Once you've found a name you like, you still have to decide on the extension: the part after the dot. Here's a clear, practical comparison of the most popular choices and how to pick the right one.
.com: the default choice
The .com extension is the oldest and most widely used commercial extension. For most people, "website" and ".com" go together. That gives .com several advantages:
- Trust: Customers tend to see a .com as established and professional.
- Memorability: When people forget your extension, they usually type .com.
- Email accuracy: Fewer emails go to the wrong address.
- Resale value: .com names hold their value best.
If you can get a strong .com for your brand, it's almost always the safest choice.
.net: a solid alternative
Originally meant for network and technology companies, .net is now used by all kinds of businesses. It's well known and trusted, and it's a good option when the .com isn't available or is far outside your budget. It works especially well for tech, software and infrastructure brands, such as ServerSpace.net or CodeService.net.
The main risk: some visitors may type .com out of habit. If a different company owns the .com version, you could lose some traffic or emails.
.co: short and modern
.co is technically the country code for Colombia, but it's widely used worldwide by startups as a short alternative to .com. It looks modern and fits well with tech and creative brands. The downside is that it's easy to confuse with .com, so people sometimes mistype it.
Country extensions: .de, .co.uk, .nl and more
If most of your customers are in one country, a local extension can be a great choice. Many shoppers in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands trust local extensions as much as or more than .com. Read our full guide to country domains.
Newer extensions
Hundreds of newer extensions exist, from industry words to creative ones. They can be useful for campaigns or very niche projects, but they're less familiar to most people and usually less valuable for resale.
How to choose: simple rules
- Choose .com if you can get a good name that fits your budget.
- Choose a country extension if you sell mainly in one country.
- Choose .net or .co if the .com isn't available and the name is strong.
- Avoid extensions people won't recognize for your main business site.
Does the extension affect SEO?
Google treats generic extensions like .com, .net and .co the same way for ranking. Country extensions are a signal that your site targets that country. For most businesses, the extension matters more for trust and memorability than for rankings. See our article on how domain names affect SEO.
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