.com vs .io vs .ai — Which TLD Should You Pick?
The Big Three for Tech Companies
When launching a tech startup, app, or SaaS product, three domain extensions dominate: .com, .io, and .ai. Each carries different signals, pricing, and SEO implications. Here is how to choose.
.com — The Universal Default
Cost: ~$10/year. Trust: Maximum. Availability: Low for short names.
.com is still the gold standard. It carries instant credibility, works in every market, and is what people type by default. The downside: most good .com names are taken. You may need to get creative with prefixes (get, try, use) or buy on the aftermarket.
.io — The Developer Favorite
Cost: ~$30/year. Trust: High in tech. Availability: Moderate.
.io became the de facto startup TLD thanks to its association with input/output. It signals "tech company" immediately. GitHub Pages, Socket.io, and hundreds of dev tools use it. The catch: .io is technically the British Indian Ocean Territory ccTLD, and its long-term governance has been questioned.
.ai — The AI Era Extension
Cost: ~$80/year. Trust: High in AI/ML. Availability: Moderate.
.ai has exploded since the AI boom. It is the TLD of choice for AI startups, tools, and platforms. Perplexity.ai, Character.ai, and hundreds more use it. The premium price filters out casual registrations, which keeps the namespace relatively clean. It is technically Anguilla country code.
Quick Comparison
Best overall credibility: .com. Best for dev tools and startups: .io. Best for AI products: .ai. Best budget option: .com. Best availability: .ai (newer namespace).
What About Other Options?
.dev (Google-owned, HTTPS required) is great for developer portfolios. .app (also Google) works for mobile apps. .co is a solid .com alternative. .xyz is budget-friendly and used by Alphabet (abc.xyz).
The Verdict
If .com is available for your brand, buy it. If not, .io for general tech and .ai for AI products are the strongest alternatives. Whichever you choose, be consistent across your branding.
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