Domain Extensions Guide
Which TLDs have real investment value, which are fads, and how to think about extensions when buying or selling.
.com dominance
.com is the default. It's what people type when they don't think about it. It carries the most trust, the most brand recognition, and the highest resale value. For investment purposes, .com is the safest bet by a wide margin.
A good .com will almost always be worth more than the equivalent in any other extension. Companies that start on .io or .co often upgrade to .com as they grow. That upgrade demand is what makes .com valuable.
.net and .org
.net and .org are the second tier. They have real value but significantly less than .com equivalents. .org carries trust in nonprofit and community contexts. .net has a tech/infrastructure association.
- .net investment value: Moderate. Good keyword .net domains sell, but at a fraction of .com prices. Best for tech-adjacent keywords.
- .org investment value: Lower for pure investment. More valuable to nonprofits and community organizations than to commercial buyers.
- When to buy .net/.org: If the .com is taken and the keyword has strong commercial value, the .net can still be worth holding.
Country code TLDs with crossover appeal
.io
Originally the country code for British Indian Ocean Territory, now widely used by tech startups. Strong brand recognition in the tech community. Investment value is real but volatile - depends heavily on tech sector sentiment.
.co
Colombia's country code, adopted as a .com alternative. Used by startups and companies that couldn't get the .com. Decent investment value for short, clean names.
.ai
Anguilla's country code, now the go-to extension for AI companies. High demand, premium pricing. Investment value is strong right now - but tied to AI sector trends.
.app
Google-operated gTLD. Popular for mobile apps and SaaS products. Requires HTTPS. Growing adoption in the developer community.
.dev
Another Google-operated TLD. Popular with developers. Niche but consistent demand.
New gTLDs
ICANN opened up hundreds of new generic TLDs starting in 2014 - .shop, .store, .online, .tech, .club, and many more. The promise was that these would compete with .com. The reality has been mixed.
A few new gTLDs have found real niches (.app, .dev, .io). Most have not. The secondary market for new gTLD domains is thin - it's hard to find buyers willing to pay meaningful prices.
For investment purposes, be cautious with new gTLDs. Register them for personal or business use if they make sense, but don't expect strong resale value.
Investment value by extension
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