.com vs .dev: Price, Renewal and Availability
Pick .com for a business and .dev for developer tools, docs, portfolios and open-source projects. .dev costs $8.75 for the first year and $12.87 to renew, so five years come to $60.23 vs $54.40 for .com. Like .app, .dev is HTTPS-only in every major browser. 75% of .com names checked on domhaul were already registered, against 55% of .dev.
Standard (non-premium) names, USD per year, quoted October 24, 2026.
| Measure | .com | .dev |
|---|---|---|
| First year (lowest) | $10.88 | $8.75 |
| Renewal (lowest) | $10.88 | $12.87 |
| Renewal vs first year | same | +47% |
| 5 years, cheapest registrar | $54.40 (Dynadot) | $60.23 (Porkbun) |
| Minimum term | 1 year | 1 year |
| Porkbun first year | $11.08 | $8.75 |
| Porkbun renewal | $11.08 | $12.87 |
| Porkbun transfer | $11.08 | $12.87 |
| Dynadot first year | $10.88 | Not sold |
| Dynadot renewal | $10.88 | Not sold |
| Taken when checked on domhaul | 75% of 4,260 | 55% of 55 |
| Type | Generic | Generic |
| Registry | VeriSign Global Registry Services | Charleston Road Registry Inc. |
| Rules | Open to anyone | Open to anyone; HTTPS required (HSTS preload) |
| DNSSEC | Signed | Signed |
Is your name free as .com and .dev?
One name, both extensions, checked live against the registries.
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Pick .com if
- Your audience is customers, not engineers.
- You want one flat price and no HTTPS requirement.
- The .com is free or affordable.
Pick .dev if
- You are building for developers, or showing your own work as one.
- The .com is taken and name + .dev reads well.
- Your site already runs on HTTPS.
.com vs .dev questions
Does a .dev domain need HTTPS?
Yes. The whole .dev extension is on the HSTS preload list built into Chrome, Firefox and Safari, so browsers only load .dev sites over HTTPS and refuse plain HTTP. Put a TLS certificate on the site before you point the domain at it (most hosts issue one free). Email is not affected: HSTS applies to websites, not to mail.
Is .dev cheaper than .com?
.com costs $10.88 for the first year and $10.88 to renew; .dev costs $8.75 and $12.87. Over five years (first year plus four renewals at the cheaper registrar) that is $54.40 for .com and $60.23 for .dev, so .com is the cheaper one to keep. Standard names at Dynadot and Porkbun, quoted October 24, 2026.
Can I use .dev for local development?
Not anymore. .dev was a common made-up suffix for local sites (myapp.dev) until Google launched it as a real extension in 2019. Because .dev is HSTS-preloaded, browsers force HTTPS on every .dev hostname, including local ones, so those setups break. Use .test or .localhost for local work; both are reserved and will never be real extensions.
Who runs .dev?
Google Registry (Charleston Road Registry Inc.). .dev opened to the public in February 2019, HSTS-preloaded like .app. It is open to anyone, not only developers.
More comparisons
- .io vs .dev 5 yrs $235.32 vs $60.23
- .app vs .dev 5 yrs $68.47 vs $60.23
- .com vs .net 5 yrs $54.40 vs $62.60
- .com vs .org 5 yrs $54.40 vs $54.55
- .com vs .co 5 yrs $54.40 vs $140.30
- .com vs .io 5 yrs $54.40 vs $235.32
Full price pages: .com and .dev. All domain extension comparisons, the price list for every TLD, and the long read on .com vs .io vs .app vs .dev for startups. Have a name? The domain value calculator prices it and finds available alternatives.