.com vs .net: Price, Renewal and Availability
Pick .com if the name is free. Pick .net only when the .com is taken and you can live with visitors who type .com out of habit. Both are run by Verisign and both renew at the price they register at ($10.88 vs $12.52 a year), so cost does not decide this one; availability does. 75% of .com names checked on domhaul were already registered, against 46% of .net.
Standard (non-premium) names, USD per year, quoted October 24, 2026.
| Measure | .com | .net |
|---|---|---|
| First year (lowest) | $10.88 | $12.52 |
| Renewal (lowest) | $10.88 | $12.52 |
| Renewal vs first year | same | same |
| 5 years, cheapest registrar | $54.40 (Dynadot) | $62.60 (Dynadot) |
| Minimum term | 1 year | 1 year |
| Porkbun first year | $11.08 | $12.52 |
| Porkbun renewal | $11.08 | $12.52 |
| Porkbun transfer | $11.08 | $12.52 |
| Dynadot first year | $10.88 | $12.52 |
| Dynadot renewal | $10.88 | $12.52 |
| Taken when checked on domhaul | 75% of 4,260 | 46% of 72 |
| Type | Generic | Generic |
| Registry | VeriSign Global Registry Services | VeriSign Global Registry Services |
| Rules | Open to anyone | Open to anyone |
| DNSSEC | Signed | Signed |
Is your name free as .com and .net?
One name, both extensions, checked live against the registries.
No name yet? Browse available domain name ideas by niche, checked against the registry.
Pick .com if
- The .com is unregistered, or for sale at a price you can pay.
- People will type your address from memory: ads, podcasts, word of mouth.
- You want the extension customers assume when they guess an email address.
Pick .net if
- You sell networking, hosting or infrastructure, where .net still reads as intentional.
- The .com is parked by someone who will not sell and the .net is free.
- You want an old, unrestricted extension that renews flat, with no promo jump.
.com vs .net questions
Is .net as good as .com?
Technically they are identical: the same registry (Verisign), no eligibility rules, the same DNS. Google ranks pages, not extensions: neither one gives a ranking boost or penalty, and links, content and how people respond to the result decide where a site ranks. The difference is habit. Most people assume .com, so a .net loses some type-in visitors, and some email, to whoever owns the .com.
Is .net more expensive than .com?
.com costs $10.88 for the first year and $10.88 to renew; .net costs $12.52 and $12.52. Over five years (first year plus four renewals at the cheaper registrar) that is $54.40 for .com and $62.60 for .net, so .com is the cheaper one to keep. Standard names at Dynadot and Porkbun, quoted October 24, 2026.
Who runs .com and .net?
Verisign operates both under contracts with ICANN. They are two of the original top-level domains from 1985, which is why both are unrestricted and renew at a stable price rather than a first-year promotion.
Should I buy the .net if the .com is taken?
First look at who owns the .com. If it is an active business in your field, a matching .net sends confused visitors and misdirected email their way and can invite a trademark complaint. If it is parked or for sale, price it before you settle: the domain value calculator shows whether a name is listed and what it is likely worth.
More comparisons
- .net vs .org 5 yrs $62.60 vs $54.55
- .co vs .net 5 yrs $140.30 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
- .com vs .ai 5 yrs $54.40 vs $413.50
Full price pages: .com and .net. 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.