The short answer for most names: take the .com if it is free. It renews flat at $10.88, so five years cost $54.40. Over five years only .us ($32.43), .org ($54.55), .xyz ($58.88) and .dev ($60.23) cost about the same or less. The first-year price misleads most on .tech (7.3x at renewal), .xyz (7.1x at renewal), .biz (2.8x at renewal) and .co (2.0x at renewal). Each comparison below has both extensions' registrar prices, rules, how often names were already taken when people checked them on domhaul, and a live check of one name in both. Prices as of October 24, 2026.
| Comparison | First year | Renewal | 5 years | Short answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .com vs .net | $10.88 / $12.52 | $10.88 / $12.52 | $54.40 / $62.60 | .com if it is free; .net as the fallback, same registry and flat renewals. |
| .com vs .org | $10.88 / $7.98 | $10.88 / $11.64 | $54.40 / $54.55 | .com for a business, .org for a nonprofit, community or open-source project. |
| .com vs .co | $10.88 / $15.50 | $10.88 / $31.20 | $54.40 / $140.30 | .com unless taken; .co renews much higher and gets mistyped as .com. |
| .com vs .io | $10.88 / $28.12 | $10.88 / $51.80 | $54.40 / $235.32 | .com if you can get it; .io for a developer tool when .com is taken, at several times the 5-year cost. |
| .com vs .ai | $10.88 / $82.70 | $10.88 / $82.70 | $54.40 / $413.50 | .com unless AI is the product; .ai costs far more and is sold in 2-year terms. |
| .com vs .app | $10.88 / $8.75 | $10.88 / $14.93 | $54.40 / $68.47 | .com for a company; .app for an app when .com is taken. .app must run on HTTPS. |
| .com vs .dev | $10.88 / $8.75 | $10.88 / $12.87 | $54.40 / $60.23 | .com for a business; .dev for developer tools, docs and portfolios. HTTPS required. |
| .com vs .xyz | $10.88 / $1.99 | $10.88 / $14.21 | $54.40 / $58.88 | .com: .xyz's cheap first year renews higher than .com every year after. |
| .com vs .me | $10.88 / $17.27 | $10.88 / $17.27 | $54.40 / $86.35 | .com for a business; .me for a personal site or portfolio. |
| .com vs .us | $10.88 / $4.43 | $10.88 / $7.00 | $54.40 / $32.43 | .com for anyone; .us is cheapest but needs a US nexus and allows no WHOIS privacy. |
| .com vs .tech | $10.88 / $6.99 | $10.88 / $50.98 | $54.40 / $210.91 | .com: .tech's promo first year is followed by a renewal several times higher. |
| .com vs .biz | $10.88 / $6.69 | $10.88 / $19.05 | $54.40 / $82.89 | .com: .biz renews higher than .com and carries an old spam reputation. |
| .net vs .org | $12.52 / $7.98 | $12.52 / $11.64 | $62.60 / $54.55 | .org for a mission, .net for networks or as the .com fallback. |
| .io vs .ai | $28.12 / $82.70 | $51.80 / $82.70 | $235.32 / $413.50 | .io for dev tools and SaaS, .ai when AI is the product and the budget allows. |
| .io vs .co | $28.12 / $15.50 | $51.80 / $31.20 | $235.32 / $140.30 | .io for technical products, .co for a general company; .co is cheaper to keep. |
| .io vs .dev | $28.12 / $8.75 | $51.80 / $12.87 | $235.32 / $60.23 | .dev if price matters (HTTPS required), .io for a SaaS or API brand. |
| .io vs .app | $28.12 / $8.75 | $51.80 / $14.93 | $235.32 / $68.47 | .app for a consumer or mobile app, .io for a developer or B2B product. |
| .ai vs .co | $82.70 / $15.50 | $82.70 / $31.20 | $413.50 / $140.30 | .co unless AI is the core of the product; .ai costs far more to keep. |
| .app vs .dev | $8.75 / $8.75 | $14.93 / $12.87 | $68.47 / $60.23 | Same registry, same rules: .app for products people use, .dev for developer work. |
| .co vs .net | $15.50 / $12.52 | $31.20 / $12.52 | $140.30 / $62.60 | .net is cheaper and renews flat; .co looks closer to .com but renews much higher. |
| TLD | First year | Renewal | 5 years | Taken | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .us | $4.43 | $7.00 | $32.43 | n/a | US nexus required; no WHOIS privacy |
| .com | $10.88 | $10.88 | $54.40 | 75% | Open to anyone |
| .org | $7.98 | $11.64 | $54.55 | 67% | Open to anyone; no nonprofit check |
| .xyz | $1.99 | $14.21 | $58.88 | n/a | Open to anyone |
| .dev | $8.75 | $12.87 | $60.23 | 55% | Open to anyone; HTTPS required (HSTS preload) |
| .net | $12.52 | $12.52 | $62.60 | 46% | Open to anyone |
| .app | $8.75 | $14.93 | $68.47 | 37% | Open to anyone; HTTPS required (HSTS preload) |
| .biz | $6.69 | $19.05 | $82.89 | n/a | Meant for business or commercial use |
| .me | $17.27 | $17.27 | $86.35 | n/a | Open to anyone |
| .co | $15.50 | $31.20 | $140.30 | 54% | Open to anyone |
| .tech | $6.99 | $50.98 | $210.91 | n/a | Open to anyone |
| .io | $28.12 | $51.80 | $235.32 | 36% | Open to anyone |
| .ai | $82.70 | $82.70 | $413.50 | 48% | Open to anyone; 2-year minimum term |
Standard (non-premium) names, USD per year, lowest of Dynadot and Porkbun. 5 years = first year plus four renewals at the cheaper registrar. Taken = share of names people checked on domhaul that were already registered (n/a below 30 checks). .ai is sold in 2-year terms, shown per year. Every extension's full price page is in the domain price list by TLD. Looking for a name that is still free? Available domain name ideas by niche. The long read on picking a startup extension: .com vs .io vs .app vs .dev.
