before using one for business email.
- Recognition varies. Some people don't realize unfamiliar endings are web addresses.
Price and renewal traps
Always check the renewal price. Many endings are $1 to $5 for the first year, then much more each year after. "Premium" names on new endings can renew at hundreds of dollars a year, forever.
Compare the price for three years, not just year one. And remember the ending you choose is the one you'll pay for every year.
How to decide
- Is a good .com available or affordable? Take it.
- Do you only serve one country? Its ending is a great option, ideally with the .com too if you can.
- Does a new ending complete your name naturally? It can work, especially for a short, brandable name.
- Who owns the .com? If it's a competitor, or anything you wouldn't want customers to land on, pick a different name instead.
Use the DomainNams search to see your name across 14 popular endings at once.