Best TLDs for startups in 2026: a decision matrix

Updated May 11, 2026

Short answer: default to .com. Pick .ai if you're AI-native. Pick .io or .dev if you sell to developers. Pick .co or .net as fallbacks. Skip everything else unless your industry has a strong association with a specific niche TLD. Here's the full matrix.

The full decision matrix

Your situation	Primary TLD	Backup TLD	Notes
AI-native product, technical audience	.ai	.com	Register both if both available
AI-native product, mixed audience	.com	.ai	Default .com for cold trust
Developer tool / open-source project	.dev	.io	.dev is cheaper + HTTPS-mandatory
SaaS for non-technical buyers	.com	.co	Don't go .io for non-tech buyers
E-commerce / consumer brand	.com	.shop	.com always for checkout trust
Agency / consulting firm	.com	.co	Avoid .agency — looks like SEO bait
Mobile app with PWA	.app	.com	.app HSTS preload is a positive signal
Local business (single market)	.com	.{country-code}	Add ccTLD for local SEO if relevant
Personal portfolio / freelancer	.com	.dev	.me, .io also fine for technical folks
Bootstrapped, .com taken, $80/yr budget	.co	.net	Either is acceptable

Cost by TLD

TLD	Standard annual cost	Premium ceiling
.com	$10-15	$10K-$1M
.net	$10-15	$1K-$50K
.org	$13-18	$1K-$30K
.co	$25-35	$1K-$50K
.io	$40-60	$1K-$50K
.ai	$60-90	$500-$50K+
.app	$15-20	$1K-$20K
.dev	$15-20	$500-$10K

The cheapest TLDs are .com and .net. .org is similar. .co is roughly 2-3x more. .io is 4-5x. .ai is 5-8x. The newer Google TLDs (.app, .dev) are competitive with .com on price despite being newer.

By startup stage

**Pre-seed (no funding)** — Pick the cheapest credible option. .com if available; otherwise .net or .co. Spend $50-200 on a TLD bundle, not $5K on a premium .com.

**Seed / pre-launch** — Pick the right brand TLD. If you're AI-native, .ai is OK. If you're developer-focused, .dev is OK. For everything else, .com. Budget $200-2K for the right name if your .com is premium.

**Series A+** — Pay the .com premium if it materially improves the brand. The math: 5-15% CTR improvement on cold traffic compounds across thousands of impressions. For a brand projecting $10M ARR, paying $50K-$200K for the .com is rational.

TLDs to avoid for serious brands

**.xyz** — early-2010s startup default, now reads as crypto-scammy.
**.online, .website, .site** — generic to the point of being meaningless.
**.info** — strongly associated with spam.
**.click, .download, .top** — Google has higher spam-classification rates for these.
**Country codes you have no connection to** — .me, .tv, .gg work but tell a confusing story if you're not in those geographies.

When a niche TLD makes sense

There are scenarios where a niche TLD is the right call:

**.studio** — for a single design studio or media production company.
**.law / .legal** — for boutique law firms (.law is restricted to verified lawyers).
**.health** — for sponsored healthcare brands (high registration cost).
**.shop** — only if your e-commerce store has a brand that pairs well with the suffix.
**.io** — for developer tools (with the 2024 sovereignty caveat).

TipA niche TLD only pays off when the SLD + TLD together read as a complete brand. "Brunello.studio" works; "MyBusiness.studio" doesn't.

Defensive registrations

For any name worth keeping, register at minimum:

Your primary TLD (whatever you chose above).
The matching .com (always, even if you're not using it).
1-2 common typos as redirects to your primary.
Hyphenated variants if your brand name has multiple words.

Total cost: usually $30-100/yr for the defensive set. Cheaper than buying back a squatted typo domain later.

Try this starter prompt

“Climate-tech monitoring platform for small farms”

Find the right TLD now →

Frequently asked

What's the cheapest TLD for a startup?+

.com and .net at ~$10-15/yr. .org is similar. If your budget is $20/yr and you need any working domain, .com or .net should be your default; both are cheap and reputable.

Should I pay $50K for the .com if my .ai is available for $80/yr?+

For an AI-native product at pre-seed, no. The .ai is fine. For Series A+ with significant marketing spend planned, often yes — the .com pays back through higher CTR on cold traffic.

Are TLDs important for SEO?+

Marginally. Google treats generic TLDs equally; geographic ccTLDs help local SEO. The bigger impact of TLD choice is brand recall and direct-type traffic.